Centuries of innovation may have thrown crossbows to the wayside long ago, but Joerg Sprave of the Slingshot Channel has shown us how the weapon could’ve evolved in an alternate timeline. Engineers have continued to use wood in this parallel history, instead of metal or plastic (yet somehow they still opt for power tools to make the action work). Actually, in less abstract terms, this is a simple, gleeful demonstration of what a professional “naughty boy” does when he’s got a lot of free time around the shed. We get a fully-automatic crossbow, and it’s one of the strangest-looking contraptions. Watch on.
If you want to give your Ranger character an edge at the next LARP session, methinks Sprave’s creation would tilt the playing field pretty drastically (as in, entirely) in your favor. Actually, our jolly host has devised a whole arsenal of launchers, and he’s demoed them throughout his Slingshot channel, so perhaps you can find some fairer (and easier to build) gadgets there, too.
Maybe it’s the hearty laugh, or the way Sprave seems to savor rolling R’s whenever he says “rubber,” but the man’s own amusement with his target practice is almost more compelling than the ingenuity of his creations. He seems like what a German Kevin McCallister might’ve grown up into. And if that comparison seems like a stretch, there’s actually a video where he re-purposes Christmas tree ornaments into deadly projectiles. Had lil’ Kevin been stranded home alone with the Wet/Sticky Bandits a few more years, this is probably what his improvised home defense pranks would’ve evolved into.
Will you be following Sprave’s “naughty” lead? Could a full auto crossbow give your ranger the utmost edge? Drop your thoughts in the comment section, and be careful about trying this at home.
Featured Image Credit: JoergSprave