Originally Posted by
Teknokraatti
Apani: Answering quite late and a little off-topic, but anyways. The knowledge I have is gathered from a great variety of sources, including history books, weapon reviews, metallurgic history, general interest in weapons and so on. Also sometimes educated guess based on so much facts that can be quite easily found, can be used. For example the mention of bastard sword being easier to use is based on several ideas and combinations of them. Perhaps most importantly is how the weapon would be handled and would behave. One very good technique, but challenging to pull through, is changing the direction of a strike while still expecting to land it effectively. It is quickly exhausting and even somewhat dangerous for the user to do so with a large weapon, and only gets larger when weapon grows in size and weight.
But to more present discussions. About slingshot compared to bow, I would easily say, that even a weak bow wins quite easily. Why? Because of the way the weapon is handled. In bow the energy used for shooting is stored in flexible spring-like arms, which can easily be modified to have either very low draw length or a tremendously high one. Slingshot can not use these methods. Slingshot stores the energy in materials that stretch horizontally rather than bend, which exhausts the draw material quickly or forces the slingshot to use absurdly strong materials, which could not possibly be used, like steel cable or some monstrous wire made of spider silk (Which is actually extremely strong material, as interesting as it is). A kokiri would not be able to draw such slingshot nor would the wood be able to stand the forces. I can not imagine a being roughly equal to an teenager using slingshot as a lethal weapon with long range. Maybe against birds or little mammals with distance being maximally some 30 meters.
As mentioned also before, a slingshot would not be a balanced weapon either. One fundamental problem slingshot has, is that the weapon causes a momentum against wrist, not a nearly straight force like with bows. That can only be somewhat compensated with additional accessories. Problem is, that the power caused by the draw is above the fist and pointed straight back. Thus the force gains momentum which tries to painfully turn the wrist upwards, as well as a potentially damaging shock when the shot is released. That problem does not exist with bow, because arrow is fired from the same level as the top of the wrist and as such creates very little momentum. The same problem also lowers slingshots accuracy significantly, because if draw is not straight, slingshot will turn in users hand and when released, it will "kick" forwards turning the projectile towards ground.
I would also like to comment something about wood as armor. Have you sometimes tried to cut fresh wood against the grains with axe? I have, it is surprisingly hard. Dried wood is still strong, but it is not very good armor, because armor absolutely must be quite thin to not significantly reduce flexibility and stamina. Wood is quite heavy and not very durable as dry, thin layers, so it is not wonder, that kokiri armors are not so amazing. Especially when remembering, that the kokiri are not exactly bodybuilders.
Instead the korok would be virtually immune to one-hand swords, which do not have very great momentum, and spears. It is very hard to pierce a healthy tree with, well, anything using only human strength. Axes, siege weapons, maces and similar weapons would be useful against the koroks though, when used sensibly. UndyingNephalim and you others are actually both right, but maybe not considering the wood as widely as you should.
And yet shortly to koroks military prowess: I myself think they would be very formidable. Human-sized beings virtually immune to daggers and swords, nearly tireless and very heavy. Just think being seriously hit by a log, then probably double it because of the fluids and other things that give living tree it's mass. The korok would be very powerful even against armored enemies because their attacks utilize blunt force trauma to begin with.
As before, my 5 cents. Should there be any practicers of archery, I would certainly like to hear your opinion.