A question to everyone who knows anything about medieval warfare/soldier setups

What kind of setup would a normal foot soldier use?

I'm not a 100% sure, but i made a build trying to base it on something similar which, if you wish for something looking medieval, might interest you. I however, do not have the build with me, but i've memorized the equipment so i'll post it for ya in a while.

http://tinyurl.com/8atsfxr

Here goes:

http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?c=4912614507158699

The pike could be replaced by an halberd as well. In fact i believe it might be more fitting, correct me if i'm not wrong.

As for the shield, for my build i use the silver knight shield, but i believe the shield used now might be more fitting than the SKS as it does not seem the regular kind of shield blacksmiths would make. Hope i helped you out.

Forgot about the tower kite shield, but you get the idea.

[quote="Mr. Tart"]I'm not a 100% sure, but i made a build trying to base it on something similar which, if you wish for something looking medieval, might interest you. I however, do not have the build with me, but i've memorized the equipment so i'll post it for ya in a while.[/quote

I want to make a build that looks like it came right off a medieval battlefield. And you don't need have a build. I just want to know what weapons they would use, and in what way/order they would use them.

What kind of foot soldier do you have in mind? I mean, you have everything from Genoese Crossbowmen to Swiss Pikemen. There wasn't one universal footsoldier in medieval Europe.

Rarayn wrote:What kind of foot soldier do you have in mind? I mean, you have everything from Genoese Crossbowmen to Swiss Pikemen. There wasn't one universal footsoldier in medieval Europe.

Doesn't matter. I want it to be a melee build though, but it can have ranged options.
I want to know the differences between them, and the weapons they use. A universal/stereotypical soldier is not what i want.

Well, you have the equipment posted so it's all good, right?

Rarayn has a good point though. Depending on what you want it would be easier. However(directed towards Rarayn) i would assume he is interested in whatever there is, so that it wouldn't matter.
Do keep in mind that if you wish to make one, you can use crossbows, halberds and spears. While bows, i'm not sure if they were commonly used by most foot soldiers, but point being, as long as you keep it realistic it's not too hard making one.

@billy
I know they used chain armor, but as far as i know it would always be hidden behind some kind of cloth or armor, so is that really a good choice of an equipment?

Edit: I might keep posting here often if you don't mind. Whenever i come up with something atleast.

In that case, may I recommend modelling your build on a German Landsknecht? They, along with Swiss Pikemen were pretty much the universal mercenaries in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. If you scroll down a bit, their wiki page details the weapons they used, many of which can be found in Dark Souls. (Even the Zweihander. They're the ones who made it famous)

http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?c=4816643558640654

http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?c=3149971783327829

Edit: http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?c=2877860371769626

Would this be a believable build?

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong. But it certainly looks believable, you could however go with the red/white wooden shield to fit with Solaires piece of armor as the colors are *kind of* alike, as to represent ''your'' kingdom. Which was (correct me if i'm wrong) rather common. As for the crossbow, the most realistic would probably be to use it in the right hand so you can twohand it for the realistic looks and remove that sword of yours. Other than that (correct me if i'm wrong) it looks good. I do believe however that the chain/cleric helmet would enchance the realistic feel.

I am as said, no expert on the armors used through history, but i know some of them. So, hopefully, all i've said and posted is more or less right or perhaps even flawless!

Pretty much the warrior set is a good example of the gear. Most normal soldiers didn't have much plate armor. Usually they covered their head with a helm but that was about it. Unless you are looking for a knight.

I know the idea behind the warrior set is good. But does it really represent as much as the idea itself of how a foot soldier would look like? i know for one thing atleast part of Solaires set gives what you described. Not too much heavy armor, though chain armor below, and covered with clothed shirt above. Though those green things(leaves?) on the shoulders are kind of out of place.

Is the chain armor believable?

The Warrior Set always looked more like scavenged Roman armour to me. It does have some relevant elements though. The problem with Solaire's set is that he's dressed as a knight or heavy infantry. That's pretty much how knights used to dress until advances in ranged weaponry made regular chainmail obsolete for knights.


Anyway, I gave it a try:
http://tinyurl.com/93tntg8

Since you put a halberd as your primary weapon, I am guessing that your character is primarily a Halberdier. If that's the case, he should two-hand the halberd when using it, and switch to a shortsword and buckler in hand-to-hand combat.

Hard Leather can be substituted with other types of leather armour if you don't like how this looks.

Solaire's armor is based off the soldiers and knights of the third crusade.

The Warrior set is a good idea. But perhaps replace the helm with chain mail. It really depends on the area you want the person to come from in regards to how much chain mail they are wearing. Because some groups covered it with leather while others just wore the chain mail.
EDIT: Yeah Rar that's a pretty good set up. The Halberd maybe. More commonly a spear would be used with a back up short sword. But that comes down to the most commonly used weapon versus a weapon that could just as easily be used.

Tolvo is right infantry usually opted for light armour either because they had to supply it themselves (in the form of militias) or because they were rank and file and arming men was expensive and generally not worth it.

He is also right about the armor bit as well as Armour was not easily available by commoners (who I imagine would have composed ranks and files) and thus was only really applied to key/ vital areas/

The Landskentch would have been my first option of medieval soldier simly because they are the inspiration ofr Warhammer Greatswords....

Swiss Guard are also famous.

Other than that you have to remember that medieval warfare was all about attrition. Battering rank and file against one another until one side was done or outmanoeuvred.

Even renaissance warfare was this way, if not more so, with the Pike and Musket becoming the primary weapons of the period.

So polearms work the best followed by straight blades....though most swords are shorter than we woul imagine them to be....so BSS and SKS would be kinda out of place....

Cataphracts: Although these were an arabian cavalry force you could make a build similar to them.

http://tinyurl.com/8bjk3k4

They were a very heavy cavalry force - the primary weapons they used were Morning Stars, Pikes and Bows (their war horses were covered in chain mail).
If on xbox though I know you're not I would switch the Cleric helm to the Elite Cleric to symbolise their helms defence against the sand that they would battle on.

Thanks everyone. You've been very helpful

Tolvo wrote:Yeah Rar that's a pretty good set up. The Halberd maybe. More commonly
a spear would be used with a back up short sword. But that comes down
to the most commonly used weapon versus a weapon that could just as
easily be used.

I would normally have gone with either a Spear, Winged Spear, Pike or perhaps even a Partizan, but it seemed he wanted to wield a halberd, so I left it in.

TehInfamousAmos wrote:Cataphracts: Although these were an arabian cavalry force you could make a build similar to them.

http://tinyurl.com/8bjk3k4

They
were a very heavy cavalry force - the primary weapons they used were
Morning Stars, Pikes and Bows (their war horses were covered in chain
mail).
If on xbox though I know you're not I would switch the Cleric
helm to the Elite Cleric to symbolise their helms defence against the
sand that they would battle on.

As awesome as the Cataprachts
were, I feel that I should point out that they were heavy cavalry. Not
exactly the guys you'd normally bring in as footsoldiers for your army.

Spurgun wrote:Thanks everyone. You've been very helpful

Glad I could be of assistance.

Rarayn wrote:

Tolvo wrote:Yeah Rar that's a pretty good set up. The Halberd maybe. More commonly
a spear would be used with a back up short sword. But that comes down
to the most commonly used weapon versus a weapon that could just as
easily be used.

I would normally have gone with either a Spear, Winged Spear, Pike or perhaps even a Partizan, but it seemed he wanted to wield a halberd, so I left it in.

TehInfamousAmos wrote:Cataphracts: Although these were an arabian cavalry force you could make a build similar to them.

http://tinyurl.com/8bjk3k4

They
were a very heavy cavalry force - the primary weapons they used were
Morning Stars, Pikes and Bows (their war horses were covered in chain
mail).
If on xbox though I know you're not I would switch the Cleric
helm to the Elite Cleric to symbolise their helms defence against the
sand that they would battle on.

As awesome as the Cataprachts
were, I feel that I should point out that they were heavy cavalry. Not
exactly the guys you'd normally bring in as footsoldiers for your army.

Spurgun wrote:Thanks everyone. You've been very helpful

Glad I could be of assistance.

Indeed, hence why I stated they were a heavy cavalry force haha - though take a look at Surena of Parthia at the Battle of Carrhae. They were a staple there along with parthian horse archers

TehInfamousAmos wrote:

Rarayn wrote:

Tolvo wrote:Yeah Rar that's a pretty good set up. The Halberd maybe. More commonly
a spear would be used with a back up short sword. But that comes down
to the most commonly used weapon versus a weapon that could just as
easily be used.

I would normally have gone with either a Spear, Winged Spear, Pike or perhaps even a Partizan, but it seemed he wanted to wield a halberd, so I left it in.

TehInfamousAmos wrote:Cataphracts: Although these were an arabian cavalry force you could make a build similar to them.

http://tinyurl.com/8bjk3k4

They
were a very heavy cavalry force - the primary weapons they used were
Morning Stars, Pikes and Bows (their war horses were covered in chain
mail).
If on xbox though I know you're not I would switch the Cleric
helm to the Elite Cleric to symbolise their helms defence against the
sand that they would battle on.

As awesome as the Cataprachts
were, I feel that I should point out that they were heavy cavalry. Not
exactly the guys you'd normally bring in as footsoldiers for your army.

Spurgun wrote:Thanks everyone. You've been very helpful

Glad I could be of assistance.

Indeed, hence why I stated they were a heavy cavalry force haha - though take a look at Surena of Parthia at the Battle of Carrhae. They were a staple there along with parthian horse archers

Yes, I noticed, but the OP wanted medieval European foot soldiers, so I thought Cataprachts were kind of an odd suggestion to post.

Perhaps we should see a revival of this thread?

https://soulswiki.forumotion.com/t11379-hema-historical-european-martial-arts

I hope that someone could revive that thread. But i can't do it since i don't know anything about such things.