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[–] 51 points 1 year ago (6 children)

If you were commanding a mass of archers "Spaff!" was the correct command.

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  • [–] 36 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    "Ready your bows!"

    "Nock!"

    "Mark!"

    "Draw!"

    "Loose!"

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Volley fire wasn't a thing with bows. You ever try holding a 90lb war bow at full draw waiting for someone to yell "Loose"? Never happened.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Wikipedia seems to disagree:

    The Persians army employed volleys of arrows, slingshots, and javelins against the Greeks in Gaugalema[21] and Thermopylae.[22][23] Ancient Greeks and Romans used arrow volleys.[24][20][19] The goddess Artemis was called "‘of the showering arrows".[25][26]

    In medieval Europe, after the initial volley, archers would fire single shots at individual enemies.[27] Examples include the Battle of Hastings in 1066,[28] Battle of Crécy in 1346[19] and the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.[29]

    I'd imagine it's possible that a volley meant that they started drawing at the same time rather than drawing and waiting.

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