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Autoballistae are only really limited by how fast the operators can feed the hopper and crank its mechanisms. Under situations of great emergency, they could perform both of these tasks with an unmatched sense of urgency. The caveat, however, is that an autoballista's firing mechanism will be placed under extreme
The Autoballista is an Oceanykan repeating torsion weapon developed by Aboriginal engineers just before the Revolutionary Wars. Driven by a manual chain mechanism and assisted by counterweight gearing, it can launch a steady stream of short bolts at remarkable speed for a pre-industrial design. Though its size is inferior to that of conventional ballistae, the Autoballista’s rate of fire and mechanical simplicity made it a formidable weapon in close field engagements and defensive sieges.
The weapon’s frame was often built from reinforced hardwood and bronze, allowing field repair without the need for complex metallurgy. Each pull of the drive crank cycled the bowstring, loaded a new bolt from a hopper, and released automatically once full tension was reached, effectively creating a crank-powered autocannon almost a century ahead of the Gatling Gun. Its 10-round hopper magazine could be reloaded rather easily.
On the battlefield, the Autoballista filled the niche of crowd control. Its mechanical roar and rhythmic thudding bolts made it both a psychological and physical threat, though its operators were vulnerable to musket fire and especially so against cannon counter-fire. Surviving examples are rare and highly valued by collectors, mercenaries, and cult engineers who study its design as a precursor to modern rotary autocannons.