Re: bows

From: Bryan Thexton <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 20:25:47 -0000

Well, it looks like Roderick gave the definitive answer about their tactics, but I just want to suggest that celto-germanic culture isn't the only valid comparison. Sure, the Orlanthi resemble them quite a bit, but nobody has ever said that you can assume they are in all ways the same. Other peoples living in similar environments with similar social structure are probably worth looking at for other solutions.

For example, the norse were actually quite good archers, apparently, while the Long house peoples of north east north america (iriquois confederacy etc--granted they had no metal or herd animals, but with a surprising number of other similarities) seemed to focus on ambushes and surprise attacks, frequently with missiles. *shrug* In general I would expect the highly trained warriors and the more reckless youth to always be more willing to close up, while the less training and less to prove would be more apt to want to throw/shoot things from further back, where they can more easily run away if things turn bad.

Anyways, it looks like the official description is: blast them at short range with thrown weapons, hit them while they are disorganized. I'd suggest looking at the early francs to derive other tactical notes, as that was pretty much exactly what they did.

--Bryan

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