Draw arrow at right side of bow

Users who are viewing this thread

Uncle Khai

Recruit
Why do we have one style draw arrow from left side bow only? Apply for both foot and mounted! I feel that style clunky and kinda slow! the way draw arrow I see in the movie, book and history channel all go to right side! Draw arrow super fast in one move! Ex mongol mounted archer! I see a lot movie about them and rarely see they shoot arrow from left side bow
 
Most movies with a European setting show the arrow on the left side, and this was historically usually the case in European archery. I have heard convincing arguments that it wasn't exclusively so, but arrow on the right side of the bow is mainly associated with Asian archery.

Maybe someone will make a mod with the right side alternative (and also with a thumb draw). After all, the Gekokujo mod for Warband did feature asymmetrical bows with appropriate animation - though I do not remember if they did anything about arrow placement or fingers used.
 
one scene in my favorite movie about archer! 1 korean vs 4 mongol! Just simple and fast! No need fancy move or deadly aim like robinhood xD
 
Nocking the arrow on the right side is associated with the "thumb draw" which is and Asian style more common for horse archery and lighter bows. Nocking the arrow on the left side is associated with the "mediterranean draw" and mostly used in European infantry tradition. I would like to see horse archers in Bannerlord using the thumb draw and infantry using Mediterranean draw. Cultural differences would also be cool: Khuzait and Aserai using thumb draw.
 
This one different! He draw arrow right side bow

WTF 😄 If you want to shoot from right side with this "three-finger-method" you need to use slavic draw => your index finger must be straight pressing on arrow body. The way this clown is shooting would just lead for arrow to fall off. + that ridiculous handguard 🤦‍♂️
What is more WTF is that this game, after so many years of development, isn't able to picture correct stringing for hunting/mountain bows and even some longbows. They are strung in OPPOSITE way. Not speaking about abominations like that composite warlord bow or whatever it is called in game. It's strung not on nocks at siahs but below them 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
 
Last edited:
I would say Khuzaits of course would be better shown of with the right side thumb draw. Although 6th century AD Roman horse archers were advised to be able to use all draw techniques, also the thumb draw, so the Empire could be shown with it too. I'm a bit baffled that TW decided to show only the "western technique" while medieval Turkish archery seemingly had predominantly the thumb draw in use. I think they decided to use only one animation because of ressources and they catered to the western markets.
 
yesterday i travel to dalat with family and i have chance use bow first time at Clay Tunnel village! i try shoot 3 arrow from left side of bow! all miss but when i try shoot again at right side of bow i did hit target once :smile:. So cool
 
Why do we have one style draw arrow from left side bow only? Apply for both foot and mounted! I feel that style clunky and kinda slow! the way draw arrow I see in the movie, book and history channel all go to right side! Draw arrow super fast in one move! Ex mongol mounted archer! I see a lot movie about them and rarely see they shoot arrow from left side bow
I distinctly recall this being in the game many years ago, shown in a gameplay video that I had failed to find the last time I searched for it.
Most movies with a European setting show the arrow on the left side, and this was historically usually the case in European archery. I have heard convincing arguments that it wasn't exclusively so, but arrow on the right side of the bow is mainly associated with Asian archery.

Maybe someone will make a mod with the right side alternative (and also with a thumb draw). After all, the Gekokujo mod for Warband did feature asymmetrical bows with appropriate animation - though I do not remember if they did anything about arrow placement or fingers used.
Bannerlord's cultures are not exclusively European inspired so that doesn't quite work. Also, given the fact that TW is a Turkish company, you'd expect the developers to be aware of or honor their own quite rich archery history and traditions but alas, that doesn't appear to be the case.
 
Bannerlord's cultures are not exclusively European inspired so that doesn't quite work. Also, given the fact that TW is a Turkish company, you'd expect the developers to be aware of or honor their own quite rich archery history and traditions but alas, that doesn't appear to be the case.
Not really relevant to my comment, but ok.
 
Generally speaking you can shoot arrow on both sides of the bow. With three fingers (mediterranean) most people people prefer to shoot on the left side (assuming they are drawing with right hand) and without khratra (I like shooting with khatra on the left side actually, but I am weird like that). Without khatra you hopefully have roughly correct spine of arrows, otherwise they might go to one of the sides. However you can shoot on the left side though it requires bit more dexterity or form adjustment.

Thumb draw and slavic draw are generally used on right side of the bow, these drawing styles are more "stable" during movement (for example while on horseback or while running arround) because they push the arrow to the bow a little bit. Thumb draw is also roughly 2 inches longer than finger draws (three finger and slavic) when same arm / shoulder position is achieved, so "bit stronger". Right side drawing styles tend to use khatra to deal with incorrect spine and to add bit of speed to the arrow (assuming you are using lightweight short limbed "horse bow"). However you can use thumb draw on the left side but you will loose most of its advanages such as increased stability while mobile.

In general, reloading from the right side is faster, but to be honest this is mainly relevant for speed-shooting, which is effectivelly applicable to a bow that feels light to you - which means that you are trading few powerful shots for many weaker shots. Also you can shoot very fast from the right side as well - kassai rapid fire style (possibly used by Huns, Hungarians and other steppe cultures that were using relatively "large" horse bows). Very small bows at medium to high draw weight can be effectivelly shot only with thumb ring - for example turkish bows.

Left side shooting in the movies is mostly derived from modern olympic archery, which is based on Victorian era archery not on the hundred years war longbow archery or lets say byzantine "horsebow" archery. Arguably majority of Europe was actually using "horse bows" - Slavs, Byzantines (Romans), Italians, perhaps Spaniards and Portugese, obviously majority of Arabs and Turks living in Europe, all the other steppe people such as Hungarians, Avars, Tatars, etc. Longbows very generally used in areas that were not very favorable to composite recurve bows (horse bows / asiatic bows) or when you wanted to equip armies with bows cheaply and fast. Notably Welsh, English, French, pre-turkic Arabs, Numudians / Abyssians and Vietnamese are famous for using long bows. Chinese possibly used them too to some degree, at least in "peasant" armies. Honarable mention goes to Japanese who used laminated long bows from horseback and on foot (Yumi).
 
Last edited:
main-qimg-ceaa3e42650b65e70d43fe2a3f6c361d-lq


horse archers of Late Antiquity
 
Back
Top Bottom