What's with the quivers of arrows on people's/your back

Story & Setting
#1

Back quivers were very rarely (if ever) used in the middle ages, instead the arrows were often carried in a leg quiver. Reason being; if you try to run (or worse, get on a horse, the arrows would simply bounce around and put of the quiver. Historically (though perhaps not in medieval Europe) archers held (some of) their arrows in their bow hand or their string hand, being able to fire extremely rapidly.
The back quiver is more of an Olympic/target archery item where you fire your arrows whilst standing still.

Pic related:

It’s also worth bearing in mind that arrows shouldn’t be so easily recovered, medieval broadhead arrows (except for hunting arrows) were very loosely fixed to the shaft (usually with wax or spit, often just before a battle), this would be so anyone trying to pull an arrow out by the shaft would get only the shaft of the arrow, the head would be left inside, often causing a slow and painful death from infection, I’m assuming these are the “wounding arrows” sold in-game.

1 Like
#2

I have also thought this.

#3

I think because commoners would wonder why the quiver isn’t in the back…
A quiver in the back isn’t that bad with longbows, it’s perhaps a tad uncomfortable while pulling arrows out but other than that you’d have to be stationary to use it so that’s fine… but this game doesn’t have longbows with too much of a draw power.
tl:dr idk why, i think it’s for normies.

#4

I hope they implement hip quivers how ever, more practical and common during that time frame. Would also help justify the reload speed of the bow. Trying to reload with a back quiver is hell.

#5

You’re probably right though it seems.the developers have invested 90% of their combat research to swords and shields.
There aren’t even any bow specific perks in the player/combat screen. You get perks for the mace, axe and sword but the bow gets no perks; I’m not even sure if using gauntlets impacts archery.
As for the bows, the draw weight can’t be too high; during the archery tutorial (I played it more than five times to win the competition and get the hunting bow so the words are practically etched into my mind) you’re told to “draw the string back until and let it slip out of your fingers” suggesting a pinch draw so you wouldn’t be able to draw at all with metal gauntlets, even gloves would make drawing the bow more difficult. I simply grabbed my itsy-bitsy 30lb target bow and could hardly get it to full draw (I tried again and drew back as much as I could (about 2/3 draw; which is pitiful, though I’ve never practiced the pinch draw before) before the arrow released and bounced off the target, if I were doing a pinch draw with gloves or metal gauntlets with a real live “target” in armour they would probably laugh as each arrow flew about five feet ahead of me with lucky shots bouncing harmlessly off them) before the arrow slipped with a pinch draw, whereas drawing it using the much more common Mediterranean draw is simple.

I would like to see archery gear expanded and refined with gauntlets and gloves lowering your accuracy/draw power. Bucklers that go on the wrist would be one nice addition so you can use a “shield” with your bow. As for gauntlets and gloves, they are bound to have had fingerless gauntlets for the wealthy archer, right?

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#6

A small Cuman shield on the arm while using a Cuman bow would be neat, as for the malus while drawing a bow with gauntlets, I pray that won’t happen, archery is already quite hard as it is and for the perks, there is a mod that adds perks for all un-perked combat skills just for pc masterrace.

#7

there are plenty of medieval images showing quivers on the belt as well as on the back even in the same image.

#8

Quivers on the back are by no mean wrong, just unpractical, if you run the arrows will bounce out or bounce around, plus taking an arrow requires more time etc so it’s mostly used on precise/long shots, it’s doable and very viable, just not practical in mid-close range combat.

#9

What’s the name of this mod?
Are the archery perks good?

Also, I would like to see archery made harder with gauntlets but have archer’s shields and special gauntlets for archers with leather fingerpads or the fingers (and thumb) left bare whilst covering and protecting the hand or gauntlets with built in thumb rings, as a release aid.

More exotic items like overdraws would be interesting but it seems that they were historically limited to east Asia.

#10

The middle mods are for “realism” last is for help, first is for perks, perks and bonuses are in the description.





#11

as a Bayeux Tapestry images was used in the OP post, here is the same archer with the other archers.

#12

Well I know what I’ll be installing next time I save my game.
An archery perk called Hawkeye or Tunnel Vision which causes you to zoom in as you draw the bow (not by a huge amount, definitely no more than 2x) for longer shots would be useful.

#13

bucklers… dont go on the wrist…
maybe you’re thinking of a targe or something small and with a strap grip?

#14

Looking at how the archer with the back quiver is dressed compared to the other archers it’s possible that he may be a noble. His bow seems to be of a lighter, finer design too.

Do you know what part of the tapestry this is from/what it relates to specifically? Is it showing a battle or just different archers?

I was wrong about a buckler being wrist mounted, I meant a bracer.
Only question is; are they historically accurate?

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