3 ms·

English longbow and most of the archery is more akin to MANPADs, useful and game changers in many scenarios, but not the "Primary" weapons. Mongolian complex b

• thayne 3y ago
  > If all of your main force is expected to wield it, it becomes a primary weapon. There was a period of time when all Englishmen were required to train with a longbow. I guess also it depends on what you mean by "primary" if it means the primary weapon of an individual soldier, it's obviously false, because archers primarily used their bows, in many armies. But if it means the main weapon used by the builk of the soldiers, then in most cases it probably wasn't a bow. But that isn't because of the ineffectiveness of the weapon. It's really just part of the "egalitarian" point. Shooting a bow effectively requires considerably more skill than say using spear, or even hacking with a sword.
  • z3phyr 3y ago
    > There was a period of time when all Englishmen were required to train with a longbow I was under the impression that English Archery was a very specialized discipline, given its very skill intensive. The English did use the Longbowmen, but as a specialized unit in specialized situations.