Copy+Pasted from a Dagorhir National Forums post by Janwin:
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Greetings, all. I've decided it's about time that a comprehensive guide on archery be put up for new people coming to the game and wishing to take part in the fun that is Dagorhir archery. I apologize for the wall of text, but there's a lot to cover. I hope you all enjoy it, and that at least some of you get something out of this. Note that all of this is based on my own observations during my time playing Dagorhir, and that it is all opinion. Other peoples' opinions will differ, and I do not claim to know everything (and please, if you have a differing opinion, post it! It's always great to have more insight!). Also, if those who dislike Dagorhir archery would keep their hatred down, it would be greatly appreciated. This thread is aimed to help you guys as well by lessening the problems people have with archers, and I would like to keep this constructive. Thank you!
(And for those of you wondering who the heck I am, and why I am writing this...hi, I'm Janwin. I've been doing Dagorhir and archery for coming up on 9 years now. ;D)
The Basics of Archery Combat: or, How Not To Be 'a Guy With a Bow'
Before we actually get into the concepts and strategies used by archers on the Dagorhir battlefield, allow me first to say a few things if for no other reason than to cover my own rear. Firstly, archery is not an aspect of Dagorhir that you should pick up and start doing as your first (or even second) fighting style. Archery is, by far, the most dangerous aspect of Dagorhir combat, and should only be done by those with experience upon the Dagorhir battlefield (ie: been to a few practices, and hopefully 1 or 2 battles). Secondly, any prospective archers should know that there is plenty of archer hate in the Dagorhir community because of a variety of reasons. You will be fighting an uphill battle in many aspects of the game; whether that is in the form of trying to get people to respect you, or take their hits. At the same time, you must understand why it is that archers are disliked so much (we shoot people from far away, where they can't touch us; archery is a psychological weapon; we can hit people in the face; etc). Keep these in mind, and remember that just as much as you're out there to have fun, you're also out there to make sure OTHER people have fun.
The first thing to cover are the Myths of Archery (and to a lesser extent ranged weapons) in Dagorhir combat (AKA: what people do that is not correct) in the hopes that by covering these first with your understanding that is is not the correct thing to do, you will not start doing it when you see other people doing it on the field.
The Myths of Archery
1. If the archer doesn't call their shot, it doesn't count. -- WRONG
According to "3.4.2 - Hits from projectile weapons count when the head of the weapon merely strikes the target: stopping or being slightly deflected" and "4.5.3.10 - Archers are allowed to call shots for clarity, i.e., they may call out to let their target know where a hit landed or if the hit was “good,” as in the case of a glancing or ricocheting arrow." explain this. As per 3.4.2, when it strikes the target, the hit counts. As per 4.5.3.10, archers are allowed to call shots, not that they HAVE to call shots (we'll cover this more later). I've seen archers get shot, and if the other archer doesn't call the shot, they don't take anything. You should know better.
2. If an arrow somehow manages to hit the hand on the inside of a shield, it counts as hitting the shield and doesn't count. -- WRONG
While I can understand why some might think this, because of the rules regarding hand on weapon and shields blocking arrows, but this is incorrect. "4.5.3.13 - If an arrow hits a fighter's hand, that arm is lost (regardless of whether the hand held a weapon or shield)." That is all.
3. Javelin throwers should call hit locations when they throw a javelin. -- WRONG
"4.5.3.10 - Archers are allowed to call shots for clarity, i.e., they may call out to let their target know where a hit landed or if the hit was “good,” as in the case of a glancing or ricocheting arrow." Javelin throwing is not part of arching. Archers also do not call shots when throwing javelins.
4. As long as part of the arrow touches my helmet, it is blocked by the helmet. -- TECHNICALLY correct, but depending on the situation cheesy.
While it is correct that if an arrow touches your helmet, it's been blocked, there are certain times when you have to ask yourself "would I be dead right now?". For example, if an arrow hits you dead on on the eye-hole. Some people take it (kudos!), some people don't.
Alright, now that you've heard that, let's get on with the lessons.
I Just Picked Up a Bow, What Do I Do?
Well, first off, welcome to Dagorhir archery! The first thing you should do is string your bow and check the weight (even if you're sure it's only 20#, check the weight to be certain) since the worst thing that can happen is for you to find out at an event that your bow isn't legal. The second thing you need to do is to make or buy some Dagorhir legal arrows. My preferred arrow design is located here:
www.dagorhir.com/gear/content/weapon_tutorials/evalite_arrows.pdf . Note, you can replace the EVAlite with Ozark Trail camping pad from Walmart, and the Unifoam with Jo-Anne's fabric's green open cell; however, your arrows will be of a lesser quality and the open cell will break down faster than the Unifoam so check the arrows regularly. Once you have made or obtained the arrows, have a friend shoot you in the back with your bow so you can make sure they're safe (it's better to find out your arrow hits like a freight train on yourself than having your friend take the hit from your bad arrow). If you think they're safe, shoot your friend to be sure they agree they're safe. If so, congratulations, you're now ready to begin Dagorhir archery.
The First Steps Towards Arching Effectively
There are only a few things that separate an archer from 'a guy with a bow'; one of which is that the archer knows what they're doing on the field. There are a few steps which will aid you in distinguishing yourself from 'a guy with a bow'.
The first step pertains to familiarity with arrows. An effective archer should be able to nock an arrow to their bow while still paying attention to everything going on around them. This is for a variety of reasons, including: you need to be able to dodge incoming missiles, you need to continue providing intel to your allies pertaining to enemy movement and tactics, you need to be aware of where your best shot will next occur, etc. In order to improve upon this technique, first either blindfold yourself, or turn out all the lights in a room. Then repeatedly nock and unnock an arrow to your bow. This will have to be performed many times, at many different times, in order for you to be able to naturally nock an arrow without having to look. The objective is to allow you to nock your arrows without having to look at your bow and thus to prevent you from losing battlefield awareness.
The second step pertains to familiarity with range. Now, obviously as you pick up arrows around the field, the construction methods and materials will differ. Some arrows will go further than others. Some won't go very far at all. The first thing you should do is become familiar with the range of -your- arrows. The best technique for learning this is to wander around outside (preferably in your back yard if you have trees) and fire arrows at inanimate objects from different ranges. The reason this is important to learn is because of the half-draw rule in Dagorhir combat. In practice, this rule is really there for new people. An archer (not 'a guy with a bow') should know just how much they need to draw their bow to get the arrow to the target (no more, no less). All you need is for the arrow to deflect; you don't need to hurt your opponent. By wandering around shooting at targets of varying ranges, you will learn just how much you need to draw your arrows to get them to targets (depending on your bow weight, you'll see that half draw is either too much (35#) or too little (15#) to hit a target at 20 feet). Now, on the field you'll be picking up other peoples' arrows. You can adjust your draw depending on a variety of factors in comparison to the arrows you're used to firing: arrow length (if shorter than 28", it won't go as far as an arrow you can full draw), arrow weight, head size and shape (big head, more drag), etc. When you pick up an arrow on the field, you should do two things: first, you'll know the weight right away upon picking it up, and second, you should check to make sure the arrow is safe; in doing so you'll know the adjustments you need to make to fire the arrow as well as make sure everyone on the field is as safe as can be.
The third step is a combination of both of the above: firing speed. Many archers, myself included, prefer to go for the sniping archery style in which you try to get a kill with every shot, and often you wait for the perfect shot to present itself. There are other archers who prefer to put as many arrows as possible on their target with the theory that one of them is bound to hit (spray and pray). No matter which style you use, the speed at which you can fire is very important as even snipers will need to fire off quick shots on occassion. There is no better way to improve this than with practice. Both of the above techniques will improve your speed by making the process of firing an arrow come naturally.
Archer Etiquette
This section pertains to those things that you should be doing as an archer in order to not portray yourself and your fellow archers in a negative light. Thus, we begin with the etiquette archers should abide by.
The first and largest aspect of archer etiquette is the calling of shots. In the rules it states "Archers are allowed to call shots for clarity, i.e., they may call out to let their target know where a hit landed or if the hit was “good,” as in the case of a glancing or ricocheting arrow.". Note that it says you're allowed to for clarity, and that you may, not that you have to. A major problem that separates the 'guys with a bow' from archers is the calling of shots. There are very few situations in which an archer should be calling their shot (if the person looks to you for clarification (if you're in doubt, yourself, tell them to take what they felt; it's better to let them keep fighting than to have people think you're making bad calls); if the person doesn't notice the shot; if the person blows off a shot; or if the person takes a hit but shouldn't have). If the target takes the hit (even if they may take the wrong hit location), there is no need to call the shot. So don't do it.
The second aspect of etiquette for archers are headshots. This aspect is two-fold, as it does not only pertain to etiquette. In regards to the etiquette aspect: people don't really like getting hit in the face. It's not in the ruleset except for missile weapons for a reason (missiles are only allowed because you can't really control it that easily). If you have a shot somewhere else (torso), take that shot instead. It's easier to hit, and you're not annoying people with headshots.
The third part of etiquette is other archers. Be nice to your fellow archers! If you have two arrows, and another archer is running around trying to find one, give them an arrow. Sometimes it's hard to find ammunition in the thick of a battle, and it's better to have two people shooting than just one. Also, NEVER -EVER- take an arrow out of someone else's quiver without asking (and getting permission) first. Furthermore, it is considered bad form to put someone else's arrows in your quiver. If you pick up an arrow off the ground, either carry it, or leave it for another archer.
Archer Safety
Really, the majority of this should be common sense. However, I felt the need to include it because there have been people not doing these simple things to keep our game safe.
Firstly, ALWAYS (no exceptions) have a penny on the tip of your arrow (ok, I lie, some exceptions including other coins will work).
Secondly, ALWAYS check any arrow you pick up off the ground before firing it. Yes, it'll take you a second or two longer between shots, but remember that safety is #1 in Dagorhir.
Thirdly, watch how much you're drawing your bow. This is important for new archers as oftentimes you get caught up in the battle, your adrenaline is high, and then you full draw someone in the other shield line 5' away from you. Don't do it. It ain't pretty.
You've Got the Basics; Now What?
Congratulations. If you've read this far, you know the basics of what it takes to be an archer in Dagorhir. Now we go into some of the things that will make you stand out from other archers.
Equipment
All archers must have, at the least, a bow and two arrows. There is a variety of other equipment you can carry, which really depends on your fighting style and what you feel comfortable with. There are archers who carry no sidearm, and then there are archers who carry a variety of melee weapons and wear armor. There are back shields and there are bucklers. What you carry out is entirely up to you, and there is no bad choice for this.
Tactics, Tactics, Tactics
This is perhaps the most important detail for more veteran archers. There are a variety of tactics that archers will employ in order to get the perfect shot. We will also discuss the importance and place archers fill on the battlefield.
Firstly, when it comes to shooting a target, you will always want to try and get a flanking shot on your enemy. The reasons for this are many: your enemy is less likely to see (and therefore dodge or block) an arrow coming from the side or behind; you will be able to get around the shield wall to kill the more dangerous polearms; etc. If you have a friend, you can split up and try to create a crossfire situation in the theory that someone can only defend themself from one archer at a time.
Secondly, you'll want to go for the quick shots. Do not line up on a target unless you wish them to know you're aiming at them (intimidation comes to mind since nobody wants to be the first to die to an arrow to the face). Quick shots will mean they have less time to react, and thus are less likely to defend themselves.
Thirdly, stay mobile. Once the enemy realizes there is an archer in a certain location, one of two things happens: one, another archer shows up to try and kill you, or two, they put up a defense to block your arrows. If you are constantly moving around, you'll find a hole in their defense which you can exploit.
Fourthly, don't be afraid to charge into melee. Sometimes there are more important places for an archer to be than behind the line. If there is a hole in your shield line, plug it. Even if you die, you've done your team a service by holding the line. Because of an archer's mobility, and their viewpoint of the battlefield, they are generally aware of the tactical situation, and learning where you need to be and when is a key part of archery.
Now then, as to the place of an archer and the role you will fill:
Archers are the fire support of the shield line. Yes, that's right, I said support. The primary killing force of your army will be polearms according to the fighting standards of Dagorhir at this time (shield walls). This is because those weapons can take out shields, and open holes in the enemy line. An archer's primary target should be those polearms. If an archer can help hold their shield line together, the enemy will not be moving anywhere, and your friendly polearms can open a hole. The secondary target for an archer should be other archers and any pesky flankers that manage to get through or around your line. Tertiary target should be anyone else (shields). The only time you should be taking out shieldmen is when you have no other target. Of those listed, shieldmen are the least likely to cause any major effect to your army.
Sometimes these target priorities will change, depending on the scenario and tactical situation. Be aware, and take the shots that are needed. An archer is flexible in that they can reach out and kill just about anyone. Use that to your advantage.
Oh, and it's always fun to shoot commanders as they're giving orders.
Disclaimer: the above information is my opinion and only my opinion. Not everything is covered (this is only revision 1, after all). Any comments, corrections or criticism is welcomed, as I intend to update this guide as more data becomes available. It is my hope that through reading this, the calibre and quality of archery will increase in Dagorhir, and people will recognize that archery is just as valid of a combat form as any other in Dagorhir.
Edited by Wilhelm to remove the Signature from the original post and clarify info.
