View Single Post
Old 11-27-2009, 06:10 AM   #10
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: Role of archers in low-tech parties?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Molokh View Post
Which is cool in mass-vs-mass Suppressive Fire, but not so much in a 5v5 or so, where you have to hit individual fighters, once per several seconds, and they get to Dodge at the very least.
Sure low TL missile fire is not wonderfully effective. You shouldn't be surprised, otherwise low TL war wouldn't put any more emphasis on hand weapons than modern armies do. If you want to win a fight based entirely on low TL missiles, be fast enough to run away, or stand behind a fortification your foes have no option but to attack.

Still, bows aren't terrible - you ought to be able to get off 3 shots or so before they close if you start at clear recognition ranges, and 1 arrow hit does stand a decent chance of crippling something, or causing a major wound. I'd expect your group of 5 pure archers to take out 2 or 3 of the charging melee specialists before the remaining 2 or 3 cut them to bits, and the chance of them actually winning isn't negligible. Probably not great, but not negligible.
__________________
--
MA Lloyd
malloyd is offline   Reply With Quote