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Old 05-01-2019, 09:33 AM   #172
CaptainCrunch
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Yeah, the nice thing about the composite bow was not only the range but the force, a arrow fired at optimum range would punch through light armor.


At the same time arrows are like artillery, it forces you to hunker down and tends to overwhelm you. You're so busy with your shield up trying to protect yourself that it allowed the horse cavalry to close the distance and allowed any infantry to do the same.


The most effective defense against a cavalry charge was for the most part the lance. But to use it you have to expose yourself in doing it.



The Swiss used a particularly nasty version against armored cavalry which was the Halberd a combination of a lance and a axe. The lance was designed to kill charging horses. Once the armored rider was on the ground and basically helpless the axe was designed to penetrate armor and chop off extremities.
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