Quote Originally Posted by Carl
Good point, although I would imagine plunging arrow fire might have been able to bypass the passive to a degree. Not that it actually matters, the Longbowmen really would have still lost. But it's an interesting idea nonetheless.
I don't know if the longbowmen would have lost... It didn't happen like that so I can't tell, but I'm sure that the pavises and dry strings would have helped a alot, as would a level field.

Plunging arrows could perhaps have been used, but the higher the arrows goes the less accuracy you get over distance and lateral movement. Try throwin a ball almost directly up as compared to throwing it at 30 degrees. At 30 degrees you are fairly accurate and you have an instinctual feeling of range and distance ect. Directly up is near impossible, they should really make an olympic disciline of throwing an opbject directly up to a certain height and then land in the same spot... A perfect 10 would be near impossible.
But anyway, plunging shots might have done the trick, though I believe the longbowmen would have sniped the crossbowmen, or at least attempted it. They would likely count the seconds from shooting to the next shot and try to hit the crossbowman as he looked out.