[Ansteorra-archery] Couple things

Mike meggiddo at netzero.net
Sun Feb 15 08:32:59 PST 2009


Heilsa,

Sir Morgan - the real issue will be distance on all fronts. The distance 
of the archers to the opposing shields, while on the same distance 
concerns will also apply to the same side the archers are on. If the 
archers massed too far away, so that their heavy fighters are not fully 
aware of their intent, then the opportunity will be missed as has happen 
in past, result - too few could take advantage.

To support a group of fighters is what you are proposing, which is what 
I have been doing since the beginning in the SCA. My commander started 
asking what he could do with each individual that composed the unit he 
was commanding. When he got to me, he asked the following:

"What use is an archer? And how I can take advantage of his skills?"

The answer - put as many arrows down range as possible - regardless 
whether any of them actually got hit anyone. The purpose was to keep 
opposing side from being doing anything other than cover-up. So the 
training begin - found out that 20 to 30 behind the unit of shields was 
the best option. Allow coverage for both flanks against polearms, will 
providing support fire in front of the unit. Targets - those are left to 
the archer - primarily, the greatest threat to the unit at that time, 
spears, and polearms. And NOT someone standing 50 to 100 feet away from 
the archer. Support the unit to the fullest and the objective will be 
reach and accomplish.

You correct in that it will take training with both the heavy fighters 
and the archers to make something like to work...

There are only a couple of areas or scenarios that it would apply and 
even come close to accomplishing what you vision.

1st scenario - could work in the open field - massing fire in the 
opening seconds as the opposing side closes and not at distance from the 
side closing. The arrow fire must happen with 30 or 40 feet before the 
two sides clash.

In this scenario that any mass group of archers will be an extremely 
tempting target for a mass charge, so the archers in this group will 
need to realize this and accept it. In other words - archers will "died" 
easily here. This could be another scenario - place this group of 
archers out as bait and if the opposing side does take it, then had 
better a group of heavy fighters there to ambush the opposing force and 
more importantly actually accomplish the ambush. It an work in the open 
field, after all, the idea is give the opposing side something that they 
should see while not actually seeing the real set-up.

In an open field - if I get more than 3 to 4 arrows shot into the 
opposing side, then that side has screwed up. An open SCA battle, 
archers died rather quickly! So this type of scenario could work and if 
it does, then after a few times, the opposing side might not always be 
that quick to charge, which would give archers even better a shieldwall 
in the long run.

2nd scenario - fixed lines. Not necessary a bridge battle here.

Both types require training on both sides and not just one or two 
sessions just before Gulf Wars and/or other wars. It would be disaster 
otherwise.
The training would require training over a course of months - otherwise. 
Both sides would have to come together.


Michael Kettering


Sir Morgan Buchanan wrote:
> First of all...holy cow, can some of you learn to crop a message?  You 
> don't need to quote an entire digest to send a 1 line reply.  Please?
>
> Second... Volley fire.  Volley fire doesn't need to be like some 
> braveheart/agincourt high arching thing.  I'll add the caveat that I 
> don't KNOW if it will work, but hey, I haven't seen it tried, and I 
> have a few ideas of what MIGHT happen.
<snip>
>
> It takes coordination.  It takes timing.  It takes skill.  We posess 
> all the tools.  But we'd have to put them together.  Of course, I 
> could be wrong. :)
>
> Kind regards,
> Morgan
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