searching for words (but bows it is)

From: Mikko Rintasaari <rintasaa_at_mail.student.oulu.fi>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 03:38:25 +0300 (EDT)


Me:
> > *ahem* have you ever tried to fire a longbow?

Alex:
> No. I have J\"{o}rg to do my reality checking, if any is really needed.
> Are you in dispute with the numbers I suggested? (I've seen it done, if
> that reassures you any.) My whole point was, of course, that the "three
> arrows in air at same time" feat was _difficult_, hence the value put on
> experienced and well-trained archers.
>
> > By my experience if one is
> > really well prepared for speedy fire (having stuck a couple of arrows to
> > the grownd for fast noching etc.) one arrow in the air every five seconds
> > is possible, but the accuracy is terrible...
>
> "Accuracy" is hardly an issue if the target is "Them froggies, *yonder*".
> [sweeping arm gesture] Rate of fire is much more important under
> typical conditions of close-formation mass battles. (Ask a napoleonic
> war or ACW period commander (via Channeling, of course) if you doubt this.)

Ok... Admittedly my experience in Longbow shooting is more of the ye-olde finnish (Rathori?) style, when one is supposed to hit a single target, or at least a smallish group of people. Still... as somebody already remarked an english longbowman usually carried a battleload of 12 arrows (arrows being _very_ expensive, each was a hand crafted item, requiring the work of an arrowsmith, a carpenter and a fletcher... and when fired they are gone for good, at least in war)
  Twelve arrows meant twelve volleys. The idea of the volley was to create a maximum amount of havoc. It's not so important to kill many enemies with the arrows as such, but to break the units morale and formation... especially if firing at a heavy infantry unit.

too tired to continue, sorry... I'll try again later, or maybe somebody else knows what I was getting at?

        -Adept

"thinker, dreamer and adventurer"


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