Weapons
Knights and soldiers used a wide variety of weapons to fight their foes, whether it be in war, tournaments or dueling.
Longsword
This common weapon was extremely versatile and was commonly used by knights and foot soldiers alike. They were expensive to make but certainly changed the shape of medieval battlefields across Europe. Although they required great skill and proficiency, they were one of the best weapons to have on the battlefield. So soldiers trained for many years to be able to utilize the full potential of the longsword. |
Polearm
These simple but smartly designed weapons were probably the most used weapons on the medieval battlefields and in ancient times as well. A simple wooden shaft with a metal head, the polearm was wielded by foot soldiers and probably killed the most foes from the prehistoric times to the medieval era, than any other weapon. |
Mace
The mace was so heavy a single blow could crush a mans helmeted skull. This top-heavy weapon was mostly used on horseback because the height of the horse and the shortness of the handle allowed for the perfect aim to the head, and the speed of the charging horse would enable the knight to deal fatal blows with ease. |
SIEGE ENGINES
During a medieval siege, the defenders could expect one of these to turn up at their doorstep, ready to smash through their castle's walls and kill many of their men! The siege engines were the most powerful weapon on the battlefields!
Medieval Siege engines
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Mangonel
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Ballista
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Trebuchet
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The mangonel was a powerful siege weapon powered by a single, horizontal, twisted rope. It could fire a rock at a wall so hard it could smash a hole so big in it that a man could climb through it.
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The ballista was a anti-personnel weapon that resembled a giant crossbow. It could be fired so accurately it could kill a man hiding behind the battlements of the defending castle.
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The trebuchet was a powerful weapon that launched huge stones using a massive counterweight. It fired the projectiles with a fairly arced trajectory so as to destroy structures inside a castles walls.
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Armour
The armour used by medieval soldiers varied largely, from plate mail to leather.
Chain mail
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Plate mail
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Chain mail was a versatile but expensive armour type made by linking many steel rings together. It provided decent protection against swords and slashing weapons but arrows could easily pierce it to injure or kill the wearer.
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Plate mail was extremely heavy and expensive but offered great protection against all attacks but crossbow and ballista bolts, which could, in the case of a ballista, pierce the armour and instantly kill the wearer, but in the case of a crossbow, would probably pierce the armour and injure the wearer, but may of killed him if fired in close quarters.
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