Strengths & Weaknesses of English Longbow

Question 1

What are some strengths of the English longbow?

Answer 1

• long distance (300 yds.) vs. French (200 yds.) crossbows
• could remove string to keep it dry
• no mechanical components = easy maintenance + not much can go wrong
• rapid rate of fire (around 1 arrow every 5 sec.)
• broadhead could hit humans
• bodkin could penetrate armor (pierces plate armor at a close range)
• volleys of arrow were extremely effective
• easy to learn the basics
• relatively cheap weapon (all English men had to learn to shoot and practice shooting the longbow)

Question 2

What are some weaknesses of the English longbow?

Answer 2

• decelerates quickly (shots from far away have less power)
• only effective vs. heavy armor at a close range (crossbow bolts pierce armor better than arrows)
• cant be wet (bow looses power, string doesn’t work well)
• can’t penetrate armor unless close distance
• glancing shots cause limited damage
• takes time to master (crossbow much easier to be accurate without much training)