RE: Combat Archery Support and Encouragement

[Gene Bonar <gbonar@auspex.com>]

Poster: Gene Bonar <gbonar@auspex.com>

Greetings,

Falcone you have just assured that you won't be shot quite so often, unless of course that aren't any easier shots.

Bless you my son.


Eogan mac Ailpein, archer and canton herald
Elvegast, Windmasters Hill, Atlantia
Gene Bonar  919.772.1112  eogan@ipass.net


(snip)
 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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