I think I found a possible siege weapon that could be the new one mentionned.
Searching for a giant repeating crossbow, I found a Japanese siege equipement called “Oyumi”, a siege crossbow, but there is no drawing of it ever found.
On wikipedia I read that a japanese writer mentionned the chinese used and improved version of the oyumi, that could rotate to fire in multiple direction.
It’s strongly possible that this “Oyumi” crossbow improved version is the chinese version mentionned.
The fun thing is that I found the illustrations on an AoE4 topic about japanese and crossbows: AoE4 forum - Japanese and Crossbow
Sadly I can’t find more info about that specific siege equipement.
On the other hand, I realized, by looking at the wikipedia category “ancient chinese weapons” that nearly all the new units weapons are present in the list.
- Fire Arrow - 火箭 = Fire Archer unit ?
- Jian - 劍 = Jian Swordman ?
- Ji - 戟 = White Featured Spearman ? (Han Ji-Soearman)
- Thunder Crash Bomb - 震天雷 = Grenadier unit ?
- Huoqiang - 火槍 = Fire Lancer ?
- Guandao - 關刀 = Mounted Spear Heavy Cavalry unit ?
There is also the roket cart and trebuchet but no point listing them here, I’ve found those links on the category section of this article: Wikipedia - Repeating Crosswbow
About the Fire-.Arrow, it seems, according to wikipedia, that it’s the ancestor of the fire-lance. This could mean a “pre-gunpowder” china version is on the list. It makes me feel the dlc will include a batch of civ representing the entire evolution of china warfare. But the Fire-Archer unit was on a SEA background, and that’s what is blocking me on that idea. We know 5 civs, probably Jin and Tanguts plus Kithan and eventually this early china and the SEA one. But there is that tibetan possibility too, so I’m abit lost on the result.
The icon of the Fire-Archer, to me, is defiitly more “India” style rather than “China” style, or at least more…How to say, “Maharaja” looking unit, I mean the hat style is not that much Chinese to me, nor the dragon shoulderpads. It looks abit “fantasy”-ish, or exotic.
Alos it seems to be a foot unit, so it’s deffinitly not a munted civ, as in “not from the steppe”. It makes me think of the movie Prince of Persia, and another one I can’t remember ceature some “shadow assassin” sect.
One thing that stroke me is that we have no info about any “rifle” unit type. Maybe my knowledge on the topic is lacky, but to me, arquebuse should be a thing on a China themed expansion, different from the hand canonner I mean.