Resistance Crossbow

The Crossbow is a long range sniper weapon featured in Half Life 2 and the episodes. It is ruthlessly effective against distant, unsuspecting opponents, but is difficult to utilize in melees or against fast moving opponents due to its very slow reload and the low velocity of the shot. The primary trigger fires a bolt; the secondary trigger zooms in on targets, the only weapon in the unedited Half-Life 2 with such a function.

Construction
This weapon is aesthetically different to the one seen in Half-life in a number of ways. Firstly, it is obviously jerry-built rather than manufactured, constructed as it is from various scavenged parts. Secondly, the bolts are not fletched but rather pieces of red-hot steel re-bar about 12 inches long. Thirdly, the weapon does not have an ammo clip. After firing, the tension wire pulls back to accommodate the next rebar, which the user places directly onto the weapon. Finally, the device is powered. A small 12v battery is attached to the underside which apparently runs an electrical current through the bolt when it lies upon the firing mechanism. This has the effect of superheating the rebar.

Employment
In Half-Life 2, the Crossbow is first discovered on the body of a Resistance fighter overlooking an Overwatch outpost in the level Highway 17. The crossbow's ammunition is fairly rare, the weapon itself even more so. Its jerry-built nature, coupled with the fact that the Combine never use it and its ammo is usually found upon the bodies of citizens or in supply caches; suggest very strongly the new Crossbow was invented and manufactured by the Resistance, as an answer to the Combine's sniper rifle. The addition of an electrical current to Half-Life 2's crossbow is presumably why the weapon is so deadly against organic opponents; the red hot bolts plough straight through organic material, and if the target is in front of a solid surface the bolt will literally nail the target to it.

Its rarity is most likely due to the difficulty of acquiring the materials needed for its construction, especially the scope which makes it so effective. It's unlikely that the Resistance would possess the skills and\or equipment to manufacture scopes themselves, so one would have to be salvaged from somewhere instead.

Tactics
The crossbow is an exceptionally powerful weapon, capable of killing most organic targets instantly. However, like all weapons in Half-Life 2, it does have its disadvantages.


 * Once fired, the bolts don't have as much velocity as, say, a bullet, so they are affected by gravity more over long distances and follow a slight downward arc as they travel. Users firing over long distances must account for this drop by aiming slightly above the target.


 * Do not attempt using the Crossbow against anything other than human-sized enemies. Manhacks will go down (but hitting them will prove to be a challenge in itself), vehicles will have the rebar bounce off it and Striders will not even notice and the thing is the epitome of futility against more than one Antlion. It can, however, be used to damage Hunters, and is particularly damaging when fired into their eyes. Crossbow ammunition is scarce. Reserve crossbow bolts for high value targets such as Overwatch Soldiers, Overwatch Elites, Antlion Guards, Poison Zombies and Hunters. Small, weak targets, such as Manhacks and Headcrabs should not be fired upon with the crossbow, because not only is it a waste of a bolt when a half dozen rounds of pistol ammunition would do the same job, the bolt is far more likely to miss.


 * Crossbow bolts can ricochet off most surfaces at sharp angles. This is too unreliable a tactic to accomplish such feats as hitting enemies around corners, but it can still be useful. For example, firing just below a target coming down a hill can result in the bolt ricocheting off of the ground up into the target.


 * Hitting moving targets is mostly a game of chance. You have to aim both above and in front of the target to land the hit. As always, practice makes perfect.


 * The crossbow is one of only two ranged weapons capable of firing underwater. However, the bolt's course once it starts travelling through the water gets very unpredictable. Fortunately, the weapon's battery doesn't shock you if used underwater.


 * Use of crossbows in close combat result in Mexican standoffs. You can kill an opponent easily if you hit him, but you'll only ever get that one shot.


 * If you think your opponent is using one, get into the habit of zigzagging and generally moving in awkward patterns that are hard to anticipate.