Interesting. I did wonder about the Cretan bows.

Quote Originally Posted by Arjos View Post
So in a way Krete was the westernmost hub of eastern archery tech, with a ready to take mercenary pool; had some talks whether their fame was mostly related to their melee capabilities, giving them a plus over any regular western psiloi, or actual ballistic...
There is a factor other than bow-technology or melee skill that could explain the reputation of Cretan archers: aggression and tactical skill. For example: Napoleon's light infantry didn't use special muskets or engage in close-combat fighting more often than other skirmishers, but they were very effective. This was the result of aggressive deployment and good leadership; I read that their marksmanship skills were actually poor.

Also, the TW games restrict the fighting to large-scale battles, but especially light troops would spend most of their time patrolling, skirmishing or raiding. Better bows or more accurate rifles won't make a great difference in these situations, since the enemy will often get too close for them to matter. Aggression and clever deployment are the deciding factors here.

This cannot be properly simulated on the TW engine, though.