I hadn’t even considered the possibility of my character using a bow as his primary weapon until a friend of mine invited me to a small, local, medieval LARP. I was offered to play an archer for the first time and I accepted.
After two incredibly sweaty hours of archery, I was sold.
I loved the versatility of playing an archer, first I was in the back-lines trying to hit targets from long-range, the next moment I had to draw my sword to protect myself from ambushing rogues.
To scout the battlefield from yonder, looking for targets to kill or allies to assist was more of a thrill than I had expected.
Archery exists in LARPs and can be quite effective if used strategically. Archers are equipped with a crossbow or a regular bow and use foam-tip arrows that deal no real damage to their enemies.
Archery Tag uses the same foam-tipped boffer arrows. You can craft your own set of LARP arrows or buy them online.
The bow and crossbow are not the only long-range weapons that you’ll encounter on the battlefield.
Some LARPs use nerf guns, throwing knives, shurikens and bean bags!
While mostly used in military simulations, some LARPs allow the use of airsoft too.
Preparing for LARP archery
There are a few alternative weapons of choice for the long-range LARPer. The long-range weapons work great against enemies that don’t wear shields. Some shield-bearing players will have no problem parrying arrows while dual wielding players or those bearing a polearm will struggle to survive an archers bombardment,
Generally, a skilled archer is a great asset to have in your team. The more players there are on the battlefield, the more effective the archer becomes.
Why?
Because more players will raise more distractions for the target. Distracted targets are easy kills for archers. In addition to that, a large mass will offer more hiding for the archer. When there’s so much focus on the battlefield’s core, the archer can hide in the background and pick the opponents one by one.
Using a bow in LARP
Here’s a video from Bicolline, a Canadian LARP near Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc. The estimated number of visitors for their largest event is about 3000.
Each game system has their own set of rules when it comes to using a bow so I’ll have to speak generally.
- The draw weight of the bow should not exceed 35lbs. Most LARPs limit the draw weight to 25lbs.
The draw weight of the bow is the amount of force required for you to draw the string back to firing position. The more force needed to fire the projectile the faster it will travel and as an end result, the impact will be harder.
By restricting the draw weight to 25-35lbs, organizers can make sure that arrows don’t cause any direct damage. With that said, an arrow to the groin will keep you grounded for a while, even at 25lbs.
The draw weight by itself doesn’t mean too much, but in combination with the draw length you get inch-poundage. Let me explain.
The draw length of the bow is the distance between the string and the arrow rest when the bow is fully drawn. If the distance increases, the draw weight of that bow increase. Therefore, we need to know that the bow has a draw weight of 30lbs at standard draw length. The standard draw length for the recurve bow is 28″.
Let’s say your bow requires a draw weight of 30lbs at an early stage of the draw, around 22″. When the draw reaches 28″ the draw weight will be way more than 30lbs, making the bow more powerful than most LARPs allow.
Essentially, this is a safety measure for organizers.
- Headshots are OK sometimes, sometimes not
Some systems allow the archer to aim for the head while others don’t. To avoid accidental headshots entirely is hard when you’re shooting at a moving target. However, at close range, it is recommended and sometimes required that the archer doesn’t draw his bow full length prior to firing to reduce the force of the projectile.
My experience is that headshots are OK as long as you are x meters away from the target.
- Try to avoid the groin
Not much to say here.
- Tests your arrows before a game. Always
Test your arrows before attending a LARP to make sure they are safe for use. Arrows that have been damaged previously will break easily. We don’t want that for many reasons, the primary being splinters. If an arrow breaks on impact it can send splinters flying around it, these splinters could, potentially, hit someone in the eye.
- Use a recurve bow, not a compound bow
Compound bows are more complex bows. By levering cables and pulleys the compound bow can offer the user mechanical advantages, resulting in a more powerful, precise shot with less effort.
The recurve bow is drawn back to firing position and then releases that same amount of energy when fired, the more you draw, the faster it will shoot. There are no other mechanics that enhance the recurve bow.
In my experience, compound bows are not used as frequently as recurve bows in LARP. This might not always be the case. However, I would not buy a compound bow for LARP.
- Your bow should fit the period
Well, you’re LARPing. Of course, you’ll want your weapon to fit the time period of the event. For bowmen, this usually isn’t a problem because there’s a wide array of choices. The crossbow provides fewer alternatives.
- Use padded arrows
I’ve written an article on how to make LARP arrows safely. I’ve stopped crafting my own arrows these days, instead, I spend a little bit of money to get high-quality manufactured arrows.
If you don’t have the energy to craft your own, I would consider getting these. It’s the ones I’m using and they are perfectly suited for LARPs.
- Arrows will bounce
Be cautious of the surroundings of your target. An arrow may cart-wheel or ricochet when it hits a shield. To prevent this from happening, avoid firing fully drawn when shooting at shields.
Crossbows in LARP
The crossbow, a horizontal bow originating from ancient China that required much less skill than the regular bow to maneuver. The physical strength and operational skill set that an archer needed to master the regular bow were way above the requirements of the crossbow, making it easier for armies to prepare their bowmen.
This, in addition to the cheap manufacturing costs of the crossbow, made it possible for untrained soldiers to arm themselves with the crossbow. When you break it down, the crossbow and the regular bow use the same principle – the frame used for the crossbow holds the force, making it easier for the archer to focus on aiming instead of holding.
Crossbows are popular in LARPs and reenactments but tend to come second to the bow. By introducing more long-range combat in LARPs, the use of the crossbow would surely increase.
For a total beginner, a crossbow is easier to handle than a bow. However, crossbows do not have a uniform draw length – and changing the draw length is a complicated procedure. Because the crossbow doesn’t have a set draw length it requires a bit of thought to calculate the power of your crossbow.
An explanation on the poundage of the crossbow from Reddit:
“Examples: Also of note is “power-stroke.” That’s the distance between the string at rest and the string at full draw. You multiply power-stroke distance x the poundage at full draw, and that’s the inch-pounds.
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Long Bow. Draws 24″ from rest, and measures 35#. Inch-pounds = 840ip
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Pistol Crossbow. Draws 8″, and measures at 70#. Inch-pounds = 560ip
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Full sized crossbow. Draws 14″, measures 55#. Inch-pounds = 770ip.
So you can see how crossbows with what appears to be drastically higher poundage actually have less power than a bow with a lower poundage (because it draws back much further).”
This can make it complicated to bring a crossbow to a LARP unless you can show game masters your own calculations or have them test the crossbow before the event. The game might not allow crossbows because of this misconception.
With a bit of persuasiveness, you might just get that crossbow out on the field. Keep in mind that there are many LARPs that allow the use of crossbows too.
How effective is archery in LARP?
It depends on the size and system your LARP runs. With the right system and a larger amount of attendants, archery can be pretty brutal. However, playing an archer in a smaller LARP with lots of single combat will most likely be inferior to melee weapons.
But then again, I’m speaking generally. This is not always the case for archery in LARP.
In single combat, you’ve got an advantage as long as you can outrun your opponent or tactically use the terrain. As most LARPs have a minimum distance requirement between the archer and his target – many foes will try to rush the archer to prevent him from using his bow. This doesn’t happen nearly as much in bigger LARPs.
When grouped up, the archer can offer protective, distracting and offensive fire to assist his allies while they stop foes from rushing him. The frontline will most likely consist of tougher heavy armor kind of classes while the archer will hide in the back.
Some systems have special calls for arrow hits, I.E taking an arrow to the knee will render that leg useless for 10 seconds. This makes it much easier for archers to “kite” their opponents. In other systems, the bow will kill anyone not wearing heavy armor with 1 hit to the torso.
But, there are systems where the bow does very little damage and requires a couple of hits to kill the opponent.
You should definitely try roleplaying an archer in a LARP. Just make sure the system doesn’t penalize archers too hard and you’ll have a really good time.
Picking a quiver for your LARP arrows
You’ll need to stash your padded arrows somewhere. Some people prefer the hip, others prefer to keep the quiver on their back.
I’ve tried both and came to the conclusion that I prefer the back because it allows me to move without dropping all my arrows. With the quiver on my hip, it restricts me from jumping and running. Roaming is essential for archers in smaller LARPs where you’ll be confronted regularly. Try both and see what you like best.
Generally, LARP arrows are stored with their heads out, as they are gigantic. In addition, the quivers are usually a bit bigger too. I would estimate that most quivers can hold between 5-10 arrows.
When it comes to time period and style, the same principles apply to the quiver – don’t bend over backward to find something that fits but try your best.
Here’s a great recommendation for a quiver. It looks awesome and holds up to 10 LARP arrows plus minor essentials in the small department on the back.
The cost of larping an archer
If I was guiding myself through the early stages of archery in LARP, I would recommend getting an affordable alternative at first.
What’s affordable?
You can get everything you need for less than a hundred bucks but I wouldn’t recommend getting the cheapest of the cheap for LARP archery. While most weapons are made of latex and foam, LARP arrows are usually made of fiberglass with foam-padded tips.
There’s less risk involved in low-quality latex weapons like swords or axes in comparison to low-quality arrows. Besides the risk of hurting someone, the cheaper arrows will most likely break or take damage way before the high-quality ones.
In the end, being cheap won’t save you money.
My recommendations? The gear I’ve got cost me just under 200$ and I’ve got really good arrows, a good-looking and durable bow paired with a spacious quiver. There are way more expensive items for the archer who doesn’t mind spending money, but that ain’t me.
In my opinion, around 200 bucks should cover everything.
- Weapon – I would spend around 70-120$ for a high-quality fiberglass bow.
- Arrows – Around 45-60$ for 6 homemade arrows and 60-80$ for 6 top-quality LARP arrows.
- Quiver – You can make your own quiver at home for next to nothing. However, if you value design and quality – somewhere between 15-40$.
That’s a pretty reasonable price for good equipment. Crafting your own gear at home might sound like it would save you a lot of money, that isn’t always the case though. Time is money and some parts take substantially more time to make than you’d think.
If you decide to make your own arrows, make sure they pass the pre-game test by really focusing on making them as safe as possible. If they don’t pass the test you will not be allowed to use them.
Most online-guides on how to make arrows tend to make good arrows that pass the tests.
Buying a bow
When looking for a bow for LARP there are, as you know by now, specific requirements.
This is what we want
- Draw weight of 25-35lbs.
- Recurve Bow
- Preferably fiberglass
- Top/high-quality material
- Bonus: Lightweight bow
What bow should I buy?
This fiberglass bow has a draw weight of 25lbs. The string is made of Dyneema (If you didn’t know – Dyneema is a super strong fiber that is amazingly lightweight). The handle is very comfortable and works great for both right-handed and left-handed archers.
The bow itself is impressively strong and lightweight, making it perfect for archery in LARPs and Archery Tag. It’s a great bow that feels good in hand for a very reasonable price.