[MR] Archery in volleys?

[Farslayer]

Basically no one does it and it is really a waste of time and ammunition to try, unless the battle is static such as a bridge battle.  In any period account of a battle where massed archery and volley fire is used, the archers are standing in one location and the enemy is approaching them from some distance. It is the fact that an opposing force is willing to walk straight at you while you loose arrow after arrow that made it effective in period.
With the conventions of our combat (30 Lb. bows), the design of the arrows for safety (no bodkins) and the way most battles are fought, we as archers rarely have the opportunity to get off a volley of more than 1 arrow per archer.  
If we had several hundred yards between us and the opposing force, the bows had the range and our army stood still; then we might be able to get off a few arrows.  Even if we had all that, the fact the shields and most of the helm is proof further limits the effectiveness of arrows, as they would rain down. 

>From what I have seen of SCA combat, involving combat archery,  you are better off to save your arrows until the opposing force is engaged or nearly so with your force. Once the fighting starts then an archer can go to work. People look out for arrows until the last few yards before contact is made then they shift focus to the people directly opposing them. 

I have only seen one what I would call true volley, an it included around 22 arrows in the air at one time. Of those arrows I only heard of 2 or 3 hits. It looked great and many may still remember it but those arrows may have accounted for many times the number hit if used later in the battle. 

Now that I have said so much against using volley fire, let me say that there is one time that I think it may be useful. I have obsevered, during many bridge battles, units of archers trying to snipe of a member of the opposing force. While watching this I have seen arrow after arrow shot at someone that was watching and aware that arrows were flying around and they were wasted. It is in this instance that I would try volley fire. I have used to some effect volley fire but it requires one person to focus the archers on one target at a time, this does work trust me. It is much harder to dodge multiple incoming projectiles than it is one.  

Giovanni

"Morte da una Distanza"