The Nitpicker’s Guide to Ancient Warfare: Horse Archers

[Gary Oswald]

Discuss this article by @David Flin here

 

[Death's Companion]

Nice to see the basics of this laid back, horse archers do seem to suffer from either being completely disregarded or massively overestimated and divorced from their context. Good to see a more grounded approach and general overview and of course mention of the common counters but also perhaps their biggest danger, provoking an undisciplined or unfamilar force to break formation and charge to doom.

One quibble is the strict division of classification of cavalry and horse archers given it was not uncommon practice for horse archers to soften up the enemy and then draw swords or spears to finish up with a quick charge and the difference between light and heavy cavalry could be quite small or situational. It doesn't distract from the main thrust of things just reflects that over a couple of thousand years in countless wars across five continents people tend to experiment and change things up a bit. Just felt nitpicking is in the spirit of the enterprise.

 

[David Flin]

One quibble is the strict division of classification of cavalry and horse archers given it was not uncommon practice for horse archers to soften up the enemy and then draw swords or spears to finish up with a quick charge and the difference between light and heavy cavalry could be quite small or situational. It doesn't distract from the main thrust of things just reflects that over a couple of thousand years in countless wars across five continents people tend to experiment and change things up a bit. Just felt nitpicking is in the spirit of the enterprise.

Perfectly fair quibble, and one I can easily correct in the draft of the book.

Many thanks.