Longbow Levy

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All Men under the Age of sixty Years shall have Bows and Arrows for shooting. Men-Children between Seven Years and Seventeen shall have a Bow and 2 Shafts. Men about Seventeen Years of Age shall keep a Bow and 4 Arrows — Penalty 6s.8d.

Archery Law of 1554

In game[edit | edit source]

Archers wales rkc.png
Longbow Levy — Vital statistics
Longbow Levy

Light ranged militia unit capable of slightly more accurate low-impact missile attacks at a modest range.

Prereq: Build time HP LOS Attack Attack speed Movement
speed
  • High Mediaeval Era [2];
  • Level 2: Mercenaries Military
5.3s
(80t)
70 11 14 x 2 2s
(30t)
26
Cost Created from Armour Weapon range Specialty
Base Ramp Pop
Food.jpg: 20
Timber: 20;
Food.jpg: 1;
Timber: 1
1 Town Watch Guild.png 0 1–12
  • Strong versus heavy infantry.
  • +2 splash attack radius.
  • Automatically Entrenches if idle for 5 seconds.
England.jpg Wales.jpg

Overall strategy[edit | edit source]

Longbow Levies are common in Welsh and English armies, and while they share the same penchant of Skirmisher Levies being extremely weak in melee, they have but one advantage: added accuracy and splash damage. If hosted in large groups, Longbow Levies could wreak havoc on enemy ranks, especially if they can provide enfilade fire on a foe's ranks. Plus, if left alone for a while they are capable of installing stakes to fortify themselves of their own accord, without the need for an Officer or Patriot to get them to do so.

Unit summary[edit | edit source]

  • Longbow Levies could wreak havoc on enemy ranks if firing en masse into an opponent's flanks.
  • Longbow Levies will entrench themselves after 5 seconds of inactivity without any prompting from an Officer or a Patriot.


History[edit | edit source]

During Norman attempts to conquer Welsh territory, the guerilla tactics of the Welsh were aided by their use of the longbow. Using hit-and-run tactics and the lay of the land, consisting mostly of dense woodland and mountains, the Welsh exacted a price so high in Norman blood that the Normans themselves were impressed. Of course, the Welsh were too divided and diminished to resist, and were overrun, but once Cumbria fell, the Norman aristocracy then set out to recruit Welsh bowmen into their armies.