Longbow

“Let your bows be ready, and your arrows sharp.” — attributed to Edward III of England

The longbow — a tall, powerful bow requiring years of training to master — gave English and Welsh archers the ability to deliver devastating volleys at ranges exceeding 200 metres. In skilled hands, it could pierce armour and shatter cavalry charges.

Unlocks

• Units: Longbowman

Historical Background

The English longbow, typically made from yew and standing nearly two metres tall, evolved from Welsh and Anglo-Saxon traditions of archery. Edward I, after encountering devastating Welsh longbow fire during his conquest of Wales in the late 13th century, adopted the weapon for English armies. He and his successors mandated archery practice across England, creating a pool of skilled bowmen unmatched in Europe.

The longbow’s finest hour came during the Hundred Years’ War. At Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and most famously Agincourt (1415), English longbowmen decimated French armies that relied on heavily armoured mounted knights. A trained archer could loose ten to twelve arrows per minute at ranges of over 200 metres — a rate of fire and striking power that no contemporary weapon could match. The longbow dominated European battlefields for nearly two centuries before the advent of gunpowder weapons finally rendered it obsolete.