X-Bow



"The X-Bow shoots mystical bolts with terrifying power. Load it with Elixir and the X-Bow works automagically. You can set it to target ground units at long ranges, or all targets at reduced range."


 * Summary
 * The X-Bow is a rapid-firing turret that is unique in two ways. First, it must be loaded with Elixir in order to function. Second, it can be configured to target ground units only (at a 14-tile range) or both ground and air units (at an 11-tile range).


 * Defensive Strategy
 * A well-placed and loaded X-Bow will dominate attacks, but to be most effective it should not be used as a front-line defense. With the second longest range of any damage-dealing defense, it is best placed behind all other defenses, typically in the center of a base.
 * Remember to refill your X-Bow with Elixir. An unloaded X-Bow is not only a waste of space, it is a good indicator that your base may be neglected, encouraging others to raid you.
 * Although the X-Bow shoots rapidly, each shot causes only a relatively small amount of damage. Support it with powerful defenses (such as Mortars) so it can quickly take out your enemies.
 * The dominance of Balloon and Minion oriented attacks at this level both in Clan Wars and regular raids make a strong case for keeping X-Bows set to Air and Ground in both farming and war bases.
 * X-Bows under construction act as if they are fully built during Clan Wars. This allows players to buy one before the war, but they cannot cancel its construction.
 * Offensive Strategy
 * The X-Bow has essentially no weaknesses unless it is set to ground-only mode, determinable by the way it is angled. If it is horizontal to the ground, it can target ground troops only. If it is tilted up, then it can attack air units as well.
 * In order to attack an X-Bow, treat it like a longer-ranged (and much stronger) Cannon or Archer Tower, but don't forget that many units can be mowed down very quickly by this defense. Distract it with high-health troops like Giants or P.E.K.K.As, and destroy it with a large group of attackers such as Archers or Barbarians.
 * Attacking players can see if the defender's X-Bow is loaded or not. Currently there is no way to tell exactly how much Elixir it has left, but a player can visually tell when it is empty. When it is loaded, you will see a small box containing what appears to be small Elixir bolts. An unloaded X-Bow will be lacking the box, and the bowstring will be missing (see image gallery below).
 * Attacking players can also see if the X-Bow is set to ground-only or both ground and air. Take advantage of ground-only X-Bows and send in air units to destroy it first.
 * An X-Bow that is empty is completely useless and will not fire. It still must be destroyed to achieve 100% destruction, and troops that preferentially attack defenses (Giants, Balloons, Hog Riders, and Golems) will still target an unloaded X-Bow if it is closer to them than an active defense.


 * Upgrade Differences
 * X-Bows undergo significant visual changes at levels 2, 3 and 4.
 * When initially constructed, the X-Bow consists of a huge crossbow-like structure mounted on a base made of light-colored wood. It has small black stones on the corners of the base.
 * At level 2, the X-Bow base gains gilded legs and rotational mount. It appears to have gold spikes on the corners.
 * At level 3, the X-Bow base becomes solid black with large black spikes on each corner.
 * At level 4, the X-Bow base becomes golden and the large spikes on each corner turn red, like they are glowing with heat.
 * At level 5, the X-Bow's golden circular rim becomes bigger and now extends all the way to the floor. The stone foundation is now covered with a red casing, complete with a metal band around it. The red spikes at the edges of the foundation turns darker and more pronounced, while the tips of the spikes becomes black. The rectangular ammunition cartridge at the top of the X-Bow turns from wooden to golden in colour. The barrel now comes with a small golden tip, with a small golden spike flanking both sides.


 * Trivia
 * The X-Bow is one of three defenses (the others being the Inferno Tower and the Eagle Artillery) that needs to be reloaded at the cost of resources.
 * In ground-only mode, the X-Bow has a range of 14 tiles, the second longest damaging defensive building(Eagle Artillery being the first) in the game (the Air Sweeper has a range of 15 tiles but it does no damage). When the X-Bow is in ground and air mode, however, it is tied with the Mortar with an 11-tile range (the Clan Castle, although not strictly a defense, has a trigger range of 12 tiles).
 * If measured by the area that its firepower can cover, a centered X-Bow covers approximately 616 tiles in ground-only mode and approximately 380 tiles in ground and air mode, beating the Air Sweeper's 234.57 (approximate) tiles and the Mortar's 330 tiles.
 * The X-Bow, at 7.8125 shots per second, is the fastest shooting turret in the game. This is rendered obsolete by the Inferno Tower, which attacks using a solid beam (actual damage is dealt at a rate much faster than even the X-Bow).
 * The X-Bow was introduced in the Halloween 2012 update.
 * The name "X-Bow" is a play on the word "Crossbow", which the device resembles. The letter "X" resembles a cross (十), leading to this abbreviated name.
 * In the Japanese and Korean localizations of the game, the X-Bow is called the "Large Crossbow."
 * In both Chinese localizations of the game, the X-Bow is called the "X Crossbow."
 * The X-Bow is not unlocked until Town Hall level 9 due to its extremely high damage and long range.
 * Supercell posted a teaser video on their Facebook page prior to the X-Bow's release in October 2012: X-Bow Teaser Video
 * When the X-Bow is firing, you can see smoke coming out of it.
 * The X-Bow is similar to the ballista, an ancient Greek/Roman siege weapon resembling a crossbow.
 * The X-Bow will notify you when it is running low on ammunition with a bubble above it saying "Low Ammo."
 * When first built, the X-Bow is already fully loaded with Elixir. Upgrading a X-Bow will also fully load it.
 * X-Bows under construction also count towards the X-Bow Exterminator achievement.
 * As of the October 2016 update, X-Bows resemble unloaded ones during upgrading to indicate base weakness more clearly. The same change applied to the Inferno Tower, Eagle Artillery, Spring Trap, and even the Air Defense (which has unlimited ammo) as well.
 * Prior to the update, all Traps (except the Spring Trap), the Archer Tower and the Wizard Tower were already visually inactive when being upgraded.



For additional statistics and information, see the Unit Calculators page.