Thanks again Lego for your guide and for your encouragement and suggestions to me in your PMs.
also (and this was HUGE!!), while not ‘always’ true, splitting arrows works far better on an EAST-WEST plane than a NORTH-SOUTH. arrange yourself accordingly!!!!
You observations about splitting arrows are correct. I'd like to add a bit more detail which can lead to the application of various tactics.
1. When firing splitting arrows in an east-west orientation the arrows will tend to be parallel to one another and tightly packed. Therefore more arrows tend to hit the same target resulting in more physical damage per target struck.
2. When firing splitting arrows in a north-south orientation the arrows tend to fan out with fewer arrows striking the same target. Therefore each target struck receives less physical damage for each target struck.
Now if there's a high probability of killing a monster with only one arrow, and if there are multiple such monsters in the area, then it is more advantageous to fire splitting arrows in a north-south orientation. A good example of this type of situation would be if you are using the poisoned weapon skill fighting a large group of orcs. In this scenario the amount of physical damage done to each orc is irrelevant; it is the poison damage which kills the orcs with only one arrow apiece.
In summary if you want to hit a large number of monsters with one arrow apiece fire in a north-south orientation. If you want to direct all the physical damage at a single monster or two fire in an east-west orientation.
Cleglaw
