And to think that this actually pales in comparison to what their ancestors were capable of. No wonder the peoples of the Eurasian Steppe terrified the armies and people of Western Europe, time and time again – the Scythians, the Huns the Mongols and others.
Now imagine that rate of fire (or faster), with 100+ lb bows, while on horseback at full speed, swarming like deadly bees in no strict, regimented fashion as the Western Europeans adhered to, and then multiply that by 10,000 and sometimes many, many more. The coupling of the finest horsemanship known at the time, combined with the finest archers on the planet, produced armies that were unbeatable. It wasn’t until the widespread use of gunpowder that more effective armies existed.
I would highly recommend the recent 4-part Hardcore History series on the Mongols for anyone interested (and an earlier episode called “Steppe Stories.”
