Re: Combat Archery Support and Encouragement

[Steve Riley <flamingbolt@mindspring.com>]

Poster: Steve Riley <flamingbolt@mindspring.com>

Falcone, thankyou for all your wonderful words, it makes me want to cry....
I have been reading some negative comments on the net lately (there was this
song that was negative), and was begining to wonder if all of our work was
helping.  I am glad that we are helping fighters learn to be more wary, that
is our point (ha ha).  Please come next weekend and be our pin cushion, and
bring as many fighters as you can, we will feed you.
In service,
Laboise and Steafan

At 11:03 AM 8/24/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Poster: Falcone al Rasool ibn Muhajir <falcone@bellsouth.net>
>
>Salaam!
>Allah's Blessed Peace unto Atlantia and Her Populace!
>
>Henry may be quite correct.  Case in point:
>
>In Windmasters' Hill, we have always had some form of combat archery
>since I came to the Barony.  Even at the canton level in Elvegast, the
>activity of combat archers has been consistent.  Yet, it was small and
>rarely were there additions to the unit of archers.
>
>Then something happened.  HG, Duke Anton(considered to be a unlikely
>supporter of combat archery and I am not sure why) saw their
>contribution to the carnage.  His support for these archers and their
>havoc began to validate and encourage them to do more.  We began making
>a place for the archers and including them, rather than the practice of
>unintentional disenfranchisement that had been the norm.  The
>demarcation for this occurrance, IMHO, was Central Region War practice
>in '96.
>
>After this happened, House Flaming Bolt began to grow, and get better at
>doing what they did best.  Another result: the fighters in Windmasters'
>got harder to kill with arrows. We turned the attention consuming
>process of looking out for archers into a motor function for many of us,
>and the newbies just didn't know anything different, as they were forced
>to watch out for the bolt from the beginning.  In the end, we had a unit
>of fighters ready to take on archers use their inherent weaknesses
>against them, but fear their strengths.  Finally, the archers began
>shooting at each other as a prority, and harvesting heavies as
>opportunity provided.
>
>It was a year of brilliant discovery for us.  Those of us that truly
>appreciate the intrinsic realism of adding combat archers to the
>scenarios love it.  Those that don't, saw their deaths to archers as
>igdomeneus(how do you really spell that, Henry?).
>
>My point is: if we will offer the deserved validation to these
>individuals as real contributors, equal to each heavy out there(they
>usually kill more than any of us) they will grow stronger.  This is
>proved by the fact that many, who would not have given the first thought
>about fighting heavy, have begun by playing archer(i.e. Elspeth, Eogan,
>Luisa, Estrellita(BTW, these are some deadly folk)) due to the
>excitement felt when we realized we would not be anywhere near as deadly
>without them.  A few have even donned more armor and played with spear. 
>In other words, we get more heavies by having them, too.
>
>IMHO, it will be rather advantageous to rank the archers in our kingdom,
>both for armored combat and sharp stuff competition.  Show them kingdom
>wide that they are a valid and worthy part of our deadly and feared
>force, and they will grow and offer an even more intrinsic
>contribution.  If this occurs, I truly feel that we won't have these
>pockets of storng archery activity, but that they will grow and be more
>thoroughly distributed throughout the kingdom.
>
>So, Hoo-freakin'-wah for Flaming Bolt and WHBAC(Wayyyyyyyy Back), and
>all the other archers in the kingdom.  That's from me -- now let's do
>something along these lines kingdom wide.  It is necessary, rightful,
>and honorable to show them their deserved recognition and praise from
>the crowns on down.
>
>Falcone (token pin-cushion for WHBAC and Flaming Bolt)
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