Greetings friends!
If you are like me and enjoy shooting people in armored scenarios, then listen up! I have a proposal for you.
One of the time honored traditions when going against an archer is: wait until they shoot then run them down!
Its a good tactic which forces some considerations on our part. Staggering our shots, making sure we are accompanied by a shield, etc. But what if we are left all alone to our devices? What if two polemen spy you, and decide one of them WILL kill you?!
We have options!
Here, CATCH!
Carry some throwing weapons*! take two throwing axes with you on the field! After you shoot, another combatant may advance with impunity, but when you reach behind and produce a throwing axe, watch in glee as their eyes widen. have a care to not engage in melee, it is a throwing weapon only! Remember you cannot engage in melee unless you discard your bow in a safe manner. Which brings me to the next option…
Come out swinging!
When I initially thought about doing CA, my dream was to have two swords on me as well. I love to shoot, but if necessary I could grab the swords and swing my way to happy town. But then I discovered that you must safely dispose of your bow*. The specifics of this rule may vary slightly from Kingdom to Kingdom, but for me and my crossbow, it means getting it off the field into a safe zone. There is additionally the issue of demi vs full gauntlets. This needn’t be an issue if you can get your hands on (pun intended) fully articulated or otherwise dextrous gauntlets. Just wear full all the time!
Missile combatants should be the Scouts of the field. Be ready at all times and be willing to help an enemy cross the street to Valhalla whenever the opportunity presents itself!
I have yet to find resellers of thrown weapons, or sources for construction. If you find any, please post in the comments below!
edit:
http://www.argentlupus.com/ThrowingMace.html
Back to the Combat Archery Community
References:
* http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/docs/marshal_handbook.pdf (see section(s): III.D.2,III.D.3)
Throwing maces can be purchasd thru
http://shop.argentlupus.com/product.sc?productId=17&categoryId=1
And really good info on construction as well!
Usually CAs work as individuals. This is how you get picked off quickly. Instead work in pairs or trios. As a pair, one archer fires only after their mate yells “Ready” which means their weapon is cocked and loaded. That way there will always be at least one armed and ready CA to shoot any advancing heavy. If you add to this a single heavy with a shield now you have a movable pavaise that the archers can duck behind. It used to be SCA rules of engagement that if an attacking heavy was going after CAs and there was a friendly heavy between them and the archers, the attacking heavy had to engage the friendly heavy first. In that scenario the CAs simply move out to the side and pick off the attacking heavy. More than three CAs gets a bit confusing and harder to know when to shoot. My lady and used to be CAs and this is tha tactic we used. And we lasted nearly to the end every time.
When searching for targets it’s obvious a CA looks for crowns and coronets on helms but also white belts. Cut the head off the snake. But also look for CAs on “their” side that take their eyes off the field, i.e. have cocking stirrups on their crossbows. As soon as their head goes down they can’t see you shooting at them. So the basic rule for a CA that wants to survive is NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE FIELD. If you shoot a crossbow, learn to cock and load it while looking past it to watch the field. I found adding a cocking bar to my crossbow helped with this a great deal. A cocking bar is simply a metal rod that goes through the stock just behind where the string catches. You snatch the first 2/3s of the draw then hook your thumbs on the cocking bar and squeeze to finish the draw. Simple easy and quick.
As for weapon of choice, I started with a handbow. But I moved to a crossbow after a few years. With a handbow the heavy stops and hides behind their shield, you get tired and let down, they run up, you redraw, they hide, etc., etc. until they get close enough to take you out. But with a crossbow, you just stand there until their shield gets too heavy for them to hold then you take them out with a face shot. Crossbows are easier to maneuver when in or right behind a line of heavies in battle as well. But of course weapon choice is a personal choice. Just get good enough to hit what you are aiming for and the heavies on your side will protect you in battle.