----- Original Message ----- From: "Howard Brazee" <howard at brazee.net> To: <dragaera at dragaera.info> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 9:59 AM Subject: Re: Bows and arrows > On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 08:53:38 -0700, Jeff G. <Log0n5150 at hotmail.com> wrote: > > >> I'm wondering if bows might be vulnerable to some types of sorcery. > >> The > >> weapon doing the damage must be touched or it can be dangerous to use. > >> > >> > >> > > And hand thrown Javelins wouldn't be? (I just had a mental image of > > someone > > throwing an AMC across a field. . . ) No, I would account the neglect of > > archery to it's lack of importance to the characters and story. A bow is > > difficult to conceal, and despite what you have seen in the movies, not a > > one shot kill weapon, so it would be useless to Vlad. In the Paarfiad, > > none > > of the characters would deign to use a bow, where is the honour in > > fighting an enemy from a distance? > > > We have seen real battles. Vlad has fought in a real war. > > -- > Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/ > But only one part of it. The use of archers is largely dependant on the style of the commander. With Sethra's preference for aggressive defense, archers would be valuable, but as support for the unit Vlad was in, not a part of it. If she had added additional support units, it would have attracted more attention to his unit, lessening the chance that he would penetrate the line of battle to engage his target. Sethra used his unit in a series of engagements designed to unobtrusively place Vlad nearby at the decisive point in the battle. As his unit was not a major threat, they did not face archers. It is probable that archers participated in the final engagement, but remembering the distaste that Vlad shows towards the slaughter, it is unlikely that he would care to recall a particular weapon or group of weapons. Jeff