Iron turned the war against the garou more than some people would like to admit. They would claim superior training, tactics, and skills of their soldiers, but the truth is far simpler. Iron was strong and iron weapons were brutal.
Ranged weapons proved effective against the garou leadership, bound as they were by strict codes of honour. A thane was a deadly opponent up close, but if you could pierce their internal organs before they were within a swing’s reach, then they were no more dangerous than any other beast. It is perhaps no surprise then, that there was a race to create weapons to challenge them.
The people of Brynmoor had learned of a Wild Knight invention, a weapon that would allow one to deliver powerful ranged attacks, whilst still allowing the bearer to wield a shield. They took this design, studied and refined it and then upgraded it to include the power of iron weapons.
Garou numbers dropped rapidly as a result, turning the war heavily against them. In their desperation, the garou turned to their goddess and she, in turn, sought allies with deadlier weapons still.