Crossbow guide

Bannerlord v1.5.7 · checked 2026-11-12 · updated 2026-11-13

This guide explains what the Crossbow skill and every Crossbow perk really do in game v1.5.7: how your bolts reload faster, aim steadier and hit harder, what the captain halves give the crossbowmen you lead, what the party-leader and governor halves do on the campaign map, and which perks behave differently from their tooltips. The battle rules (agent stats, damage, armor, stagger, morale) are SandBox's models. NavalDLC extends the agent damage, agent stats, battle morale, hit experience, party morale, troop training, wage and recruitment cost, militia, security and armor and strike magnitude models, and extends and replaces parts of the clan finance and combat simulation models. It recomputes armor penetration (Puncture still counts once) and applies Terror (primary) to simulated ship-weapon hits. Each perk half carries the tooltip line "Land only" or "Reduced effect at sea" where the game limits it at sea; What changes at sea lists them. StoryMode extends the hit experience and wage and recruitment cost models in the story campaign.

For exact formulas, edge cases and links to the game code, see the deep dives: Combat agent stats (effective skill, reload, aiming speed, accuracy, zoom, ammo, encumbrance, troop health), Combat damage (damage perks, armor, projectile protection, stagger, dismount), Battles (starting morale, kill morale, hit experience), Party and map (wages, recruitment cost, party morale, troop training), Settlements (security, militia, tariffs), Sieges (ballista accuracy, bombardment casualties) and Naval battles (simulated ship-weapon hits).

Each perk has two halves. The primary half usually helps you personally; the secondary half helps others when you hold a role: captain (troops in the formation you lead in battle, not counting yourself), party leader (your whole party) or governor (the settlement you govern, usually only while you are in it). The verdict after each half says how the code compares with the tooltip:

works: does what the tooltip says, or more; broader effects are noted.
differs: narrower, different or extra conditions or values compared with the tooltip.
unused: never read by the game.
ui_only: only shown in the interface.

No Crossbow perk is unused or ui_only.

What unlocks what

You pick one perk of each pair. Tier 11 has a single perk.

Crossbow	Perk A	Perk B
25	Marksmen: +25% faster aiming with crossbows	Piercer: your crossbow attacks ignore armor below 20
50	Unhorser: +40% crossbow damage to mounts	Wind Winder: +25% reload speed with crossbows
75	Donkey's Swiftness: −30% accuracy loss while moving	Sheriff: +50% headshot damage with crossbows
100	Peasant Leader: +10% morale to tier 1 to 3 troops	Renowned Marksmen: +2 daily experience to ranged troops
125	Fletcher: +4 bolts per quiver	Puncture: +10% armor penetration with crossbows
150	Deft Hands: +50% resistance to being staggered while reloading	Loose and Move: equipped crossbows do not slow you down
175	Counter Fire: −10% projectile damage taken while holding a crossbow	Mounted Crossbowman: reload any crossbow on horseback
200	Long Shots: +100% zoom with crossbows	Steady: −50% accuracy penalty with crossbows while mounted
225	Hammer Bolts: crossbows can dismount, +50% dismount penetration	Pavise: +75% chance to block projectiles with a shield on your back
250	Picked Shots: −50% wages of tier 4+ ranged troops	Terror: +20% chance of one extra siege bombardment casualty per hit
275	Mighty Pull: +0.2% reload speed and +0.5% crossbow damage per Crossbow point above 200	—

The second half of each perk is described in its section below.

"Crossbow" means a weapon whose skill is Crossbow; "bolts" means the ammunition fired from it. Bows, throwing weapons and slings do not count.

How the damage perks add up

Unhorser, Sheriff, Hammer Bolts (captain) and Mighty Pull add a percentage to the damage of a bolt hit. They all go into one sum:

Damage after perks = damage of the hit × (1 + all SandBox percentages added together) × (1 + all NavalDLC percentages added together)

Damage of the hit: the damage after armor, before any perk.
SandBox percentages: every damage perk of this guide that applies to the hit, plus perks of other skills that apply to the same hit and your formation banner. They add, they do not multiply each other.
NavalDLC percentages: Mariner perks and other naval terms, applied on top.

So Sheriff (+50%) and Mighty Pull on the same headshot add into one sum; neither multiplies the other.

What changes at sea

The tooltip under each half says where it applies. Land only: the half does nothing in a naval battle or while your party is at sea. Reduced effect at sea: the bonus is halved there. No line: the half is the same on land and at sea.

Land only: Unhorser (both), Wind Winder (captain), Donkey's Swiftness (captain), Sheriff (captain), Renowned Marksmen (primary), Fletcher (both), Puncture (captain), Deft Hands (captain), Loose and Move (captain), Counter Fire (captain), Mounted Crossbowman (primary), Steady (primary), Hammer Bolts (both), Picked Shots (secondary), Terror (both).
Reduced effect at sea: Marksmen (both), Piercer (primary), Wind Winder (primary), Donkey's Swiftness (primary), Sheriff (primary), Peasant Leader (primary), Puncture (primary), Deft Hands (primary), Loose and Move (primary), Counter Fire (primary), Mounted Crossbowman (secondary), Long Shots (primary), Pavise (primary), Picked Shots (primary), Mighty Pull (both).
No line: Piercer (secondary), Peasant Leader (secondary), Renowned Marksmen (secondary), Long Shots (secondary), Steady (secondary), Pavise (secondary).

Peasant Leader (primary) reads the raw bonus and ignores its line: it is not halved at sea. Hammer Bolts (primary) lets bolts dismount without checking its line (see the perk).

Crossbow 25: Marksmen or Piercer

Marksmen

Primary (works): +25% ranged ready speed while you wield a crossbow, so you reach your aim faster after drawing.
Secondary, party leader (works): +10% starting battle morale to the ranged troops of your party. Your own agent, as the party leader, does not get it. Reduced effect at sea. See Initial battle morale.

Piercer

Primary (works): when your crossbow hits a body part whose armor is below 20, that armor counts as 0. With NavalDLC active the game applies the same test again, and the result stays 0. See Adjusted armor.
Secondary, party leader (works): −20% recruitment cost of ranged troops. The game checks the hero who pays, normally the recruiting party leader. A recruit still costs at least 1. See Troop recruitment cost.

Crossbow 50: Unhorser or Wind Winder

Unhorser

Primary (works): +40% damage to horses and other mounts with crossbow bolts. Hits on the rider do not count.
Secondary, captain (works): +20% damage to mounts with crossbow bolts by troops in your formation.

Wind Winder

Primary (works): +25% reload speed with a crossbow.
Secondary, captain (works): +5% reload speed to troops in your formation wielding a crossbow.

Reload speed = 0.93 × (1 + 0.0007 × effective Crossbow) × (1 + mounted penalty) × (1 + all perk percentages added together)

0.93: the starting reload speed of every agent.
0.0007 × effective Crossbow: the Crossbow reload speed skill effect at your effective Crossbow (your skill plus captain bonuses such as Donkey's Swiftness).
Mounted penalty: the Riding penalty while mounted (it never becomes a bonus); 0 on foot.
Perk percentages: Wind Winder (yours or your captain's) and Mighty Pull. They add before they multiply.

Worked example. A crossbow troop on foot at effective Crossbow 130 (see the Donkey's Swiftness example below), whose captain also has Wind Winder:

The same crossbow troop on foot at effective Crossbow 130, whose captain (another character) also has Wind Winder. Inputs: skill 130.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier	base		0.9300
1	Crossbow reload speed	factor +9.1%	+0.0846	1.0146
2	Wind Winder	factor +5%	+0.0508	1.0654
Result	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier			1.0654

With these inputs, agent weapon reload speed multiplier is 1.0654.

Crossbow 75: Donkey's Swiftness or Sheriff

Donkey's Swiftness

Primary (works): −30% to the accuracy penalty for moving while you aim a crossbow, on foot or mounted.
Secondary, captain (works): +30 Crossbow skill to troops in your formation. There is no weapon or troop test: every agent of the formation gets it whenever its Crossbow skill is read (broader than the tooltip's crossbow troops). This is real effective skill: it raises the accuracy and reload speed those troops get from their Crossbow skill. See Effective skill.

Worked example. A crossbow troop with Crossbow 100, in a formation whose captain (someone else) has Donkey's Swiftness:

A crossbow troop with Crossbow 100 in a formation whose captain (another character) has Donkey's Swiftness. Inputs: skill value 100.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Character skill value	base		100.0000
1	Donkey's Swiftness	add	+30.0000	130.0000
Result	Agent effective skill in battle			130.0000

With these inputs, agent effective skill in battle is 130.0000.

The troop now aims and reloads as if it had Crossbow 130; that is the skill the Wind Winder example above uses.

Sheriff

Primary (works): +50% damage on headshots with crossbow bolts.
Secondary, captain (works): +10% damage with crossbow bolts by troops in your formation against on-foot enemies. "Infantry" here means any human enemy without a horse, archers and crossbowmen included.

Crossbow 100: Peasant Leader or Renowned Marksmen

Peasant Leader

Primary, party leader (differs): the tooltip promises +10% battle morale to tier 1 to 3 troops. The game instead raises your whole party's campaign morale by 10% times the share of tier 1 to 3 troops in your party. A party of only tier 1 to 3 troops gets the full +10%; a party with half of them gets half of it. It does not touch battle morale. Although the tooltip says "Reduced effect at sea", the game reads the full 10% at sea. See Party morale.
Secondary, governor (works): −20% wages of the ranged troops in the garrison of the town or castle you govern, while you are in it. The cut applies to the ranged troops' share of the garrison wage. See Party daily wage.

Renowned Marksmen

Primary, party leader (works): +2 daily experience to the ranged troops of your party. Land only, as the tooltip shows. See Daily troop experience.
Secondary, governor (works): the security the garrison provides each day rises by 30% of the ranged troops' share of it. The share is the ranged troops' part of the garrison's strength. You must be in the town or castle. See Daily security change.

Crossbow 125: Fletcher or Puncture

Fletcher

Primary (works): +4 bolts in every bolt slot of your equipment when the battle starts. Land only, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, party leader (works): +2 bolts per bolt slot to every human agent of your party, heroes included, but not to you as the party leader. Land only, as the tooltip shows. See Ammo per slot.

Puncture

Primary (works): your crossbow attacks ignore 10% of the armor on the body part you hit. It adds to the other armor-penetration perks (Vandal and others) that apply to the same hit. With NavalDLC active the game recomputes this armor step, and Puncture is still counted once.
Secondary, captain (works): troops in your formation ignore 5% of the armor with their crossbow attacks.

Crossbow 150: Deft Hands or Loose and Move

Deft Hands

Primary (works): +50% to the damage needed to stagger you (interrupt your action) while you are reloading a crossbow. See Stagger.
Secondary, captain (works): the same +50% for troops in your formation while they reload a crossbow.

Loose and Move

Primary (differs): the tooltip says equipped crossbows do not slow you down. The game only removes the extra weight a wielded crossbow adds for being held; the crossbow's own weight still counts toward the weapons that slow you. See Weapons encumbrance.
Secondary, captain (works): +5% movement speed to troops in your formation wielding any ranged weapon (bow, crossbow or throwing weapon), with or without a shield. The game checks the weapon in hand, not the troop type.

Crossbow 175: Counter Fire or Mounted Crossbowman

Counter Fire

Primary (works): −10% damage taken from arrows, bolts and other projectiles while you hold a crossbow in your main hand.
Secondary, captain (differs): −3% projectile damage taken, but only for troops holding a crossbow in their main hand; the tooltip says all your troops. See Reductions.

Mounted Crossbowman

Primary (works): you can reload any crossbow on horseback, including those marked as not reloadable when mounted. Only heroes get it, set when they spawn in battle. Land only, as the tooltip shows. The game also hides that warning on the item tooltip for you.
Secondary, party leader (works): +5% combat XP for the ranged troops of your party. The bonus raises the XP of every hit they land, and it is halved while your party is at sea ("Reduced effect at sea" in the tooltip). See XP per hit.

Crossbow 200: Long Shots or Steady

Long Shots

Primary (works): +100% camera zoom while your main weapon is a crossbow. See Camera zoom.
Secondary, governor (works): +1 militia per day in the town or castle you govern, while you are in it. See Daily militia change.

Steady

Primary (works): while mounted with a crossbow, −50% to the accuracy penalty for moving and −50% to the accuracy penalty for turning. It adds to Donkey's Swiftness for the moving penalty. See Movement, unsteady and rotational accuracy penalties.
Secondary, governor (works): +5% tariff income in the town you govern, while you are in it. See Tariff income.

Crossbow 225: Hammer Bolts or Pavise

Hammer Bolts

Primary (differs): your crossbow bolts can knock riders off their horses, and they ignore 50% of the rider's dismount resistance; the tooltip prints this as "+0.5%". The tooltip says "Land only", but the dismount check reads the perk without the sea check, so in a naval battle the dismount ability is not switched off (the +50% is). Ship crews never ride; the Blocked Estuary story battle spawns a horse for you. See Dismount, knockback, knockdown.
Secondary, captain (works): +10% damage with crossbow bolts by troops in your formation, against any target.

Pavise

Primary (works): when an arrow, bolt or thrown weapon hits the shield on your back, there is a 75% chance the hit does no damage at all. See Damage ignore chance.
Secondary, governor (differs): +30% hit chance for the defenders' ballistas in a siege of the settlement you govern, while you are in it. Only the plain ballista gets it; the fire ballista does not. See Hit chance.

Crossbow 250: Picked Shots or Terror

Picked Shots

Primary, party leader (works): −50% wages of the tier 4 and higher ranged troops (not heroes) in your party, halved while your party is at sea ("Reduced effect at sea" in the tooltip). The game takes these troops' wages out of the total, cuts them, rounds down and adds them back. See Party daily wage.
Secondary, party leader (works): +5 hit points to the ranged troops of your party (not heroes) when they spawn in battle. Land only, as the tooltip shows. See Max health.

Terror

Primary, party leader (differs): two uses:
- Siege bombardment, land only as the tooltip shows: when your siege engine hits an enemy ranged engine and kills crew, a 20% chance of one extra casualty. See Collateral casualties of a bombardment hit.
- NavalDLC also reads the perk for ship-weapon hits in simulated naval combat (a 20% chance of one extra crew casualty), which the tooltip does not mention. The "Land only" line still holds there: a party at sea gets nothing from it. See Simulated ship-weapon hits.
Secondary, captain (works): +25% to the morale the enemy loses when a troop of your formation kills with a crossbow. Your own crossbow kills as the captain count too (broader than the tooltip). Land only, as the tooltip shows. See Morale change when an agent falls.

Crossbow 275: Mighty Pull

Primary (works): for every point of Crossbow above 200, +0.2% reload speed with a crossbow.
Secondary (works): for every point of Crossbow above 200, +0.5% damage with crossbow bolts. Despite being the second half, it is yours, not a role bonus.

Both halves count from 200, not from 275, so the perk already gives a bonus the moment you unlock it. Both count your own Crossbow skill, not the effective skill a captain's Donkey's Swiftness gives you. There is no upper limit. Both halves show "Reduced effect at sea".

Worked example. A hero on foot with Crossbow 300 and Mighty Pull:

A hero on foot wielding a crossbow, raw Crossbow skill 300, with Mighty Pull and no other reload perk. Inputs: skill 300.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier	base		0.9300
1	Crossbow reload speed	factor +21%	+0.1953	1.1253
2	Mighty Pull	factor +20%	+0.2251	1.3504
Result	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier			1.3504

With these inputs, agent weapon reload speed multiplier is 1.3504.

Skill effects

Your Crossbow skill itself does two things, whether or not you have perks. Both use your effective Crossbow in battle (your skill plus captain bonuses such as Donkey's Swiftness) and only apply while you wield a crossbow. Crossbow has no damage skill effect.

Crossbow accuracy (works): −0.05% inaccuracy per point.
Crossbow reload speed (works): +0.07% reload speed per point; see the reload formula under Wind Winder.

Inaccuracy = (100 − weapon accuracy) × 0.001 × (1 − 0.0005 × effective Crossbow), never below 0

Weapon accuracy: the accuracy value of the crossbow.
Effective Crossbow: your skill plus captain bonuses, as in the Donkey's Swiftness example.

Mounted, a low Riding skill raises this inaccuracy further; see Inaccuracy.

The skill level also sets two aiming penalties of every ranged weapon: the penalty for moving while aiming (on foot a base of 0.125 that shrinks as your effective skill rises) and the penalty for an unsteady aim. Both reach 0 at skill 500.

What the skill level itself does

The game also reads your Crossbow level directly, without any perk. Effects that depend on any skill level are listed once in the skills guide.

What it affects	What the level does	Level needed	Conditions	Verdict
Agent AI combat level	A soldier's ranged combat AI level is the skill of their primary weapon (One Handed, Two Handed, Polearm, Bow, Crossbow or Throwing; Athletics with no weapon) ÷ 300 × the difficulty setting, kept between 0 and 1. The game engine uses the level.	—	—	works
Wielded weapon inaccuracy	A wide-grip melee weapon's inaccuracy is 1 − 0.01 × skill (at least 0). A sling's is 1 − 0.007 × skill, at least 0.2.	Only wide-grip melee weapons and slings; no minimum skill	Item: melee weapon	works
Ranged max movement accuracy penalty	A ranged weapon's movement accuracy penalty is 0.125 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500), at least 0. Mounted it is 0.025 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500) × (1 − Riding ÷ 1800).	—	Item: ranged weapon	works
Ranged max unsteady accuracy penalty	A ranged weapon's unsteady accuracy penalty is 0.1 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500), at least 0. Mounted it is 0.12 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500) × (1 − Riding ÷ 1800).	—	Item: ranged weapon	works
Ranged aim unsteady begin time	Per skill point the aim holds steady longer: 0.01 for throwing weapons, 0.01 × a factor between 2 and 4 for bows, 0.064 for slings, 0.005 for wide-grip melee weapons.	—	—	works
Hero can equip item	A hero can equip an item only if their level in the item's skill (a weapon skill, or Riding for horses) meets the item's difficulty. Captain and party bonuses do not count.	Skill at least the item's difficulty	—	works
Hero counts as a combatant	A hero counts as a combatant if any of the six weapon skills is 100 or more. A non-combatant clan companion cannot enter tournaments; AI clans use it to pick party leaders and rate clan strength.	Any weapon skill at 100 or more	—	works
Player may take an issue's quest	You cannot take an issue's quest while all six weapon skills are low (other conditions also apply).	At least one weapon skill at 50 or more	Hero: main hero	works
Simulated tournament attack power	Each non-shield weapon's part of a simulated attack power is multiplied by 0.3 + 0.7 × the weapon's skill ÷ 300.	—	Mission: tournament	works

Who the perks work for

Who counts as you, a relative or a wanderer, and why some halves skip one of them, is explained in the Skills guide.

Every other Crossbow perk half and skill effect works for every hero: you, relatives and wanderers.

Perk	Half	Works for	Where the hero has to be
Peasant Leader	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Renowned Marksmen	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Long Shots	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Steady	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Pavise	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor

All effects at a glance

Every effect site of the Crossbow perks, skill effects and skill level. Values are what each site applies; a value that grows with skill is shown at the perk's required skill (skill effects and skill levels: per skill point). ×N marks N identical sites.

Perk	Half	Game number	Stage	Value	Conditions	Verdict
Marksmen	primary	Thrust or ranged ready speed multiplier	factor	+25%	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Marksmen	secondary	Agent initial battle morale	factor	+10%	Role: party leader; troops: ranged	works
Piercer ×2	primary	Victim armor after attacker penetration effects	override	set to 0	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Piercer	secondary	Troop recruitment cost	factor	-20%	Role: party leader; troops: ranged	works
Unhorser	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+40%	Item: bolts; role: personal; victim: mount	works
Unhorser	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+20%	Item: bolts; role: captain; victim: mount	works
Wind Winder	primary	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier	factor	+25%	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Wind Winder	secondary	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier	factor	+5%	Item: crossbow; role: captain	works
Donkey's Swiftness	primary	Ranged max movement accuracy penalty	factor	-30%	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Donkey's Swiftness	secondary	Agent effective skill in battle	add	+30	Role: captain	works
Sheriff	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+50%	Attack: head shot; item: bolts; role: personal	works
Sheriff	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+10%	Item: bolts; role: captain; victim: on foot	works
Peasant Leader	primary	Party morale	factor	+10% × low tier troops / total troops	Role: party leader	differs
Peasant Leader	secondary	Party daily wage	factor	-20% × ranged wage / total wage	Party: garrison; role: governor; settlement: fortification	works
Renowned Marksmen	primary	Daily troop experience	add	+2	Role: party leader; troops: ranged	works
Renowned Marksmen	secondary	Daily security change of a town or castle	add	+0.3 × garrison security × ranged strength / total strength	Party: garrison; role: governor	works
Fletcher	primary	Missile ammo amount per slot	add	+4	Item: bolts; role: personal	works
Fletcher	secondary	Missile ammo amount per slot	add	+2	Item: bolts; role: party leader	works
Puncture ×2	primary	Victim armor after attacker penetration effects	factor	+10%	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Puncture ×2	secondary	Victim armor after attacker penetration effects	factor	+5%	Item: crossbow; role: captain	works
Deft Hands	primary	Damage needed to interrupt the victim's attack	factor	+50%	Item: reloading crossbow; role: personal	works
Deft Hands	secondary	Damage needed to interrupt the victim's attack	factor	+50%	Item: reloading crossbow; role: captain	works
Loose and Move	primary	Agent weapons encumbrance	override	set to 0	Item: crossbow; role: personal	differs
Loose and Move	secondary	Agent max movement speed multiplier	factor	+5%	Item: ranged weapon; role: captain	works
Counter Fire	primary	Blow damage after victim reductions	factor	-10%	Item: projectile; role: personal	works
Counter Fire	secondary	Blow damage after victim reductions	factor	-3%	Item: crossbow, projectile; role: captain	differs
Mounted Crossbowman	primary	Agent flag - can reload all crossbows mounted	override	on	Hero: hero; role: personal; troops: mounted	works
Mounted Crossbowman	secondary	Combat XP from one hit	factor	+5%	Role: party leader; troops: ranged	works
Long Shots	primary	Max camera zoom	factor	+100%	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Long Shots	secondary	Daily militia change of a settlement	add	+1	Role: governor; settlement: fortification	works
Steady	primary	Ranged max movement accuracy penalty	factor	-50%	Item: crossbow; role: personal; troops: mounted	works
Steady	primary	Ranged rotational accuracy penalty	factor	-50%	Item: crossbow; role: personal; troops: mounted	works
Steady	secondary	Daily tariff income of a town	factor	+5%	Role: governor	works
Hammer Bolts	primary	Blow can dismount the rider	override	on	Item: bolts; role: personal	differs
Hammer Bolts	primary	Dismount penetration	add	+0.5	Item: bolts; role: personal	differs
Hammer Bolts	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+10%	Item: bolts; role: captain	works
Pavise	primary	Chance that a missile hit on a back shield is ignored	override	set to 0.75	Item: projectile; role: personal	works
Pavise	secondary	Siege bombardment hit chance of a ranged engine shot	factor	+30%	Role: governor; settlement: under siege; siege side: defender; siege engine: ballista	differs
Picked Shots	primary	Party daily wage	factor	-50% × high tier ranged wage / total wage	Role: party leader; troop tier: at least 4; troops: ranged	works
Picked Shots	secondary	Agent max health at spawn	add	+5	Role: party leader; troops: ranged	works
Terror	primary	Crew casualties from one simulated ship-weapon hit	add	+0.2	Role: party leader	differs
Terror	primary	Collateral casualties of a bombardment hit on a siege engine	add	+0.2	Role: party leader	works
Terror	secondary	Morale loss of the casualty's side when an agent falls	factor	+25%	Role: captain	works
Mighty Pull	primary	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier	factor	+15% at skill 275, +0.2% per point	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Mighty Pull	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+37.5% at skill 275, +0.5% per point	Item: bolts; role: personal	works
Crossbow accuracy	—	Wielded weapon inaccuracy	factor	-0.05% per point	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Crossbow reload speed	—	Agent weapon reload speed multiplier	factor	+0.07% per point	Item: crossbow; role: personal	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Agent effective skill in battle	base	skill value	—	works
Skill level	—	Agent AI combat level	base	min(1, max(0, skill / 300 × difficulty factor))	—	works
Skill level	—	Wielded weapon inaccuracy	override	set to 1 at skill 0, -0.01 per point, limit 0	Item: melee weapon	works
Skill level	—	Ranged max movement accuracy penalty	base	0.125 at skill 0, -0.00025 per point, limit 0	Item: ranged weapon	works
Skill level	—	Ranged max unsteady accuracy penalty	base	0.1 at skill 0, -0.0002 per point, limit 0	Item: ranged weapon	works
Skill level	—	Ranged aim unsteady begin time	add	+0.01 per point	—	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Skill a hero inherits on coming of age	base	+1 per point	—	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Heir selection points of a clan member	add	+5	—	works
Skill level	—	Hero can equip item	override	off	—	works
Skill level	—	Hero counts as a combatant	override	on	—	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Maximum troops lost on an issue's alternative solution	multiply	×max(0.2, min(0.8, trunc(issue required skill / skill) × 0.1))	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Days an issue's alternative solution takes	add	+2 × min(10, trunc(issue required skill / skill))	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Failure risk of an issue's alternative solution	add	-0.005 per point	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Troops required for an issue's alternative solution	multiply	×max(0.2, min(1.2, issue required skill / skill))	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Skill is high enough for a perk reset	override	on	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Gold cost to reset the perks of a skill	add	+40 per point	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level	—	Player may take an issue's quest	override	off	Hero: main hero	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Persuasion success multiplier	factor	min(0.2, floor(skill / 250) × 0.2)	Hero: main hero	works
Skill level	—	Simulated tournament attack power	multiply	×0.3 at skill 0, +0.002333 per point	Mission: tournament	works

Practical tips

If you want faster reloads, Wind Winder, Mighty Pull and the skill's own +0.07% per point all raise reload speed; Wind Winder and Mighty Pull add into one perk sum.
If you lead crossbowmen, Donkey's Swiftness (+30 skill) reaches every troop in the formation and raises their accuracy and reload speed. Wind Winder (captain) adds +5% reload speed for troops wielding a crossbow; the two perks sit at different tiers, so one hero can hold both.
If you fight cavalry, Unhorser raises damage to the horse and Hammer Bolts lets your bolts knock the rider off.
If your targets wear armor of 20 or more on the hit part, Piercer does nothing on those hits and Puncture (10% of the armor ignored) still applies. If the armor is below 20, Piercer removes it entirely.
If you shoot from horseback, Mounted Crossbowman lets you reload any crossbow mounted, and Steady and Donkey's Swiftness both cut the moving penalty. The Riding penalty to mounted weapon damage does not apply to crossbows; see Reductions.
If you take Counter Fire as a captain, it helps only the troops holding a crossbow in their main hand.
If your party is mostly tier 1 to 3 troops, Peasant Leader raises your party's campaign morale by up to 10%; it gives no battle morale.
If you fight at sea, check the tooltip line of each half: "Land only" halves do nothing and "Reduced effect at sea" halves are halved; see What changes at sea.