Danish Archer Shows Characters Like Hawkeye and Legolas Might Be Realistic After All

Sooner or later someone at your gaming table is going to roll his eyes and talk about realism. He might hold forth at some length about how a longsword should easily be able to cleave through lighter armor, or how it's just so ridiculous that a character can reload a flintlock in less than six seconds. Almost nowhere are you going to get more complaints than you are with archers though, particularly when you start firing six arrows or more in a few bare seconds.

Yet no one ever calls bullshit on magic bows...

Sure, sure, we get it; a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required to play any RPG. Seriously though we all know that archers were long-distance marksmen who took forever to draw an arrow, nock it in place, aim and fire. Hell, they were lucky to get off one arrow in the time our fantasy heroes can fire three or four.

Weren't they?

Well maybe not. Lars Andersen, a mostly self-taught Danish archer, has spent the past decade of his life researching old manuscripts and training himself in what he feels are more historically accurate methods of archery. What does that look like? Well... take a look for yourself.

If that doesn't make you want to play an archer at least as much as watching The Lord of The Rings, well maybe you should watch the clip again. Just to be safe.

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