I am going to have to disagree with Icel on many of his points. For one, I do not believe that William's archers played that big of a role. Sure, it was an arrow that had killed Harold, but that was well after the line was already broken by the feigned retreat. William' archers did little because of the saxon shield wall. Also, since the Saxons lacked archers in any sufficient force (or none what so ever), the Norman Archers were un able to reuse arrows vollied at them. Thusly, strictly limiting their ability to hold the presure, which was futile any way.

The Feigned Retreat was what broke the shield wall, opening the saxon host up for a calvery charge, and a renewed volly of arrows and javalins. So in reality, the archers were of little use until late in the battle, after the wall had been broken, when Harold was killed.