Oyumi (siege)

The Oyumi was a siege weapon designed by Kaiu Mozi in the fifth century following the Battle of White Stag. Mozi was fascinated by gaijin crossbows and designed a larger version of the weapon for siege applications.
== Function and Purpose ==
Oyumi were used to fire gigantic bolts at enemy armies. They were powerful, but proved to be ineffective against the Shadowlands and other enemies due to their slow reload times and need for ammunition. If an oyumi unit had to fall back, the oyumi was usually destroyed by the enemies or even used against the retreating Crab. Complete Exotic Arms Guide, p. 44
=== Variations ===
To address these weaknesses, Mozi spent his life refining the design. Mozi's first variant was known as the defensive oyumi. A large weapon mounted on a six-wheel frame, the defensive oyumi was normally operated by ten men. The defensive oyumi might be used by as little as four men, but aiming and reloading took at least three times as long. 
A defensive oyumi fired a ten-foot long bolt and several smaller bolts in one shot. The large bolt might be attached by a chain to the oyumi and reeled in with a winch for reuse. It took ten minutes to initially aim a defensive oyumi, and the better part of a minute to reload it. 
The offensive oyumi was further modified to include a second or third bow, thus increasing firepower. The improved offensive oyumi could be operated by a single man, but the reload time of the weapon was greatly increased. 
The ishiyumi was a dramatic variation on the oyumi. Instead of firing bolts, the ishiyumi used a sling to hurl rocks at enemy structures. The ishiyumi was capable of destroying buildings. 
Mozi's final modification on the oyumi was called the Rapid Dragon Engine. The Rapid Dragon Engine was a battery of up to ten oyumi linked together with a single firing mechanism. Each oyumi in the battery fired several arrows, allowing for dozens of arrows to be fired at once. The Rapid Dragon Engine took a long time to reload, and was only used when reload time would not be a factor. 
== Views ==
Besides the Crab, most clans viewed oyumi as gaijin weapons and refuses to use them. 
Category:Crab Clan
Category:Weapons