Crossbows

A crossbow line softens the enemy before they ever reach your wall. It also shoots your own people in the back if you let it.

Class Overview

Crossbows are Kenshi's ranged weapons, letting characters deal damage before melee begins. A crossbow rank is invaluable on base walls and in set-piece defences.

Damage & Friendly Fire

Crossbows hit hard but suffer friendly fire — bolts that miss can strike your own squad. Positioning and the Crossbows skill both reduce this risk.

Speed, Weight & Indoors

Crossbows are slow to reload and best used from a fixed position. They want range and clear lines of fire, not melee scrums.

Best & Worst Situations

Best on walls, in raid defence, and softening approaching enemies. Worst in a chaotic melee where friendly fire turns them on your own front line.

Quality & Bolts

Crossbows come in tiers from light to heavy, trading reload speed for damage. Bolt quality matters too — keep your shooters supplied.