Blackthorn
Squire
THE MOTHER OF AN EARL? A PEASANT...?!? *shock*WhichDoctor said:jojymo said:Ya just a few changes and it will be sweet
Are the master necromancer at work again
But yes it takes many years of training and quite significant strength to use a war bow well or even at all but any peasant can be given a crossbow and use it quite effectively. No offense to your Mum Blackthorn .
Naw- none taken.
The thing about the crossbow is also the relative cost of the missiles. I know- seems next to nothing, right? But you can fletch a bolt with materials such as parchment scraps or leather, even thin laminates of wood, whereas arrows require more pollarded wood, in longer lengths, and to be much more skillfully produced than crossbow bolts. I've also noticed wastage on the (reenactment) field favours bolts- they rarely shatter on impact, and are therefore cheaper to supply with missiles.
The only major downside is this- take an early period crossbow, and now shoot down from elevation. Watch the bolt gently slide down the trough and drop. Laugh at your own inefficiency.