March 1997
The following are what I see as major issues and some possible solutions for problems arising from the introduction of heavily armored archers on the battlefield. These were points brought up between myself and other An Tir archers during our get-togethers.
The first obstacle is how to mark the heavy and light archers so the heavies on the field can tell them apart and kill them appropriately. The concern is that a heavy, in the chaos of battle, might mistake a light archer as a heavy archer and hit the light with their weapon. I see two possible solutions:
First, all light missile combatants (archers, javelineers, ax throwers, etc.) should be required to wear red pheons, backed by white so they stand out, on their helms, front torso, back torso and bucklers (currently only the helm and buckler require pheons). Lights should not be grouped with any concentration of heavy archers. This will lessen the chance of heavies accidentally hitting lights.
One thought, however, is that if heavies know there are both light and heavy archers on the field they will actually be more inclined to look for and notice the white helms. Hopefully the heavies' new heightened perception will carry over into the light-archer-only mixed battles.
The second proposal is simple: only light missile combatants or heavy missile combatants will be allowed on the field at one time; never both in the same scenario. This way there is no question who gets killed how. KISS.
Unfortunately, if we start having scenarios that allow only heavy archers (no lightly armored missile combatants of any kind allowed on the field) scenarios allowing lights may disappear completely. Think that's impossible? Most wars have battles only on Saturday. Usually every other battle is mixed; while archers are inspecting their arrows a heavies-only battle is being fought. Even though six or seven scenarios are planned we usually only get around to fighting four, maybe five. That's two or three battles lights get to fight in per war. How many of those two or three battles allowing lights are going to be handed over to heavy archery? Eventually, MICs may be hard pressed to schedule more than one battle scenario allowing lights, if any.
Right now many people start or finish their martial career as lights. How many new fighters do you think we'll get, and how many older fighters do you think we'll keep, if lights only dress up for one battle? The only arenas that will be left for lights will be the one-on-one tournaments like Kingdom Protector and wars against Kingdoms like the West that don't allow heavily armored missile combatants.
Now, assuming heavy archers are allowed on the field, I believe bows should be made of fiberglass but not taped, because cracks won't be visible. Bows should not be used as blocking weapons. The other light weapons can't be used as blocking weapons so why should the bow? Javelins can't be used as blocking weapons, can they? If a heavy archer's position is overrun, that archer will just have to drop their bow and draw their sword.
Chances are fiberglass bows won't break when stepped on and, like any other light weapon, it will need to be inspected before reuse, although I think that can be done on the field like an ax or javelin rather than taken off the field like an arrow.
Hits to the quiver from a heavy's weapon should automatically kill all arrows in the quiver until they can be taken off the field and re-inspected. We can go so far to say that if a heavy archer is engaged as a heavy those arrows are automatically dead until taken off the field and inspected, whether the quiver was hit or not. Some may see that as extreme but it comes down to a question of safety.
"Heavy archers" is a hot topic and an exciting proposition, but if we're not careful our years of progress in promoting archery on the warfield might backfire on us.
