What do you know about weapons from the 470s to the 1450s? Do you have any favorite weapons from this time period? If you have a story set during the 470s to the 1450s, what weapons do you have in your story?

Do you have any questions about weapons from the 470s to the 1450s that someone on the forum might be able to answer?

A better question would be if I had any weapons from that period I didn't love.

I love maces, flails, pikes, the different swords, axes, halberds, longbows, crossbows, catapults, trebuchets, etc...

I hope to put a lot of them into fantasy, but I don't have any HF plans so I won't be writing about them in an HF setting.

I do have one question though: Is there anyone on here that knows a lot about pikes? I've only seen references to them a few times and I'm interested at any information you guys might have.

Are there any you don't love?


Nice. What's your favorite type of sword from this time period?

Not that I've come across.


Actually, I'm not sure. Just because I love the different types of weapons, doesn't mean I'm well-versed on them.

*chuckles* Some sort of timeline of all the weapons and when they developed would be a really really cool thing to have *thinks of making this*

Pikes are long weapons used to repel mounted assaults against infantry, as well as the primary weapon for Greek phalanxes.

Be sure to post it here if you do.

*nods* Makes sense. Were there any other nations that used them a lot? Are there any famous battles or stratagems that are famous because of the use of pikes?

The Swiss had good pike-men who were mercenaries, and they guarded the Pope.

Alexander the Great's armies used them, but I forget when that was.

Cool.

Mid 300 BC.

What about Asian countries?

The weapons of European nations during the middle ages are fairly popular, but do you know what kind of weapons were popular in places like Japan, China and Korea? (I don't. which is why I'm asking. )

Japan still lived in the feudal past, so they still used longbows, spear-like weapons, and other Samurai weapons.

I second Willow's question; if anyone can furnish info about that area, it'd be welcome

Andrew

In Japan, somewhere around the 12th or 13th century, the Katana was developed and thus arose the 'Samurai.' It would be interesting to see the history of the Katana in depth though.

Yes, it would.

Here, I found a site with some interesting facts about medieval weapons. http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-weapons.htm

Thank you for the link, Lassie! I haven't read all of it yet, but it seems like a good site for resources.

Ooh, ya'lls asked about katanas. I love this forum already.

The katana is probably the supreme cutting sword anywhere. Samurai carried it with a slightly shorter sword called the wakisashi (Don't quote me on the spelling). Both swords together were called a daisho, and two swords is the mark of a samurai. The Japanese version of the two handed sword is called a nodachi, anything else about that I don't know. What I like best though is the warrior behind the sword. They have the art of war down to a science to the point that they have the sword sheathed blade up so they can start out the fight with a slash at the opponent.

Wow, fascinating! Sounds rather dangerous!

I'm new here, and honestly haven't a clue of what I'm doing, or how to do it. But the above question intrigues me. Has anyone here heard of the battle tactics William Wallace used with Pikes? It was amazing what he did with them.

Welcome, Lady Ellen!

I have not heard of the battle tactics William Wallace used. It sounds fascinating.

Thanks for the welcome Lady Katharina.

The main thing that Wallace did with the pikes, was to have the foremost rank of his men hold their shields in front of them, with their pikes pointing almost straight out between the shields, and the pole/handle of the pike would be planted in the ground for greater resistance. Then the next rank would put their pikes on top of the shields of the foremost rank, and then their own shields on top of that. On to the third rank.
So, he had three rows of men making a wall with their shields, and sticking their pikes through the spaces between the shields. Which formed a sort of wall that the enemy couldn't penetrate.
It was very effective, because the men behind the shields wouldn't suffer injury, but the pikes were at three different levels, which would be effective against footmen, and cavalry.

That's an interesting tactic. Did it originate with him?


Welcome! You're doing well.

Thanks.

I believe the battle tactic with the pikes may have originated with the Romans... but am not certain, as I have not studied that. But I understand it that Wallace perfected it, and used it most effectively.

That is fascinating! And very smart of Wallace to think of that. I'm sure it saved a lot of his men's lives.

That it did! In all the battles he fought, over the course of 9? years, less lives were lost, on both sides, than were lost in one day at the battle of Dunbar.

Wow! That is amazing!

That's amazing! I'd never heard of it prior to this. Thanks for sharing, Lady Ellen!

It is amazing. That's why I like the history of Wallace so much. He was a godly man, and it's obvious the God fought his battles for him

William Wallace is a personal hero of mine, I love reading about him. And in all my reading I never came in contact with that fact about Dunbar. Wow! Talk about awesome. And it's always nice to really like a historical character that was obviously a tool for God.
About pikes, I think the people who started using them effectively were the Hellenes (Greeks), with their phalanxes. Philip of Macedonia probably was the guy who really woke the world up to the use of the pikes with the creation of a phalanx that was awesome for attack, but if said phalanx got hit on the flank, they're dead. The Romans saw that idea, perfected it, and next thing you know there's a Roman Empire. That's about all I know.

Yes, reading about people God used so mightily is great fun, and encourages us in our walk with Him
I don't know much of anything about battle tactics. Nor do I know where they started. But I do know Wallace used some great ones.