Volley (Civ6)/Civilopedia

Volley fire, which saved those Redcoats more than once, dates back long before muskets; it was used by formations of archers in ancient civilizations to fire a bunch of arrows simultaneously on command, making up for the inaccuracy, slow rate of fire, and limited range of primitive bows. After the first release, usually fire was either done by ranks – as at Agincourt where English longbowmen slaughtered the French knights – or "at will." Given that most of the militia armies until the 1600s were untrained peasants, the tactic worked fairly well against equally untrained charging militia. When the musket appeared on the European battlefield, the tactic was adopted, likely first by Maurice of Nassau in 1594.