What did a medieval archer do after his arrows were spent?

[@darthchopper9016]

What I learned from playing a bowman in Chivalry 2 is that a club is the best backup weapon. It's heavy enough to stop anything. I'm glad Kevin Hicks agrees.

[@ub3rk0r3]

I can't believe you admitted to playing an archer! 😂

[@user-yx7dp2pl8t]

When I saw brave heart I feared the man with the huge hammer the most!

[@Theplaided1s]

Chivalry 2 is awesome. So is being an archer

[@darthchopper9016]

@@ub3rk0r3 I am a proud archer 😎 I know we get a lot of hate for being archers, but I got used to that. We’ve been getting hate for it for thousands of years already. 😢

[@cameronpekelder4055]

@@darthchopper9016 They hate us because they know we are great.

[@TheJCJexe]

This is what most medieval videogames get wrong about bowmen, they're always depicted as weak and squishy support units. But watching your videos I have learned a great deal about medieval archers. They were extremely valuable troops, very skilled, respected, and feared.

[@geoffboxell9301]

English archers were light infantry not just bowmen.

[@MacEwanMouse]

@@geoffboxell9301 They were probably not someone you'd want getting a hold of you either. Big strong guys firing off arrows from warbows are not the type of person I want swinging a club at me.

[@mikeblair2594]

Life ain't a video game. These were men who worked day in day out doing labor that would make you soft limits quiver at the knees. Plus the bows they pulled weren't childs toys. They may not have wanted to be killers, but killers they were. They only good thing about you meeting them on the field was they would kill you quick, in a workmens type manner.

[@mikeblair2594]

Life ain't a video game. These were men who worked day in day out doing labor that would make you soft pinkys quiver at the knees. Plus the bows they pulled weren't childs toys. They may not have wanted to be killers, but killers they were. They only good thing about you meeting them on the field was they would kill you quick, in a workmens type manner

[@Alias_Anybody]

​@@MacEwanMouse Hammers and daggers only take you that far against heavily armoured halberdiers in formation. Any competent commander would have avoided using light Vs heavy infantry in melee as long as possible. Even more so against lanced cavalry.

[@zali13]

I love how you describe such blood-curdling acts of physical mayhem with a slight smile and the wry humour of a historian and reenactor who knows his art! Informative as always, that great big hammer/archer's maul was amazing!

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Zali 👍🏻

[@michaelhawkins7389]

@@thehistorysquad Why have you put your youtube location as in Canada ? is that where you live now? because you are clearly a Native person from The United Kingdom just curious

[@thehistorysquad]

@@michaelhawkins7389 Yes, it's where I live now, in Saskatchewan. I have family here and I came to retire although now I'm making these videos.

[@grindelston5968]

Good choice Nice place, nice people

[@michaelhawkins7389]

@@thehistorysquad oh wow that is so cool :) I was curious

[@davidwong9230]

The hammer and the maul…they were a big hit on the battlefield

[@matthewmitchell6001]

Lol yeah real nail drivers

[@JohnDoeRando]

What a smashing weapon the hammer was... to put it bluntly.

[@thehistorysquad]

😂

[@txrick4879]

Gives a new meaning to hammer head .

[@JacopoSkydweller]

The old hammer and anvil tactic..... "Oi George, whoy are we carrying anvils as weapons, aye?" "It's the othah fellas got the 'ammers!"

[@davidstrother496]

I think I would have to go with the "what's left of the pole axe". They never show in the movies about what bowmen did other than loose arrows. Cheers from Texas, Kevin.

[@thehistorysquad]

It certainly would have done some damage. My favourite is my archers pick, it might have been shown in another video. 👍🏻

[@hemaccabe4292]

I was just writing a battle sequence where because of how numerous the enemy, the archers were running out of arrows. How convenient and timely to address this question right now! Thank-you.

[@thehistorysquad]

Haha, we must be in tune 👍🏻

[@EskChan19]

Went from "Oh no we're out of arrows! We're gonna die!" to "Oh no, THEY're out of arrows! We're gonna die!"

[@BennySantana501]

Longbowmen would have had years and years of training, and would have developed a lot of upper body strength because you needed that to get the full range of a longbow. So even when their arrows had been fully spent, you would not want to be stuck in a melee against these guys that's for sure.

[@SC1089]

Always depicted as small little guys, the movie Braveheart was the opposite of history. Archers are strong and muscular. You try pulling back a bow everyday for hours, and see what your arms, shoulders, and chest look like. Especially in a period where bows were all longbow and recurve, no pulleys to make it easier. You had to be powerful to get a heavy bow back, in that time period

[@PlaystationMan-e3p]

And yet in dnd games, they are more dexterity based , not strength based.

[@peterclarke7006]

​@@PlaystationMan-e3pI've a feeling that was an accidental bit of balancing-if archery was strength-based, you'd make a half-orc archer who could one-shot almost anything. 😂

[@moonblaze2713]

I remember 3.5 actually accounted for this. The best archers were these with strength because, while dexterity determined if you hit, default bows were just a flat die roll for damage. But a bow with a higher draw allowed you to apply your strength modifier up to a certain maximum based on the draw. So yeah, the most effective archers had some oomph to them back before simplifying.

[@gxlorp]

So in other words, half of their muscles are strong. And their musculoskeletal system is imbalanced. Yeah. Sounds favorable.

[@demapples6580]

@@moonblaze2713Man 3.5 was seriously amazing. We lost so much depth in 5e

[@leon.benedict]

Your knowledge and your storytelling together is something else. Thank you for another great video!

[@thehistorysquad]

You're most welcome 👍🏻

[@jodieg6318]

Watching this on my lunch break in the downtown of a small local town and just as you mentioned shooting your first bow on a green next to the cathedral a local church bells started to ring. My personal favorite sidearm is a small ax, cheap and multipurpose, though I I love your detail on the comradely of companies, I feel that myself with fellow tradesman. I had noticed that in the trades we get a lot of former or current military members, and I recently asked one why he thought that was, he said that it was very similar to being in the military with similar people, hard jobs and the comradely of your crew members.

[@thehistorysquad]

Yes, I can understand that for sure. 👍🏻

[@tonymeads4693]

Thanks for this latest video, FASCINATING ! As a retired gardener I have my late Father's "billhook" , or "handbill" as he described it. I keep it with pride because he thought a lot of it as it was handmade by a blacksmith many years ago. It is VERY interesting that a humble agricultural tool was used by those GREAT bowmen centuries ago !

[@thehistorysquad]

Glad you enjoyed this one Tony, thank you.

[@N0rnagest]

A peasants weapon, like a Billhook, would still do as much damage as a sword, possibly more as the men wielding them would normally be using them for hours at a time in the fields. The really odd thing is, if you look at many martial arts weapons, they are adaptions of farming implements ... Flails, Sickles, Axes etc... even the bow was primarily used for hunting (although not in Warbow draw weights, and not with some of the arrowheads I've seen... You would want some meat left from that bunny to cook surely)

[@mikeblair2594]

That cool. I'm a blacksmith and I make bills for a lot of the workers of the orchards around here. Plus there's nothing better at reconditioning an old fruit tree that's been standing in the woods for a hundred and fifty years from some old homestead like a bill and a can of pine tar.

[@jacquesstrapp3219]

@@N0rnagest Broadhead arrows were usually used against unarmored targets and bodkin tips were usually used for armored targets so the broadheads would be more useful for hunting. It's just the opposite of what you suggested.

[@brianthesnail3815]

I grew up on a farm back in the 1970s/1980s and hand tools were still often used back then like bill hooks, sickles, pitch forks, hammers and even an occasional scythe. The thing that people don't realise is that the archers of England and Wales were all manual labourers working on farms, as butchers, stonemasons, etc. Many of whom used those sorts of hand tools every day. The skills of swinging a hand tool to maximum effect with minimum effort for hours on end without fatigue is something that is innate and learned over years. An armoured knight on foot surrounded by three or four experienced archers with these sorts of weapons really had no chance.

[@waveman0]

as a hobbyist blacksmith, I have found an appreciation for the humble smithy hammer, and I would use my smithy hammers or maul, and I really like how you showed the various hammers. The warhammer is another option.

[@gyulakotroczo2949]

I usually scroll on top of many medieval explanation videos. There are young and middle agaed guys shouting and talking big about anything stating points everywehre. But this video is just so wholesome. I simply love the peaceful way this man tells stories with his attitude.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks very much 👍🏻

[@steveinthemountains8264]

Great details! I understand that longbowmen had enormous arm/chest muscles developed over years of pulling back on their bows. Just imagine the amount of force with which they could bring down a maul or hammer on the head of an enemy!

[@SandymoorFerrariClub]

I'm not sure about that. Doing archery right-handed will develop your traps and lats a lot, plus your left delts, left forearm and right bicep. If you're hitting somebody with a maul in your right hand, the only one of these which will really help is the trap development, which will make it a bit easier for you to lift the maul up into the air. Having said that, if an archer trained to shoot both right and left-handed, and then did some additional press-ups, they would get a pretty complete upper-body workout from that, and would then be much more readsy to go at it with a maul.

[@Reapertate728]

Another wonderful video, Kevin. The lessons learned here about history are things we do not get in standard history classes, which is a shame.

[@robertduck2217]

I look forward to your video every week Kevin! Fantastic as always. Brilliant way to spend a portion of a Friday evening!

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Robert!

[@dukeironfist01]

My son and I sat through one of Kevin's talks at the University of Saskatchewan a few years back. Riveting story telling solidly backed by a profound depth of knowledge. If ever you have the chance to see one of Kevin's talks...jump at the chance. You won't regret it.

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers buddy 👍🏻

[@mickusable]

You’ve done it again my friend, another knowledgable video, you and your stories make me proud to have taken up the bow 🤘🏹

[@thehistorysquad]

Haha, glad to hear it Mick!

[@JoaoSoares-rs6ec]

The descriptions from the battle of agincourt, provides a good answer to that question. I always found interesting, the Hollywood battle scenes, of masses of men just charging at each other into a confusing mess and slug it out, but also hilarious has no matter what if a commander allowed that to happen the battle was lost.

[@Tony.795]

I read on the Royal Armouries website that for a campaign, each bowmen was typically issued with two sheaves of arrows containing two dozen arrows a piece. This would be expended very quickly during a battle I'd imagine.

[@thehistorysquad]

That's right although they would have boys running up mid-battle with more sheaves of arrows until they ran out

[@robkunkel8833]

The English Navy had “fighting instructions” that gave rules for engagement with ships of the line. They used flags and pennants. I’ve now learned that your archer people had organizational efforts using flags too. An interesting field … battlefield communication.

[@madogthefirst]

Don't know if you know this already early tank warfare was also done using flags, hell the russians were still using them as the Wehrmacht approached Moscow. Imagine trying to see out of your view slot a tiny little flag flying just above a T-34 turret.

[@taketora6968]

There's a reason why many modern signal corps or "comms" units put semaphore flags in their patches/heraldry. Flags along with drums, horns, even bagpipes and fifes were used to communicate both on land and sea until telegraph and radio came along.

[@NLBusiness391]

What an absolutely FASCINATING video! As long you keep making videos, I’ll keep watching them! Thanks for doing what you do!!

[@thehistorysquad]

Wow, that's really kind and appreciated. Thanks 👍🏻

[@michaelhernandez410]

I originally thought the answer to the question " What did an archer do when he ran out of arrows?" would be a quote from Brave Sir Robin: " I soiled my armor".

[@thehistorysquad]

😂

[@paulf2529]

Weapon of choice for me would be the billhook, a heavy blade with a lot of momentum behind it. Even if it didnt penertrate armour the blow would break bones.

[@williamkrusejr1846]

Thank you Sir that all is very interesting , I liked the weapons on your table.War back then must have been brutal.

[@Necridslimster]

I'm also from Staffordshire. The thing in my perspective about the bowman was it was affordable, effective. It becomes a local tradition of sport. So when men were called to arms, they're already handy with the bow. Farmers acting as reserve levies bowmen behind the regulars for support in so creates a sense of pride and willingness doing so. I'm a huge fan of History and I've been learning my self for years now. Currently diving into Mercian History.

[@raslion4362]

It's criminal KZbin stopped reminding me you make these awesome videos. Time for binge, thanks for the brilliant dedication!

[@thehistorysquad]

I agree!! It's madness that they don't push notifications to all those that have asked for them by dinging that bell, but I'm glad you're back. Enjoy your binge 👍🏻

[@Boggin_]

Two videos this week? Great surprise!

[@Rick_Cleland]

🧀

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@Per_Sun]

I like that quote too - thank you for making this and showing such pride in it.

[@okancanarslan3730]

fearsome weapons. Even without arrows, these bowmen seemed to be not the guys to mess with.

[@rangeofhills]

There you go again....giving us a learning. Thank you.

[@Ratkwad]

Thankyou again Kevin! Amazing and interesting history education as always. Thankyou also for sharing your knowleage of obscure gems not tought in Australian classes (1990-2002). Much respect for your work and dedication to fading skills.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos 👍🏻

[@TheAlison1456]

amazing history, I love how you place yourself as an arrowman and tell the history from that perspective

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

Great video, I especially enjoyed the last 8 minutes.

[@DallingerM]

I actually got excited to see the last 8 minutes after reading this comment 🙄 hopes destroyed

[@thehistorysquad]

I know right!! All rectified now though. 👍🏻

[@Jared7873]

This video is 6 minutes long 🙄.

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

@@Jared7873 Before being fixed, at 6 minutes, the screen went black for 8 minutes. 😉

[@mladenmatosevic4591]

As a Rover Scout I made myself axe out of 2pd axehead on 2ft haft. Since I could use it single-handidly it was great for sharpening poles. It would take less then a minute to sharpen 4in thick pole into a pencil. Fortunately, never tested in battle.

[@thehistorysquad]

Nice one 👍🏻

[@岩男沢山]

At the end he shorthanded the "laboratory" bit of HS SERE lvl3 iwthout realizing it. Amazing. Love this man.

[@TheFlyguywill]

Excellent video! I knew about the shire and village youths all training together, but I never really though about how they would all be raised in levy together and would form a brotherhood-like bond. I think that’s really special and interesting to picture in the context of medieval story-telling. Well done.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Will 👍

[@Ja2808R]

Great quote at the end, and excellent demonstration.

[@PatrickWilliamsI]

RUN..... That's the answer.

[@Giraffinator]

The intelligent bowman always keeps an M249 SAW handy for just such an occasion.

[@peterlaidler3895]

How proud of British traditions am I Kevin. History was always my favourite subject throughout school and I have an extensive library at home but, your programmes are so very informative. Always enjoy them. Many thanks

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Peter 👍🏻

[@martientazelaar6733]

You're such a nice story teller. And then you've investigated history. So everytime you learn something.

[@kevinhickman6837]

I appreciate learning about the tactics, but also the way of life that these people lived. That allows us to understand their motivation to some degree and makes these images of men, human.

[@Hailstonepie]

I'm related to the late Jack Hicks from Blankney in Lincolnshire. He was awoodsman by trade and got me into longbow . Have been an archer for 21 years

[@thehistorysquad]

How lovely. Thanks for watching. 👍🏻

[@loneronin6813]

I think something people forget about bowmen is that they were soldiers as much as anyone who gets in close. What I mean by that is they had access to other equipment, they had battlefield experience, and they could be the death of you at more than range. If anything, I would argue they were likely decently well-rounded soldiers who just so happened to be known most for their skill with a bow, but that's not to say they didn't have other battlefield skills as well. Never doubt the rough-and-tumble foot soldiers, it takes more than an armored knight to win a medieval battle.

[@thehistorysquad]

Absolutely 👍🏻

[@lucasroldan732]

Los arqueros ingleses eran tropas de elite, el arco largo era su arma principal, pero también luchaban cuerpo a cuerpo apoyando a los caballeros a pie en la defensa como en el ataque.

[@WKogut]

Man, I love that medieval attire

[@owenshale8719]

Everyone needs God in battle

[@magnuslauglo5356]

You make a really good point that I hadn't considered about the longbowmen going to war with their mates who they had been practicing archery with since they were boys. That's surely a massive benefit to morale for soldiers, whether they are dealing with the mundane boredom of soldiery or actually in a battle.

[@Andrii.Sosiedko]

Hello from Ukraine :) I really liked it that you've managed to describe both the "technical" part (their instruments of war) and the "human" part (how they fought) in the same video, and so well. And I will definitely remember the quote about faith.

[@korosuke1788]

I live in a peaceful country, but when there's riots people spontaneously organize themselves like this. It's probably part of our DNA by now, but humans band together and act as a unit when they trust each other or they have a common goal. It's kind of beautiful to think we still connect like that, specially during tragedies like war.

[@bikeny]

And, now for something completely different. I don't know what the YT algorithm was thinking when it popped this video on my home page, but I'm glad it did. I am now a subscriber. For at least 2 reasons: 1. I like learning new things and yep, this is definitely a new thing for me. 2). You didn't use any music. I love when YT hosts just talk. Music only belong in dance and music videos. There are some hosts who play music during their narration. It makes it difficult at times to hear them and ignore the music. Regardless of what the music actually is. I will be watching your previous videos. Thanks again.

[@thehistorysquad]

Hi Stephen, welcome to the channel and thank you for your lovely comment and sub. I hope you enjoy many of our other videos 👍🏻

[@whosthetank777]

Wow first one to see and comment! I feel honored! love your content mr kevin!

[@Rick_Cleland]

*_HOORAY!!!_* 🥇🥇🥇 🥂🎉🎆🥂🎉🎆🥂🎉🎆

[@ardmanuk8536]

👏🏼 Another great tale from Kevins dungeon

[@vincentking9980]

Thank you for sharing. I'm an Aussie in Southwest Queensland, and a lot of my M8s happen to be Anglo-Celtic/First Nation Aussie's like me. Obviously there are differences between historical Warrior's, however there are similarities as well. Keep up the fantastic work, and thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Vincent, will do 👍🏻

[@Nordique777]

This is great! I never really thought about what would happen after an archer ran out.

[@SrChr778]

The simplest answer would be, you run out of arrows, you switch to your melee sidearm. And archers weren't just bowmen, they were also just a much a threat as any foot soldier on the battlefield in close combat.

[@Key212]

I love how you casually just pull out a giant maul lol. Leave that by your bed at night for safety do yuh 😂?

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@FriendlyYouTubeCrusader]

“Remember, switching to your sword is faster than reloading”- Gaz’s great great great great grandpa

[@scottmarsh2991]

“Keep faith-first with the man next to you-and then with God.” Solid.

[@WritingFighter]

I thought the arming sword would've been more commonly equipped than whatever hand weapon was lying around, at least in later periods. Curious to know the specific differences between the Welsh and English bowmen.

[@randallreed9048]

Once again, Kevin, excellent stuff. Thank you!

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Randall 👍🏻

[@jefftucker201]

Fantastic film Mr Hicks Sir! Every day is a school day as they say! wish you all the very best sir.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Jeff 👍🏻

[@jeanpauldelachaumette2409]

Really awesome video. You answered a question I had been curious about and pondered on for quite some time.

[@thehistorysquad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fredazcarate4818]

Sir I would like take the opportunity to praise your brilliant narrative. As usual it was spot on but more importantly it was full nuance. I am an elderly gentleman who enjoys keeping his mind fit, and you Sir did the job admirable. Once again thank you and I await your next offering.👊👍

[@thehistorysquad]

How lovely Fred, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 👍🏻

[@samtroughton5400]

Really great video shame it was so short ! See you in the next one

[@RobertJ-vo4bk]

Q: What does Legolas do when he runs out of arrows? A: He fires more arrows.

[@graylor1]

On one hand that's just brutally grim--I can imagine remembering how that thud felt when bashing some guy's skull in or the gush of entrails from a horse over your hands, years after the battle. But then there's the fact they're still alive to remember after the battle, and that blood-stained pride in a job well done. Interesting.

[@philipsmeeton]

Something like the Shillelagh Irish Fighting stick, walking stick, and club, would have been easy to carry and deadly in use.

[@Miracle7Seven]

I’m starting to play Conqueror’s Blade on a medieval England type kick, nice vid!

[@mikeblair2594]

I love that falchion next to you. When I'm done with all of my current contracts I'm gonna forge somethin for my self. I just usually make tools that I need for my craft, but I've never forged something that I didn't need. But I feel a need for a falchion comin on.

[@thehistorysquad]

😂 I understand that need

[@WolfSpiritOutdoors]

Just discovered you but this is awesome ! Subscribed

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers, appreciated 👍

[@michaelpage4199]

Kevin that was great. If I saw them all coming at me I would run as quick as my feet to carry me.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@danielwampler7375]

Excellent video. Thank you.

[@hlibushok]

This Man has seen Medieval England with his own eyes, you can't convince me otherwise.

[@thehistorysquad]

😂

[@rod9945]

What I learned from movies is that the bowmen get trampled by the calvary before they run out of arrows.

[@XainonN]

I watched many videos about medieval battles and I ve noticed that the english forces had often compositions of 500 man at arms and 2500 archers or 200-300 man at arms and 1000 archers. It seems obvious that in a such army the archer is the most flexible unit, who has to fulfill many tasks.

[@guegel7720]

"Switching to your secondary bow is faster than renotching."

[@Thanatos--]

Thanks for answering that question I always wondered but never got around to looking up an answer too (this was a 'Suggested' video.) I like how the quote sort of speaks to the timelessness of fraternal faith when men (or anyone) are "going over the top" together. Looking forward to watching some more.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks for watching & your comment 👍🏻

[@PleaseNThankYou]

I've never seen your channel before but I saw your burning question!! The same has intrigued me for years. I figured they just turned around and ran like hell !

[@paulhogan9812]

The men in those days were on a different level. We've definitely regressed

[@fatalexception1269]

I haven't watched the video yet but I think I know the answer: First of all break down some surrounding furniture for lumber, use Fus Ro Dah on some passing birds for feathers, and then use your Bowyer crafting profession to make more?

[@cynthiakeller5954]

Great info!! I love all UK medieval history. TY from your US cousins across the pond.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Cynthia, I actually live this side of the pond here in Canada. I'm glad you're enjoying the history, I love medieval too.

[@odysseusrex5908]

Watched this video. Went and checked out your channel. What a wonderfully diverse set of topics you cover! You have a new subscriber.

[@thehistorysquad]

Excellent, thanks Rex, that's good to hear. Welcome to the channel 👍🏻

[@rpersen]

This was informative, subbed!

[@RyanjosephRichardson]

Thanks that was awesome history I just love the history about England 🇬🇧

[@robertwildschwein7207]

I am so conflicted on the maul. Common sense says that it would make an awful weapon. But it's so awesome and POWERFUL!!!

[@johnmacintyre6879]

Excellent lecture

[@eddiej2192]

Great vid Kevin - thanks!

[@johnhorton9637]

I've seen seen several of your videos. I always learn something. You make it interesting. I from USA. History is History no matter where it is. Thank you for sharing some History with us. Keep the videos coming

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers John, will do 👍🏻

[@johnhorton9637]

@@thehistorysquad yes sir. Thank you.

[@bunndalf]

One point I was missing: resupplying of arrows. At a siege e.g. both sides usually had archers, so when parties split at night or a skirmish was unsuccessful and retreated, people would roam the battlefield to scavenge supplies and weapons. Which also included arrows. Tactitians also considered the fact of "getting shot back by your own arrows" by keeping the arrows short, when the enemy used longbows, so they couldnt re-use them. The other way round: an arrow, which is too long, still could be shot ( not to their full potential though). On open field, archers mainly fired while engaging or when the enemy retreated. In between , when the battlefield was chaotic, the risk of friendly fire was too high. So they either were sent to melee combat or waited for their chance to strike retreating troops. So they didnt need that much arrows there.

[@Nozylatten]

Thankyou for this great video!

[@CidZAER]

Video games and such tend to portray archers as relatively frail, dexterous types that wield a bow because they're not strong enough to stand in the frontlines. But the amount of physical power needed to draw back and English longbow made those guys quite strong. The last thing you want is for someone beefy enough to constantly draw back a 40 kg longbow to bash you over the back of the skull with a maul.

[@FokkeWulfe]

I played a 4X game a while back, and my armies relied heavily on archers. I had a particularly lengthy seige (I was the beseiged), where my bowmen did well but did run out of arrows. I had a blocking box by the main gate. The enemy broke in and was immediately surrounded. I used my bow expended bowman as backup troops. Everytime an enemy soldier would break through the shields of the blocking box, he'd be beset by a half dozen swift guys with daggers. Needless to say, the enemy didn't last long. I was quite impressed with the depiction of the bowman. True, they'd die in pitched combat with a unit of Men-at-Arms, but used as rear defense, they did magnificently. If you're curious, something like 20/1 ratio of fallen soldiers, attackers to defenders. The war ended the next turn, the AI lost so many soldiers.

[@DonnyHooterHoot]

They didn't have infinite quivers like Hawkeye does? Oooh, how medieval! Great video!

[@AutoReport1]

"Arrow and arrow-whisper assaulted the entire host"

[@mitchel8522]

Hey Kevin, once again thanks for the informative and educational video!

[@littlerayofsunshine69]

People complain about the level of violence in the world today. They fail to realize our natural propensity towards it goes back millenia and was far worse at times than this day and age.

[@kalamir93]

Remember: Switching to your two-handed warhammer is faster than reloading!

[@ChromePyramid]

"Have faith. Keep faith. First with the man next to you and then God." I like that even in old times when religion was taken way more seriously they still would say something like this because on the battlefield you'd better have a strong bond/faith with the men around you or you wouldn't have to worry about worship after the fight cause you'd be dead.