ANST - Slings

[Michael F. Gunter]

> This points to one of the inconsistancies in SCA combat. We are supposed
> to treat all arrow hits as if they penetrated. Yet, there are period
> accounts of soldiers walking around with half a dozen arrows protruding.
> Obviously not all of those penetrated or were fatal wounds.

Agreed. In fact there was a "game" amongst Crusader knights to see who
could come back with the most arrows stuck in their armor. Until the advent
of the longbow the arrow was not a major factor against the heavily armored
knights. They destroyed the regular troops. Even the longbow did more
damage against the horses of the knights than the knights themselves. More
French knights at Agincourt died of a bowman's cudgel or dagger as they
lay helpless in the mud and trapped by their dead horse than by arrow.

Certainly there were knights killed by arrows but arrows were never the
one-shot kill they represent in SCA melee combat. But the fact that there
are so few archers in comparason kinda makes up for that fact. If only one
arrow in a hundred actually killed a man then the ratio could be about the
same. I'm not a historical scholar on this and I'm sure my numbers are wrong.
The Welsh longbowman was a definate factor in England's domination for
so many years. But it definately wasn't the "ultimate weapon" that some
people propose. The winched crossbow? Now THAT was a scary weapon!

I sure wish Duke Lloyd were online. He know a lot more about this history
stuff than me.

> So, for consistancy on the SCA battle field I imagine you are going
> to have accept them, although perhaps a modified rule which says that
> peripheral shots (legs and arms) count but shots on the torso don't.
> In this case, I'm assuming the torso is more heavily armored.
>
> But for now, it is more a question of what do the current rules say?

Exactly.

> Stefan li Rous

Yers,

Gunthar

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