How to Defend Against Combat Archery

As an experienced melee fighter, I have done combat archery for many years now. I used golf tube arrows when that was all the Midrealm allowed, then Siloflex (irrigation tubing) when that became legal. Last year I used fiberglass arrows at Pennsic. I feel that it’s time I passed on a few lessons that I’ve learned from my experiences.

The term “archer” will be used to refer to both archers and crossbowmen. I will often use the term arrow to refer to both arrows and crossbow bolts.

Counter Archery Fire

If archers don’t have to worry about getting shot by enemy archers, then they can be much bolder. They can shoot closer to the enemy, they can take their time, and they can act more threatening. Archers can shoot the enemy spearmen and then friendly spearmen can take out the rest of the enemy troops. In certain circumstances, this can be a very powerful combination.

If the archers are being shot at by the enemy, they have a number of disadvantages. First, they die. If there is no resurrection in the battle, then they’re gone. If there is, they spend their time resurrecting. Even it they don’t die, they have to hide behind friendly troops and shields, they have to shoot faster because they’re exposed when they shoot and this takes half their game away.

When shooting enemy archers, an archer who is behind the lines is shooting at an enemy archer who is behind the enemy lines. This is usually long range for combat archery and requires a weapon which is accurate and effective at long range. This includes fiberglass arrows and crossbows. Siloflex arrows are ineffective at such ranges. Golf tube arrows are worthless. These plastic arrows are only good at short range. Although fiberglass arrows cannot be used in the Midrealm, they can be used by Midrealm archers at Pennsic and other events outside the Midrealm where they are allowed by other kingdoms.

Shields

Bring a shield.

Bring a big shield.

Make a shield wall.

Bring a center boss shield.

Historically, one of the main purposes of a shield wall was to protect against combat archery. You’ve seen this in movies where the Romans form a “turtle”. Recently, in the movie Troy, Achilles and his men formed an overlapping shield wall when they advanced up the beach and attacked the temple of Apollo. I know from my SCA experience that shooting against a good shield wall is a waste of arrows. However, good crossbowman may be able to hit fighters in the face grill at close range.

The advantage of a center boss shield is that it can be moved farther left, right, up, and down, than an arm slung shield. Many a time my arrows have been intercepted by the quick move of a center boss shield. If you use spear, tell your squires or buddies to bring a center boss shield and block arrows for you. Of course, the shield man needs to see the arrows coming in order to block it.

Ballista Bolts

Shields do not block ballista bolts according to the rules used last Pennsic. The ballista bolt will slay the fighter through the shield. The only way to counter ballista bolts is to spread the troops out so they can dodge the bolts. If they see the bolts coming, then they can dodge them. However, they need room to do so. If they’re packed together, they can’t see or move well.

Charge!

If the troops are fighting face to face, then there is little opportunity to use combat archery. Ballista bolts are as likely to hit their own troops as the enemy. Such battles tend to be shorter which also reduces the opportunity to use combat archery. On the other hand, spear dueling creates an ideal situation for archers to pick off spearmen. You may not want to charge into a killing pocket, but if you are at a disadvantage in combat archers, don’t give the enemy archers time to work. Take the battle to them.

Kill Them!

The opportunity to kill a combat archer seldom presents itself, but when it does why pass it up? Here are a few examples: In the mountain pass battle last year I was on the North pass with Ealdomere. They were charging and doing all sorts of crazy things. As a result, that resurrection battle did not stabilize in two lines separated by about 12 feet like previous mountain pass battles. Such static battles are ideal for combat archery. But with the chaos last year, there were gaps in the lines that the East made good use of. I was killed several times by enemy soldiers who ran through the gaps intent on killing me.

At the start of the Mountain Pass battle last year, a friend of mine, Perceval, said to me “I’m going to kill a ballista.” I said to myself, “he’s crazy.” But at the start of the battle friends helped him break through and he took out two ballistae. Although that was a resurrection battle, ballistae were not allowed to resurrect. You can bet that the East will try to do that to us next year. They learn fast.

A few years ago at Gulf Wars, the archers got too close to the fort. A sally by the defenders (led by Duke Finn) took the archers by surprise, pinned them against their own troops, and killed them.

Keep your eyes open for opportunities to kill enemy archers, or create such opportunities when possible. Designate some fast troops to do this. Prevent the enemy from doing the same to your archers.

Keep Moving.

The favorite target of an archer is an enemy archer. So, when I’m doing combat archery, I know the enemy archers are targeting me. I’ve developed a sixth sense that tells me when I’m about to get hit. If I’ve been in the open for a few seconds, there’s an arrow coming for me. Much depends on the number of enemy archers, what they’re armed with, and the nature of the battle, but I know that sooner of later I’ll get hit if I’m in the open.

So I like to stay in the middle of friendly troops. I stick my neck out to shoot occasionally and I try to do that quickly. When I am in the open, I keep moving. I glean arrows on the run. Many a time an arrow or bolt has passed through the space where I had been a second ago.

Dodge

Arrows in SCA combat are slow enough that they can be dodged if you see them coming. You can even knock them out of the air with a sword or other weapon. Of course, you need to see the arrows coming. If you’re being shot at from different directions this is difficult.

Pavans

If the troops are going to wait a while, put pavans in front of them. The difficulty lies in getting these pavans to Pennsic and then to the battlefield on the morning of the battle.

Combat Archery Corps

If the Midrealm is going to be competitive in combat archery at Pennsic, it needs to build a corps of combat archers. To do this they need practice. Such practice does not require battles. The battles at Midrealm events are usually too small to prepare archers for Pennsic anyways. Even without a battle archers can practice shooting at each other, or shooting at targets behind a crenellated wall simulating the fort. Ballistae can practice dueling. Other troops can practice dodging, blocking, or knocking arrows out of the air. I would like to see at least one event dedicated to combat archery practice.

Change

The days when an archer could brag about killing a duke several times in a row are gone. Dukes are not dumb and they have adapted to combat archery. One of them, Duke Moonwolf, built a ballista and started shooting back.

Combat archery adds a new dimension to SCA combat. You can’t continue to do the same thing that worked for you without combat archery. You may need to change your weapon style, your technique, or your tactics, but there are ways of minimizing the threat of enemy archers. The Midrealm is a very competitive kingdom and I do not doubt that it can prevail in the combat archery battles at Pennsic.