How to Get Crossbow in Half Sword Unlocking Bolts and Ranged Combat
Acquire the crossbow in Half Sword by locating the forest cart supply box, loading bolts manually, and insuring the weapon to preserve ranged combat across matches.
Locating the Crossbow on Forest Cart
The Crossbow is discovered as a hidden pickup during encounters on the forest map. While navigating the woods, observant fighters can spot a wooden crate placed right beside the roadside cart. Inside this supply box sits an unloaded crossbow.
Mechanical Reloading and String Drawing
Crossbows in Half Sword feature physically simulated mechanics rather than preset animations, with limbs flexing under tension and strings straining with stored energy. Picking up the weapon reveals an uncocked string and empty bolt rail. According to community gameplay tests, pressing R opens the interactive reloading interface, requiring players to draw the bowstring onto the catch and drag a bolt from the quiver onto the weapon to ready a shot.
First Person Aiming and Combat Utility
One gameplay video demonstrates that pressing V (from the game's utility controls) toggles first-person perspective to improve shot accuracy. Landing a bolt against unarmored opponents defeats them almost instantly. However, as opponents begin wearing armor, bolts lose effectiveness quickly, requiring fighters to drop the weapon and rely on backup melee gear from higher weapon tiers.
Insuring Crossbow for Permanent Loadouts
To retain the crossbow beyond a single encounter, players must finish the round with the weapon in hand. Returning to the loadout screen allows players to insure the crossbow at the shopkeeper with funds earned from making money in the tavern. Community gameplay demonstrations show that an insured crossbow remains available across future rounds without having to find it again, spawning loaded when included in your active loadout.
