Question regarding bandits' strategy

Let us say, we are in middle ages. I am the leader of four bandits and we try ambushing a caravan since I do know that they only have two people.

What is the best strategy to use? Assume that the caravan has two horses and both guys are good fighters who can pubstomp me and my bandits one-on-one. I am free to use any weapon, as long as it is not something like King Arthur's Excalibur, the two only can use short swords.

- One crossbow to shoot the horses, brute force afterwards.
- Two crossbows and the other three try to buy time.
- ?

Most people were unarmed so it'd be like taking land from a Polack

Just set up a light machine gun along the path they're taking. Failing that, use grenades.

don't shoot the horses, those things are expensive and you'll need them for carrying away loot.

The best thing you can do is shoot one of the two while they aren't paying attention with a crossbow, preferably twice. The rest of you should have crossbows at ready, and spears for everyone.

What kind of armor are the two guys wearing? If they are in full plate, you're kinda fucked. If they are just in chainmail or gambesons, your crossbows will do well

if you dont care, arrow them, even a wound is enough to gain a decisive advantage. possibly put obstacles on road so they cant escape
rude
high risk of spoling the goods

>Question regarding bandits' strategy...
>Asks about tactics

OP, have you decided to rob your school?

Have one of your group distract them and teleport behind them

Thanks. Unfortunately, one of them having full-plate. The other using chain mail and gambeson. Obstacles is a suggestion, too.

Sorry. My wording is poor since I am not a native speaker...
No. But I've set my school on fire.

*good suggestion.

1) Why are you using your time machine for something so mundane?

2) You have exquisite taste in women.

how the fuck is two people a caravan

1) Let us say... I am trying to ambush a caravan, right? I've said something something two guys and... Well. One is a reverse trap in full plate amour, so...
2) T-thanks.

Playing some D&D, user?

Taking out a horse with a single crossbow shot is actually harder than it might seem.

Anything short of hitting the heart, spine or brain and it won't die instantly. We have records of horses filled with arrows or even multiple musket bullets and soldiering on for minutes or more.

It would be easier to take out the guys riding the horses, especially if they don't have armor.

Four on two? Block the road and say "there are other dudes behind/to the sides", then tell them to give you some shit or you'll kill them. Chances are if your demands are low enough, they'll give in. People aren't as keen to participate in violence as they are to just pay and be on their way.

Not really but I am just trying to brainstorm.
Alright. Fair enough. I will take it into account.
Nice choice. I will take it into consideration.

there's probably some kind of trick you can do to trip up a horse.

not that you'd really want to kill or maim any horses if you have the option of taking them.

Potholes and the like might do the job but they might also end up breaking their leg effectively killing them. Tackling a horse is not easy either since they have a weight advantage of like five times your weight.

Taking out the guy riding the horse or dragging them from the saddle seems to have been the preferred tactic as far as I can tell. Exceptions do apply however.

Seems like stealing the horses would be a pain in the ass in general since they startle so easily.

My strategy would be to set up a road block near a bend in the road. When they go around the bend they meet the road block, and you move two guys into position back on the other side of the bend. You start with a bow and then if that fails try to dismount them with a polearm of some sort

Drag a log into the middle of the road, forcing the caravan to stop and remove the log.
You don't shoot the horses with arrows because horses are fucking expensive and you can use/sell them.

Depending on how many people in the caravan are busy removing the logs, you either:

A) If they are few in number, pelt them with arrows as they are moving the log, killing/injuring some, and forcing the survivors to flee.
or
B) If it's a big caravan, sneak into the wagons at the end of the group and steal as many things as you can before sneaking away.

Preferably you want to do this in the afternoon or around sunset. If you fuck up you can retreat under cover of darkness.
Rarely would you outright attack anyone traveling in a group, because nobody wants to die, and if you're the leader, the more people under your command die, the less they want you to remain as leader.

Nice suggestions. Thanks. However, would sunset be a good thing, since we do not have modern light in the forest?

Presumably you had time to plan this ambush, so you should have an idea of where to go after you get into the forest. You don't have to get very far, only 100 meters or so. The caravan wouldn't be interested in pursuing you, they have places to be and they're not responsible to apprehending criminals.

Since you outnumber them, you have an intimidation advantage. Your best bet would be to use a road block of some sort, and appear with your men. You could also cut down some trees and make make shift pikes out of them.

After the cart stops, simply ask them for some money/goods to have your men move the road block. The caravan of it has guards, most likely will have money to give you. This is more advantageous than a fight, for both parties.

If they say yes, have two men remove the barrier, if they say no, retreat while the caravan removes it. When they clear the road, attack with two men using the pikes, and two men using the swords, while you capture the cart and prevent it's retreat. The two with pikes can keep the horses at bay while you steal/capture what you like. You could preferably steal the cart out right, and kill the guards horses.

Take the cart and goods to a neighboring dutchy/county.

The real question is, how do you stop your bandits from killing each other (and you) over the loot once you've made off with it.

>stop them with a road block
>hold them up with crossbows when they dismount their horses
>disarm them, take all their personal valuables, make them clear the road block for you, then take off with the loot and leave them
gg ez

Stop the guy in the front and the guy in the back so no one can retreat easily