How English Longbowmen Actually Won Battles

See how the Battle of Agincourt played out in a simulation, testing whether the longbow could truly pierce heavy armor. This breakdown examines the tactical reality behind one of history's most famous engagements. By analyzing the positioning of the English army against the larger French force, we can observe how the longbow actually performed when faced with armored knights. We move past the common myths to look at the specific targeting used by archers, aiming for gaps in plate defenses rather than relying on raw penetration power. Whether you are a student of medieval history or interested in historical battle simulation, this video explains the precise conditions that led to the destruction of the French lines. We examine the math of casualty rates and the effectiveness of defensive formations when engaged at close range. Printable battle maps from this video (Agincourt step by step, Crécy, Patay): https://whop.com/sam-fdee/shield-theory-maps/ Subscribe for weekly medieval history breakdowns, and comment below on which historical battle you want to see analyzed next. CHAPTERS 0:00 Agincourt, 1415 0:23 Did arrows pierce plate armour? 0:42 Building an English army 1:15 The Mary Rose war bows 1:33 Knights on foot 1:55 The stakes and the ground 2:38 What the arrows actually did 3:29 Running Agincourt 4:39 The funnel and the crush 5:25 Crecy, 1346 5:37 Where it broke: Patay, 1429 6:13 The guns: Formigny and Castillon SOURCES Anne Curry, Agincourt: A New History (2005) and The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations Gesta Henrici Quinti (the stakes order); Jean de Waurin and Enguerrand de Monstrelet (French accounts) Andrew Ayton & Philip Preston, The Battle of Crecy, 1346 (2005) The Mary Rose Trust: Weapons of Warre - the armaments of the Mary Rose (bows, draw weights, archers' skeletons) Edward III's archery proclamation, 1363 Modern replica tests of longbow against plate armour (e.g. Tod's Workshop with Joe Gibbs, 2017) URTHER READING Anne Curry, 1415 Agincourt: A New History: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1803998318 Juliet Barker, Agincourt: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316015040 Robert Hardy, Longbow: A Social and Military History: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1803998024 John Keegan, The Face of Battle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140048979 #Agincourt #Longbow #MedievalHistory