Anyone have any suggestions for alternate crossbow troops for Daqan?

I'm going to buy the box for the cards and dial, but I'm really not a fan of the crossbow troops with their shields. Mainly due to the following issues:

-How the heck are they reloading their crossbows if they're holding clunky shields?

-What's the point of a shield with more than one firing port? Ambidextrous shields?

Anyway, I've been looking about. Mantic has some Baselians that are similarly armored to Daqan and at least not holding shields, but they are not great looking figs. I like their dwarf "Ironwatch" figs, but I'm not sure if I want to mix the style of minis in my army. There are alot of historical options from companies like Old Glory, Warlord and Perry, but they tend to be a bit small in stature and bulk compared to the more "Heroic" proportions of Runewars/GW/Etc.

Of course there are GW options too, but I don't want to spend GW kind of money.

Help.

I mean, just addressing the design the crossbows are reloaded like any crossbow, foot in the ring, pull bowstring back, load bolt. The hole at the bottom of the shield seems like it is there so the foot could get to the ring on the front of the crossbow. It's actually pretty impressive to me that they put the thought into making the weapon seem functional, it would also give you a platform to stabilize the bow if you are kneeling and to allow for a vertical shield wall effect while still being able to fire...I'm not putting too much though into this...you could just cut the shields off...

1 hour ago, jek said:

I mean, just addressing the design the crossbows are reloaded like any crossbow, foot in the ring, pull bowstring back, load bolt. The hole at the bottom of the shield seems like it is there so the foot could get to the ring on the front of the crossbow. It's actually pretty impressive to me that they put the thought into making the weapon seem functional, it would also give you a platform to stabilize the bow if you are kneeling and to allow for a vertical shield wall effect while still being able to fire...I'm not putting too much though into this...you could just cut the shields off...

Yeah, I was going to say it looks like the shield is built into the crossbow and the slot at the bottom is for their leg to slide into, the toes catching the ring hanging on the front of the shield. Interesting design. Though lowering your shield to load a new bolt seems impractical.

Still protects you while you aim, which is the big one.

Archers usually didnt duck into cover to notch a new arrow unless they ran out in their quiver since they could rearm so fast.
Crossbows are basically early flintlock pistols, only using a bow rather than gunpowder. Theyre mainly meant for a one-shot, fast, and very deadly shot not for repeated use. A crossbow will hit much harder than a traditional bow, but the rearm rate makes it nowhere near as effective if that one shot missed.

Fire, duck behind a wall, rearm, pop out, fire again, and repeat. Shield is for light mobile cover, not complete protection like a towershield would be.

It just happens that in a gaming world that aspect of the crossbow is lost. Which is why Demon Hunters in Diablo3 bugged me....on two accounts....crossbow pistols are pointless and neither pistol or 2h bow would fire even half that fast lol