Crane Gunners

are a missile infantry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer III.
==Recruitment==
* Unlocked with: Powder Magazine
==Description==
Firearms are primarily constructed in Nan-Gau by edict of the Dragon Emperor. The foundries of the City of Smoke turn out large numbers of these weapons, in all shapes and sizes. One of the most common variants is the Crane Gun, a long-barrelled firearm often carried by two Nan-Gau soldiers and fixed to a tower shield for greater accuracy. Used in large numbers, these guns can scythe down enemy formations at great distances, or pick off enemy leaders and monsters with precise volleys of fire.
==Attributes==
* Specialist Missile Infantry
==Strategy==
Comparable to Warplock Jezzails, Crane Gunners' long range permits them to damage enemies from a significant distance, decreasing the effectiveness of shields, while being shielded themselves to defend against enemy ranged attacks. Their armor-piercing projectiles also penetrate through their initial target to damage the entity behind, making them particularly devastating against rank infantry.
Almost more akin to artillery than missile infantry (and priced to match, being only fractionally cheaper per unit than the Grand Cannon), there is scarcely anything that will enjoy being the focus of even one or two Crane Gunners, and late game armies can be built around getting the most out of a core of them, which can be a delicate task. Ideally you want your gunners to be near an infantry unit for the Harmony boost, and if you have them pulled back from the front line so e.g. they can fire over it, it may be worth posting a solitary infantry unit with them so they are getting that and you have a quick solution to any summons, flyers or flankers who make it through to them. Crowmen are also well suited to this task, giving you wider vision to boot.
Keep a close eye on them particularly if you're issuing them orders to shoot a particular unit; thanks to their narrow field of fire and firearm requirements for direct-sight, LOS issues mean gunners will frequently start moving around to try and keep firing at something they've lost sight of, which can be disastrous. In bigger battles where your attention will be needed elsewhere it may be worth letting them pick their own targets in order to avoid having to deal with this.
==Gallery==
File:Crange-gunners-concept-art.jpg|Concept art
File:Tony-sart-nan-gau-warrior.jpg