TW014 - Archers Firing

8 miniatures. Supplied unpainted.

Archers were relatively common during the early period, and were widely utilised. They could operate in several different roles, with varying levels of specialisation. The classic role was as a skirmisher, skipping around the battlefield pestering the slower or less agile enemy troops, or driving off the enemy's skirmishers to allow their own side a free hand. Secondly they could group together in an attempt (not always successful, it has to be said) to concentrate their shooting against vulnerable targets such as horses. The last role for the archers was to directly support the spearmen. This could be by indirect shooting from the rear ranks of the shield wall in an attempt to disrupt an advancing enemy formation, or in a more aggressive way that would see them shooting directly at the enemy from between the shields of the front rank. It is therefore possible to depict your spearmen with archers mixed into or behind the ranks.