Did medieval archers in armies really only fire all at once like in the movies? If so, what was the benefit?

by ezract
nusensei

I have answered this question here.

In short, there may have been a single order to open a battle by shooting at once, as was the possible case with the "Nestroque" command in English armies. But beyond that, it was impractical to shoot in coordinated volleys. Each archer would choose their own targets and shoot at their own pace, the result being a constant shower of arrows rather than a single volley.