piercing arrows dont actually pierce armor

[Erenussocrates]

^

[CloudSeeker]

Which bow do you have? How much do you draw it? How far away are you?

In reality archers didn't use bows and crossbows for long ranged combat. The further away the target is, the less the arrow will penetrate. Archers actually shot their arrows to more close range distances as it is only then a arrow can penetrate armor.
Plate Armor is actually extremely hard to take down. Knights stopped using shields because of Armor being so good that it was not needed to have a shield anymore.

[Erenussocrates]

yew longbow, some people say that but there is no opposite force in the way arrow is travelling, other than air friction, which would pose a dramatically meaningless impact on the penetrative force of the arrow, considering it's aerodynamic shape too. There is gravity, which again only affects the arrow's force on y dimension and has nothing to do with it's penetrative force.

[two2ahorse]

Better piercing arrows and better long distance arrows work pretty well depending on the situation. (Henry has taken down many a bandit knight from a good distance away using better long distance arrows). He's also found using arrows against the armored legs of bandit knights is very effective at slowing them down and given him more opportunity to finish them off using either 'better' arrow - though the wounded knights often 'yield' when bristling with arrows to their legs.

[Teralitha]

They have to be direct hits. Any shot that is even slightly glancing will just bounce off the plate armor. You cant just spray and pray in this game, you need to actually aim, and Henry needs actual skill too.