Crossbow

Crossbow Weapon Statistics
First seen:	Chapter Seven, Highway 17
Ammo type:	Superheated rebar bolts
Capacity:	1 clip, 10 carried
Damage:	100
Primary fire:	Fire rebar
Secondary fire:	Scope zoom
Best at range:	Long

Silent, precise, and lethal, the crossbow is Half-Life 2's dedicated sniper weapon. Equipped with a scope for long-range accuracy and loaded with deadly steel bolts, this homemade handheld ballista can kill nearly any medium-sized or smaller enemy in the game in one shot.

Description

The Half-Life 2 crossbow is a resistance-made weapon constructed from spare parts collected during scavenging runs. Evidence of this shows in the crossbow's design: a barebones steel frame, metal lath attached to pulleys, high-tensile steel wire used as a bowstring, and a rifle scope bracketed and literally bolted to the frame. A powerful battery is also mounted to the bottom of the crossbow, powering the weapon.

Despite its thrown-together look, the crossbow is one of the deadliest pieces of Gordon Freeman's arsenal. The weapon uses ribbed, steel reinforcement bars (rebar), such as those used in construction, as ammunition. The battery on the underside of the crossbow sends an electric charge through the metal barrel, heating the rebar until searing hot. Once loosed, these bolts will pierce through armor, flesh, and will even embed in walls. Against most creatures, a crossbow shot is fatal.

Use

Half-Life 2's advanced physics engine calculates projectile weight and mass; therefore, bolts fired will lose altitude over distance due to gravity, and will eventually fail over extreme ranges. Because of this, the longer the shot the higher the crosshair must be, in order to compensate for the bolt's decline. In addition, moving targets must be led, as the bolts only travel so fast. The further the distance, the further ahead of the target the player must aim.

The crossbow only loads one shot at a time, and there is a slight reload time after each shot.

Trivia

• Although similar, Half-Life 2's crossbow is different than Half-Life's crossbow. The original crossbow was a polished, manufactured weapon that held cartridges of five tranquilizer bolts and could rapid fire until the cartridge was depleted.