Nomads at heart, Mongols fought on horseback whenever they could. The horse’s own impressive
power was recognized, and the horse was often considered a weapon in and of itself. Naturally, many Mongol weapons are designed for riding. Their swords were curved sabers, easy to handle both on horseback and on foot. Lances, maces, and daggers were also commonly used. Some Mongols used gunpowder as explosive bombs and grenades.
The most common long-distance weapon was the composite bow, a small but sturdy weapon that had twice the range of the English longbow. They used several types of arrows depending on the situation: Some were ideal for piercing, while others were iron-headed and could fly particularly long distances. They even had Hawkeye-like trick arrows. The most famous was the whistle arrow, a hollow arrow that made a loud whistling sound when it was fired. It was handy for scaring the enemy, but even handier for signaling: Mongol hordes were huge, noisy things where shouted commands were hard to hear (especially during a charge), so commanders would fire these arrows as signals for the troops. Fire arrows were also used, as were scare-tactic trap arrows that caused terrifying wounds, leaving the enemy wailing on the battlefield. Armor wasn’t used until the latter stages of the Mongol era. Instead of the chain mail most armies used, Mongols preferred light leather armor that was made by soaking horse skin in urine. They also armored the horses.
