Shields slung on the back

[sapi]

That certainly could be intriging, especially as byzantine guard archers are so damn good

[Bob the Insane]

With shields fixed in the leaked 1.2 patch I sure a simple test could show us...

Simply take a group of troops with shield on their backs and put them up against a unit of archers (non-AP). Test A is stand you troops facing the archers and Test B is facing away from the archers. Perform each test type a few times and see what the averages say.

If the rear shield has no effect they the casualty rate should stay the same no matter which way the troops face...

I will give it a go tonight unless someone else does it first...

[Bob the Insane]

Well some quick and dirty tests...

Archers where Scotish Highland archers..

I controlled the targets...

First target was VG and it did not seem to make any real difference which way they faced, they receveid roughly the same number of casulties...

Second target was a control one to ensure shield were having an effect. It was DFK. Facing the enemy they took around 50% casualties, facing away they were reduced to single figure numbers. So it would appear that shields have an effect.

Final target was militia Pavise crossbowmen. A little odd this one as when fire at will was switched off then the direction they faced seemed to have little impact on the casulties received from missile fire. However if I let them shoot they recieved far fewer casualties. Of course allowing them to shoot reduced the number of enemy archers which would squew the numbers. However this effect persisted twen I put the militia Pavise crossbowmen up against two units of Highland Archers. They in fact defeated the two units taking only 50% casulties...

[Miracle]

This may be a newly-found bug, Bob.

Those big pavise shields ought to provide some significant back protection even if the militia are just standing.

[PutCashIn]

Uhm, in MTW didnt pavise crossbow men use the shield in front of them, the 'staked in the ground' idea mentioned above?

When I saw the shield on the back in M2TW I thought what an excellent idea, even though all the historical paintings on the sides of church walls in europe generally seem to depict archers, both xbows and curve bows, hiding behind a wall of shields staked out in front of them.