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Post by The Archivist on Mar 24, 2015 11:59:54 GMT -5
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Post by The Red Baron on Mar 24, 2015 16:18:44 GMT -5
The way I see it, the "short" bow is just your regular ol' self-bow, used by every culture on earth since antiquity. "Short" is just a qualifier to distinguish it from a longbow. The longbow is what was developed in feudal England/Wales and Japan, and stood the height of a man (or more), and can shoot with a lot of power. The compound bow is what was used on horseback, as it was very compact, yet could still shoot with the power of a full length bow. This is why short bow (25gp) < long bow (40gp) < compound bow (50gp) in M&M. Of course these prices should historically be far cheaper, especially for "short" bows. Historically, the worst crossbow should be more expensive than the best bow: they took extensive engineering, and craftsmanship by a number of trades. Bows did too of course. The popularity of crossbows was firstly due to the fact that they could often shoot rocks and bullets: nations were going bankrupt over producing millions of arrows, and is was a pain to transport and distribute them. Secondly, they were useful for sniping in siege warfare and street fighting: Delta does a nice analysis of the advantages of the crossbow in this regard. You can't hold a bow drawn and at the ready, but you can walk around with a loaded crossbow and pop anyone as soon as you see them. |
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Post by Vile Traveller on Mar 25, 2015 9:50:59 GMT -5
The compound bow is what was used on horseback, as it was very compact, yet could still shoot with the power of a full length bow. May I just intercede there with a bit of pedantry: I believe you're talking about what's now known as the composite bow, made of laminating various materials together instead of being carved from a single piece of wood like a self bow or a long bow.  The term compound bow is now used for a modern contraption with all manner of pulleys that allow the archer to hold the string longer (thus improving aim). They also have various bits an bobs projecting off at all angles.  |
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Post by Necromancer on Mar 26, 2015 7:01:45 GMT -5
More interesting links! Thanks!
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