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Oxybeles
Scorpio
Unit type Light siege engine
Base cost 70 Timber Timber, 50 Food Food
Ramping cost 10 Wealth Wealth, 3 Timber
Creation time 143t (9.9s)
Hit points 160
Line of sight 10
Movement speed 25
Attack strength 35
Attack range 4-18
Armour 0
Population cost Population
Created at Assédio
Prerequisites Craftsmanship Woodworking
Upgrades from N/A
Upgrades to N/A
Available to All except:

Numidians, Nabataeans, Sarmatians, Parthians
Arverni, Britons, Lusitanians, Suebi
Aedui, Lugians, Belgae, Cantabres
Gallaeci, Saka, Odrysians

An Oxybeles is a siege machine that packs a punch against infantry, as well as lighter fortifications, especially early-era Watchtowers. While not as destructive against buildings and fortifications as a Lthoboloi, the Oxybeles nevertheless has a range and rate of fire that makes it more than just a match for all but the finest archers: it surpasses them. Infantry will know all too well its sinister reputation when an Oxybeles battery begins firing javelins into their ranks. In addition, Oxybeletai also enjoy a powerful armour-piercing, anti-large unit bonus, thus making them highly effective against larger units, such as war elephants, heavy chariots and warships. 

However, like all siege weapons the Oxybeles is exceedingly slow and must be deployed in an area before it can begin firing away, and so it is vulnerable to close-up melee attacks, although it must be noted that it has a lower minimum range compared to catapult-type machines and compared to conventional units could well be costlier and harder to build. Still, if you are facing rudimentary defences or vast numbers of melee infantry, a few well-placed and well-defended Oxybeletai can make a difference between life and death. If you are able to keep troops in reserve at the back, and heavy infantry (ranged units like the Scutanann especially) entrenched before your oxybeletai, you have a very powerful mobile strong point that can be used to support your troops, unless heavier weapons such as are brought to bear against you.

The Oxybeles is also very useful in marine warfare, especially against the micro-light war boat class. If you find yourself playing maps like Mare Nostrum or Nile Delta , it always pays to construct two Oxybeletai and to deploy them in a spot where a Watchtower is being built to deter attacks from the sea by units such as the pesky Xorixeulom or the deadly Dhow.

History[]

The Scorpion was a large crossbow-like weapon that was said to have been first created by the Greeks (and possibly introduced independently in China during the Warring States Period) and could be used to fire projectiles that outshot most light missile weapons such as crossbows or slings. The benefit of this weapon was that it could be used to devastate enemy formations well out of bowshot, and could be used to damage light fortifications as well.  In the Classical West the names "Oxybeles" and "Scorpio" were used to refer to this weapon, the former Greek meaning "bolt shooter" (because of its primary ammunition) and the latter was used by Latin speakers in reference to its T-shaped appearance, with the torsion frame and its arms resembling the claws of a scorpion.

Although it was a fairly effective weapon, it was difficult to construct and equally costly to maintain owing to the need to keep the torsion of its cables intact over long-term use, and so it was eventually replaced by the cheaper and more effective Springald.

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