Kingdom of Sicily

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These artillery pieces resemble giant crossbows, on a simple wheeled carriage. They can hurl javelins with great accuracy, and the power of these machines means that their bolts can pierce any armour.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These artillery pieces resemble giant crossbows, on a simple wheeled carriage. They can hurl javelins with great accuracy, and the power of these machines means that their bolts can pierce any armour.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Constructed of wood and capable of flinging stones large enough to crush a man's head, the catapult was a common site on the ancient Roman battlefield. Now in the medieval era, the catapult is being replaced by newer and more powerful weapons.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Constructed of wood and capable of flinging stones large enough to crush a man's head, the catapult was a common site on the ancient Roman battlefield. Now in the medieval era, the catapult is being replaced by newer and more powerful weapons.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

The counter-weight Trebuchet is an evolution of the man-powered mangonel and catapults dating back before the 11th century. It has quickly spread throughout the world as an effective siege engine capable of lobbing large wall- crushing boulders.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

It is slow to reload and lacks the distance of drawn bows but makes up for it in power.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Squires are used to do what a knight would consider too low, and mounted sergeants are used to do what a squire would consider too low even for him" -- "Since common peasant couldn't afford a horse, but there was still the need for a rapid scout unit (and noble knights considered scouting a dishonourable task), trusted sergeants who showed cunning behaviour were given second-choice horses and used as a light and fast cavalry force, usually sent ahead of the main army to scout the area and harass enemy light troops or carriages. Being fast, they can easily outmanoeuver infantry and heavy cavalry, allowing them to hit fast and hard unprotected targets such as archers or supply convoys, but they should never be used against actual cavalry and trained infantry."

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"To be ranked a servant may seem ridiculous to a noble, but for most, it is the best they can hope to achieve" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

It is slow to reload and lacks the distance of drawn bows but makes up for it in power.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Squires are used to do what a knight would consider too low, and mounted sergeants are used to do what a squire would consider too low even for him" -- "Since common peasant couldn't afford a horse, but there was still the need for a rapid scout unit (and noble knights considered scouting a dishonourable task), trusted sergeants who showed cunning behaviour were given second-choice horses and used as a light and fast cavalry force, usually sent ahead of the main army to scout the area and harass enemy light troops or carriages. Being fast, they can easily outmanoeuver infantry and heavy cavalry, allowing them to hit fast and hard unprotected targets such as archers or supply convoys, but they should never be used against actual cavalry and trained infantry."

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"To be ranked a servant may seem ridiculous to a noble, but for most, it is the best they can hope to achieve" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Squires are used to do what a knight would consider too low, and mounted sergeants are used to do what a squire would consider too low even for him" -- "Since common peasant couldn't afford a horse, but there was still the need for a rapid scout unit (and noble knights considered scouting a dishonourable task), trusted sergeants who showed cunning behaviour were given second-choice horses and used as a light and fast cavalry force, usually sent ahead of the main army to scout the area and harass enemy light troops or carriages. Being fast, they can easily outmanoeuver infantry and heavy cavalry, allowing them to hit fast and hard unprotected targets such as archers or supply convoys, but they should never be used against actual cavalry and trained infantry."

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"I... do profess and promise chastity, giving up all property, and obedience to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary and to you...Master of the Teutonic Order, and to your successors, according to the Rules and Regulations of the Order. And I will be obedient to you, and to your successors, even unto death." -- The Ritterbrüder are the highest ranking members of the Teutonic Order, taking an additional vow of chastity: usually members of great German noble houses, these men fear no enemy, both in politics and on the battlefield. Armed and equipped with the finest products of the Empire's most renowned blacksmiths, the Ritterbrüder ride into battle atop powerful steeds, pride and joy of generations of breeding.Their charge can shatter all but the most stubborn pike formations, and usually their enemies don't even try to resist, breaking formation in a desperate attempt to flee their doom, only to be trampled upon by their stallions. The Ritterbrüder however aren't invincible, as all this armour makes their charge quite slow: as such, light skirmishers can safely shower them in arrows and javelins, only to retreat when the Ritterbrüder try to chase them. Thus, they must be supported by light troops, otherwise they might find themselves cornered and taken out one by one by a cunning foe.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Half-brother, Double the fury" -- The Haldbrüder were full-fledged members of the Order, but ranked lower since they took only half the oath (they didn't take the chastity vow). Still, their zeal, fanatism and martial prowess match their higher ranking brothers. Being usually members of minor noble houses, they can afford horses and finely crafted armours, and as such serve as medium shock cavalry, trampling over lesser enemies while the Ritterbrüder engage the enemy elite troops. Since their armours aren't as heavy as the ones used by the Ritterbrüder, they are better at flanking the enemy and fighting against the fast Lithuanian cavalry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"King of Sicily and soon-to-be Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the world shall kneel in awe before the "stupor mundi", or hide in fear!" -- Frederick II is the son of Henry VI, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and Costanza d'Altavilla, only daughter (and thus heir) of the last King of Sicily; following his father's death he first became King of Sicily, and with the death of the newly crowned emperor, Otto IV, he united both kingdoms under his rule as a "personal union", meaning that the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Sicily were separate states, coincidentially ruled by the same person. Skilled general, clever diplomat and politician, and patron of literature and figurative arts, Frederick was nicknamed "stupor mundi", meaning "world's marvel", for the ability he showed in everything he did. Considering Sicily his true homeland, he ruled his empire from the Sicilian city of Palermo, and transformed southern Italy into a hub of knowledge and trade, bringing those lands a prosperity unseen from the Roman times, with the help of a loyal and competent administration and an adoring population. The same men who led the administration also founded the famous "scuola siciliana", the sicilian school of poetry, alternating between legal counsel and sonnets or endecasyllabes: for this reason his court was known as the "corte dei miracoli", the court of wonders, and it comprised even a "serraglio", the ancestor of modern-day zoo, full of exotic beasts. As much as he loved Sicily, he utterly ignored Germany, leaving the always quarreling german nobles free to do whatever they wanted, and thus undermining Imperial rule and authority: his successors never managed to repair the damage, and this led to the fragmentation of the Holy Roman Empire into a puzzle of semi-independent principalities

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

It is slow to reload and lacks the distance of drawn bows but makes up for it in power.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"What does the Emperor see in these southern lands? Just see the surprise we prepared for him in Germany..." -- The Holy Roman Emperor is always surrounded by an èlite bodyguard of German nobles, who followed him from Frankfurt to Sicily. German nobles never understood Frederick's love for Sicily, and felt insulted for his lack of interest in German politics, but they still served him, protecting him on the battlefield with unwavering loyalty and incredible skill. What they did within their own estates in Germany, however, was another matter entirely, and the Imperial rule in those lands, far from Palermo and the court of wonders, quickly weakened and waned, leading to civil strife which would last for long

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Your money, your orders, my lord!" -- Stipendiarius literally means "one who receives a salary", and the term refers to both the regular retinue of a noble (those few soldiers regularly paid and equipped by a feudal lord to protect his estates) and mercenaries. Whatever the meaning, stipendiarii are a well-equipped and well-trained force, ready to face most threats on the battlefield in the name of their lord, or for the love of money and plunder: in battle they are almost the same

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Unlike Solomon, these soldiers do not hesitate to cut a person in half with their two-handed battleaxes. Actually, they enjoy it: this is true wisdom!" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Militias are a common sight in Europe's battlefield, where the mere idea of a standing army was unknown. These men were expected to protect their homes by themselves, and were given little training and equipment, not being expected to do much more than holding off the enemy for a while before dying or fleeing. Italian militias were different, for they were volunteers who trained in certain days of the week, while still having jobs and families of their own, and were equipped by the city (or, in big cities, by their district of birth): as such, they firmly believe in their role of protectors of the city, which they show in painting the city's emblem or patron saint on their shield, and with medium armour and training they are not to be underestimated, though they will probably be slaughtered against professional soldiers

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

Crossbow militia are inexpensive units formed to protect settlements. Being able to train townsfolk quickly in the use of the crossbow allows these units to be garrisoned frequently and the stopping power of the crossbow can make their withering fire lethal.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

Militias are a common sight in Europe's battlefield, where the mere idea of a standing army was unknown. These men were expected to protect their homes by themselves, and were given little training and equipment, not being expected to do much more than holding off the enemy for a while before dying or fleeing. Italian militias were different, for they were volunteers who trained in certain days of the week, while still having jobs and families of their own, and were equipped by the city (or, in big cities, by their district of birth): as such, they firmly believe in their role of protectors of the city, which they show in painting the city's emblem or patron saint on their shield, and with medium armour and training they are not to be underestimated, though they will probably be slaughtered against professional soldiers

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Many European Armies devised small companies of mounted crossbowmen: these men use a smaller crossbow than their foot counterparts, easier to reload and aim while riding, at the cost of range and penetration. While not as skilled as their infidel counterparts, and despised by the noble knights for their dishonorable way of fighting, mounted crossbowmen serve well their purpose, harassing enemy flanks and slow units from afar, and fleeing as soon as they try to retaliate. They should never be expected to fight in close combat, for they possess neither the training, nor the equipment, nor the guts.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"If an infidel fights for the glory of God, there's only to rejoice" -- Sicily is a melting pot of cultures: in over two millenia, it has seen Greeks, Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Muslims and Normans. Each wave of colonization never disappeared, instead slowly melting with the rest of the population: one can find in Sicily a catholic church, built on the ruins of a mosque, which was built on the ruins of an orthodox church, itself built on the ruins of a Greek temple. This led to Sicily being known as a safe haven of tolerance in a world ruled by zealotry and suspicion. Frederick proved himself to be just as open-minded as the rest of the island, showing great respect for every culture and religion, and the muslims population of Sicily show their gratitude and love for the Emperor by fighting side-by-side with infidels, even against other muslims. Their great skill with the composite bow and light cavalry tactics is a great asset for the Emperor, giving his army a flexibility rarely seen in Western Europe: after all, even the mighty Romans were defeated by the Parthians...

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

The first primitive gunpowder siege artillery, bombards were created in China and Western Europe in the early 14th century and spread to the rest of the world by the late 14th century. They are forged from bronze or iron, and designed to fire stone balls that crumble enemy defences.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Half-brother, Double the fury" -- The Haldbrüder were full-fledged members of the Order, but ranked lower since they took only half the oath (they didn't take the chastity vow). Still, their zeal, fanatism and martial prowess match their higher ranking brothers. Being usually members of minor noble houses, they can afford horses and finely crafted armours, and as such serve as medium shock cavalry, trampling over lesser enemies while the Ritterbrüder engage the enemy elite troops. Since their armours aren't as heavy as the ones used by the Ritterbrüder, they are better at flanking the enemy and fighting against the fast Lithuanian cavalry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"I... do profess and promise chastity, giving up all property, and obedience to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary and to you...Master of the Teutonic Order, and to your successors, according to the Rules and Regulations of the Order. And I will be obedient to you, and to your successors, even unto death." -- The Ritterbrüder are the highest ranking members of the Teutonic Order, taking an additional vow of chastity: usually members of great German noble houses, these men fear no enemy, both in politics and on the battlefield. Armed and equipped with the finest products of the Empire's most renowned blacksmiths, the Ritterbrüder ride into battle atop powerful steeds, pride and joy of generations of breeding.Their charge can shatter all but the most stubborn pike formations, and usually their enemies don't even try to resist, breaking formation in a desperate attempt to flee their doom, only to be trampled upon by their stallions. The Ritterbrüder however aren't invincible, as all this armour makes their charge quite slow: as such, light skirmishers can safely shower them in arrows and javelins, only to retreat when the Ritterbrüder try to chase them. Thus, they must be supported by light troops, otherwise they might find themselves cornered and taken out one by one by a cunning foe.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"A keen eye and a steady hand can rain death on unsuspecting foes" Italian states do not possess the culture of the bow their northern counterpart, like England, cutivate since ancient times. However, bows are easy to produce, and a bow militia can be trained in a short time, should the need for ranged troops arise. A commander should use these archers to unleash volleys of arrows upon the enemy from the distance as a light support, but they will be slaughtered by any coming foe.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

"A farming tool remains a farming tool even in battle: the harvest is, however, completely different" -- In a world where most levies were mere farmers, thrown into the fray with no equipment nor training, it is no surprise that said farmers usually brought their farming tools with them: after all, while most didn't know which end of a spear to point at the enemy, they were unrivalled masters with scythes, pitchforks, billhooks, and so on. It took little time for generals and blacksmiths to invent weapons based on such tools, so that paesant levies could use actual weapons instead of mere tools, and be easily trained on their use thanks to the familiarity. The bill is one of the most common amongst such weapons: based on the billhook, it is widely used against cavalry, featuring a hook for grabbing a knight's leg and dragging him to the ground, and a sharp blade for killing him once he is dismounted, and usually stunned from the fall. Billmen levies are thus effective and cheap anti-cavalry forces. Actual training and equipment only add to their worth.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Professional soldiers, directly paid from the royal treasury, these men are Sicily's finest" -- In the feudal army, most soldiers were levied by the king's vassals, the king having not enough money to afford a regular army of his own. This, however, was not Sicily's case: Frederick's reforms strenghtened the king's grip over the territory, and the institution of royal functionaries, tax-collectors and judges granted the royal treasuries a modest, but steady income, enough to afford a small standing army, loyal only to the king. The "conregius" guardsmen, the term meaning "those who stay with the king", form the core of this army: armed with two-handed weapons and medium-to-heavy armour, these men are a sight to behold on the battlefield, cleaving their way through the enemy's ranks with fire-hot fury and ice-cold determination. Their only weakness is their lack of shields, which makes them vulnerable to enemy ranged attacks; also, two-handed weapons are slow and cumbersome to use, and they will suffer losses in prolonged fights against fast-paced swordsmen

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Professional soldiers, directly paid from the royal treasury, these men are Sicily's finest" -- In the feudal army, most soldiers were levied by the king's vassals, the king having not enough money to afford a regular army of his own. This, however, was not Sicily's case: Frederick's reforms strenghtened the king's grip over the territory, and the institution of royal functionaries, tax-collectors and judges granted the royal treasuries a modest, but steady income, enough to afford a small standing army, loyal only to the king. The "conregius" guardsmen, the term meaning "those who stay with the king", form the core of this army: armed with two-handed weapons and medium-to-heavy armour, these men are a sight to behold on the battlefield, cleaving their way through the enemy's ranks with fire-hot fury and ice-cold determination. Their only weakness is their lack of shields, which makes them vulnerable to enemy ranged attacks; also, two-handed weapons are slow and cumbersome to use, and they will suffer losses in prolonged fights against fast-paced swordsmen

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

While the crossbow is relatively easy to use and powerful, it leaves the user quite vulnerable during the slow reload process. These men brought large pavise shields, which they use to take cover while they reload.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Low-quality Missile Troops

Description

Militias are a common sight in Europe's battlefield, where the mere idea of a standing army was unknown. These men were expected to protect their homes by themselves, and were given little training and equipment, not being expected to do much more than holding off the enemy for a while before dying or fleeing. Italian militias were different, for they were volunteers who trained in certain days of the week, while still having jobs and families of their own, and were equipped by the city (or, in big cities, by their district of birth): as such, they firmly believe in their role of protectors of the city, which they show in painting the city's emblem or patron saint on their shield, and with medium armour and training they are not to be underestimated, though they will probably be slaughtered against professional soldiers

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

Crossbow militia are inexpensive units formed to protect settlements. Being able to train townsfolk quickly in the use of the crossbow allows these units to be garrisoned frequently and the stopping power of the crossbow can make their withering fire lethal.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Not the Tradition of the Faction
• Rare
• Reduced Men per Unit
• Costly to Field

Description

First finding use in the 14th century, gunpowder weapons became more and more available over time, with lower costs of productions from local manufacturing of gunpowder. Firearms would become a staple of 15th century armies and eventually surpass all other missile weapons as better designs became available.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

Militias are a common sight in Europe's battlefield, where the mere idea of a standing army was unknown. These men were expected to protect their homes by themselves, and were given little training and equipment, not being expected to do much more than holding off the enemy for a while before dying or fleeing. Italian militias were different, for they were volunteers who trained in certain days of the week, while still having jobs and families of their own, and were equipped by the city (or, in big cities, by their district of birth): as such, they firmly believe in their role of protectors of the city, which they show in painting the city's emblem or patron saint on their shield, and with medium armour and training they are not to be underestimated, though they will probably be slaughtered against professional soldiers

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Many European Armies devised small companies of mounted crossbowmen: these men use a smaller crossbow than their foot counterparts, easier to reload and aim while riding, at the cost of range and penetration. While not as skilled as their infidel counterparts, and despised by the noble knights for their dishonorable way of fighting, mounted crossbowmen serve well their purpose, harassing enemy flanks and slow units from afar, and fleeing as soon as they try to retaliate. They should never be expected to fight in close combat, for they possess neither the training, nor the equipment, nor the guts.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Squires are used to do what a knight would consider too low, and mounted sergeants are used to do what a squire would consider too low even for him" -- "Since common peasant couldn't afford a horse, but there was still the need for a rapid scout unit (and noble knights considered scouting a dishonourable task), trusted sergeants who showed cunning behaviour were given second-choice horses and used as a light and fast cavalry force, usually sent ahead of the main army to scout the area and harass enemy light troops or carriages. Being fast, they can easily outmanoeuver infantry and heavy cavalry, allowing them to hit fast and hard unprotected targets such as archers or supply convoys, but they should never be used against actual cavalry and trained infantry."

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

It is slow to reload and lacks the distance of drawn bows but makes up for it in power.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"A farming tool remains a farming tool even in battle: the harvest is, however, completely different" -- In a world where most levies were mere farmers, thrown into the fray with no equipment nor training, it is no surprise that said farmers usually brought their farming tools with them: after all, while most didn't know which end of a spear to point at the enemy, they were unrivalled masters with scythes, pitchforks, billhooks, and so on. It took little time for generals and blacksmiths to invent weapons based on such tools, so that paesant levies could use actual weapons instead of mere tools, and be easily trained on their use thanks to the familiarity. The bill is one of the most common amongst such weapons: based on the billhook, it is widely used against cavalry, featuring a hook for grabbing a knight's leg and dragging him to the ground, and a sharp blade for killing him once he is dismounted, and usually stunned from the fall. Billmen levies are thus effective and cheap anti-cavalry forces. Actual training and equipment only add to their worth.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"To be ranked a servant may seem ridiculous to a noble, but for most, it is the best they can hope to achieve" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"To be ranked a servant may seem ridiculous to a noble, but for most, it is the best they can hope to achieve" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

This fearsome artillery piece is the pinnacle of late Medieval gun engineering. With greater range, damage and accuracy than all the guns that come before it, no enemy emplacements nor troops can stand up to its fearsome bombardment

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

The Gun to end all Guns. The Great Bombard is made for one purpose only, the utter destruction of enemy defences. This massive Bombard fires a stone ball weighing well over half a ton, obliterating any but the most massive walls in one shot. Unfortunately the down side of all this firepower is that it takes an eternity to reload.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Resembling the iron bowl from which it gains its name, the Mortar was created to lob shots over intervening walls. Useful in dealing with units skulking behind walls for protection, or to whittle away besieging troops outside your own walls. The mortar's capabilities makes it an excellent siege weapon for both attacker and defender.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

These knights dominate both society and the battlefield in medieval Europe. Under the feudal system each man owes military service to his lord in return for protection, a grant of land, and the peasants to work it. Trained as warriors from birth, their favourite tactic is the headlong charge. Despite the simple tactics, their strong armour, heavy lances, and martial prowess mean that only the most resolute can resist them

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Half-brother, Double the fury" -- The Haldbrüder were full-fledged members of the Order, but ranked lower since they took only half the oath (they didn't take the chastity vow). Still, their zeal, fanatism and martial prowess match their higher ranking brothers. Being usually members of minor noble houses, they can afford horses and finely crafted armours, and as such serve as medium shock cavalry, trampling over lesser enemies while the Ritterbrüder engage the enemy elite troops. Since their armours aren't as heavy as the ones used by the Ritterbrüder, they are better at flanking the enemy and fighting against the fast Lithuanian cavalry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"I... do profess and promise chastity, giving up all property, and obedience to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary and to you...Master of the Teutonic Order, and to your successors, according to the Rules and Regulations of the Order. And I will be obedient to you, and to your successors, even unto death." -- The Ritterbrüder are the highest ranking members of the Teutonic Order, taking an additional vow of chastity: usually members of great German noble houses, these men fear no enemy, both in politics and on the battlefield. Armed and equipped with the finest products of the Empire's most renowned blacksmiths, the Ritterbrüder ride into battle atop powerful steeds, pride and joy of generations of breeding.Their charge can shatter all but the most stubborn pike formations, and usually their enemies don't even try to resist, breaking formation in a desperate attempt to flee their doom, only to be trampled upon by their stallions. The Ritterbrüder however aren't invincible, as all this armour makes their charge quite slow: as such, light skirmishers can safely shower them in arrows and javelins, only to retreat when the Ritterbrüder try to chase them. Thus, they must be supported by light troops, otherwise they might find themselves cornered and taken out one by one by a cunning foe.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"A keen eye and a steady hand can rain death on unsuspecting foes" Italian states do not possess the culture of the bow their northern counterpart, like England, cutivate since ancient times. However, bows are easy to produce, and a bow militia can be trained in a short time, should the need for ranged troops arise. A commander should use these archers to unleash volleys of arrows upon the enemy from the distance as a light support, but they will be slaughtered by any coming foe.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

"A farming tool remains a farming tool even in battle: the harvest is, however, completely different" -- In a world where most levies were mere farmers, thrown into the fray with no equipment nor training, it is no surprise that said farmers usually brought their farming tools with them: after all, while most didn't know which end of a spear to point at the enemy, they were unrivalled masters with scythes, pitchforks, billhooks, and so on. It took little time for generals and blacksmiths to invent weapons based on such tools, so that paesant levies could use actual weapons instead of mere tools, and be easily trained on their use thanks to the familiarity. The bill is one of the most common amongst such weapons: based on the billhook, it is widely used against cavalry, featuring a hook for grabbing a knight's leg and dragging him to the ground, and a sharp blade for killing him once he is dismounted, and usually stunned from the fall. Billmen levies are thus effective and cheap anti-cavalry forces. Actual training and equipment only add to their worth.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Today we fight for this city, tomorrow who knows?..." -- Since Italian city-states could not field huge armies such as France or England, they heavily relied on mercenaries: the most renowned mercenaries of the time were the "condotte". A condotta was a small but perfectly functional army, with infantry, archers, cavalry, and even cannons. They were led by a "condottiero" (the word comes from latin "ducere", meaning " to lead", and is still used in Italian to indicate military leaders and commanding figures), who negotiated with local authorities the price for their services (usually condottieri were loyal to the contract, since none would have hired a condottiero without honour). Condottieri were usually charismatic leaders and cunning generals, since men joined a condotta only if the condottiero was worthy of their service (and able to pay...), and were quick to leave an inept commander. Many condottieri came to fight mainly for just one city, and obtained lands and titles from it for their services, some even becoming its ruler: the most famous example is Francesco Sforza, a "capitano di ventura" (term used to indicate specifically a great leader of a condotta), who for his service for Milan was granted the hand of the only daughter of the last Visconti, becoming Duke of Milan after his death.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

PLACEHOLDER

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

First finding use in the 14th century, gunpowder weapons became more and more available over time, with lower costs of productions from local manufacturing of gunpowder. Firearms would become a staple of 15th century armies and eventually surpass all other missile weapons as better designs became available.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Low-quality Missile Troops

Description

First finding use in the 14th century, gunpowder weapons became more and more available over time, with lower costs of productions from local manufacturing of gunpowder. Firearms would become a staple of 15th century armies and eventually surpass all other missile weapons as better designs became available.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Knights would often dismount and fight on foot when the situation demanded it. Dismounted they make excellent heavy infantry.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Low-quality Missile Troops

Description

Militias are a common sight in Europe's battlefield, where the mere idea of a standing army was unknown. These men were expected to protect their homes by themselves, and were given little training and equipment, not being expected to do much more than holding off the enemy for a while before dying or fleeing. Italian militias were different, for they were volunteers who trained in certain days of the week, while still having jobs and families of their own, and were equipped by the city (or, in big cities, by their district of birth): as such, they firmly believe in their role of protectors of the city, which they show in painting the city's emblem or patron saint on their shield, and with medium armour and training they are not to be underestimated, though they will probably be slaughtered against professional soldiers

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

Crossbow militia are inexpensive units formed to protect settlements. Being able to train townsfolk quickly in the use of the crossbow allows these units to be garrisoned frequently and the stopping power of the crossbow can make their withering fire lethal.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Strong Tradition
• Easier to recruit due to Tradition

Description

Militias are a common sight in Europe's battlefield, where the mere idea of a standing army was unknown. These men were expected to protect their homes by themselves, and were given little training and equipment, not being expected to do much more than holding off the enemy for a while before dying or fleeing. Italian militias were different, for they were volunteers who trained in certain days of the week, while still having jobs and families of their own, and were equipped by the city (or, in big cities, by their district of birth): as such, they firmly believe in their role of protectors of the city, which they show in painting the city's emblem or patron saint on their shield, and with medium armour and training they are not to be underestimated, though they will probably be slaughtered against professional soldiers

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

Many European Armies devised small companies of mounted crossbowmen: these men use a smaller crossbow than their foot counterparts, easier to reload and aim while riding, at the cost of range and penetration. While not as skilled as their infidel counterparts, and despised by the noble knights for their dishonorable way of fighting, mounted crossbowmen serve well their purpose, harassing enemy flanks and slow units from afar, and fleeing as soon as they try to retaliate. They should never be expected to fight in close combat, for they possess neither the training, nor the equipment, nor the guts.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Squires are used to do what a knight would consider too low, and mounted sergeants are used to do what a squire would consider too low even for him" -- "Since common peasant couldn't afford a horse, but there was still the need for a rapid scout unit (and noble knights considered scouting a dishonourable task), trusted sergeants who showed cunning behaviour were given second-choice horses and used as a light and fast cavalry force, usually sent ahead of the main army to scout the area and harass enemy light troops or carriages. Being fast, they can easily outmanoeuver infantry and heavy cavalry, allowing them to hit fast and hard unprotected targets such as archers or supply convoys, but they should never be used against actual cavalry and trained infantry."

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

While the crossbow is relatively easy to use and powerful, it leaves the user quite vulnerable during the slow reload process. These men brought large pavise shields, which they use to take cover while they reload.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"Just like going through a forest full of blackberry, only with blades instead of thorns" -- Since the times of Alexander the Great, pikemen have maintained the same function, which is to slaughter cavalry and present an impregnable wall against anything which may come their way, and they are still deadly efficient in fulfilling it. While the most famous pikemen come from Switzerland and Flanders, and are rightly renowed all across Europe, every nation deploys its own pike companies. A wise commander will deploy pikemen in the center, their sides well protected, for pikemen suffer from flank and rear attacks more than any other troops, and will provide them ranged support against enemy archers, since they don't have shields.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"A farming tool remains a farming tool even in battle: the harvest is, however, completely different" -- In a world where most levies were mere farmers, thrown into the fray with no equipment nor training, it is no surprise that said farmers usually brought their farming tools with them: after all, while most didn't know which end of a spear to point at the enemy, they were unrivalled masters with scythes, pitchforks, billhooks, and so on. It took little time for generals and blacksmiths to invent weapons based on such tools, so that paesant levies could use actual weapons instead of mere tools, and be easily trained on their use thanks to the familiarity. The bill is one of the most common amongst such weapons: based on the billhook, it is widely used against cavalry, featuring a hook for grabbing a knight's leg and dragging him to the ground, and a sharp blade for killing him once he is dismounted, and usually stunned from the fall. Billmen levies are thus effective and cheap anti-cavalry forces. Actual training and equipment only add to their worth.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"To be ranked a servant may seem ridiculous to a noble, but for most, it is the best they can hope to achieve" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.

Strengths & weaknesses

• Ordinary Unit

Description

"To be ranked a servant may seem ridiculous to a noble, but for most, it is the best they can hope to achieve" -- Coming from the Latin term "servientem", meaning "servant", sergeant is a rank used in almost every European army of the time (and still today). While each nation had its own technical meaning for the rank, generally the sergeant was the highest rank a low-born commoner could aspire to, since all higher offices were reserved for the nobles. Being promoted sergeant required that a soldier had survived many battles, and had performed many acts of valour (usually visible from the scars most sergeants sported), and meant better equipment and a higher salary (usually a larger part of the loot), which for most soldiers could mean the difference between returning to their homes as a serf and becoming an actual free land-owner. Usually sergeants oversaw training and equipment of small units, and led them in battle. Sometimes, sergeants were grouped together and used as a powerful fist to break the enemy lines, or to defend a focal point: well armed and experienced, these veterans are not to be underestimated.