DHRR v0.8 Previews

[Giovi]

amazing work

[dome]

well
this units are good, and no more words
+rep
d.

[konny]

Introduction

These are the Western European mercenaries and regionals. In dHRR 0.8 there would only be little difference between mercs and regionals: all mercenaries will be recruitable from barracks inside your settlements, while the majority of the regionals will be available from the map additonally. The only exception would be the Crusader units.

The 'Mercenary Gleve'

A Gleve would be a knight with his retinue serveants. While the term did not appear in the sources before the Late Middle Ages, the principle is as old as knightly combat itself. These units are available everywhere in Europe and also for the East Roman Empire in Constantinopolis.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Solidarii Milites (Mercenary Knights)

In a time in which terms like 'patriotism' or 'nationalism' were unknown the knights formed an international class. They were professional full time soldiers, and whenever the liege-lord would not demand their service they would feel free to leave their lands and travel at will across Europe and the Near East to find themselves a profitable war. 'Foreign' knights were a common sight in any European army of the Middle Ages; and the fact that the knights were always a mixed force lead to the development of the pan-European chivalresque nobility that formed a homogenous class from the Scottish Lowlands to Sicily and form the Baltic woods to central Spain.

In fact the differences between a 'feudal' knight and a 'mercenary' knight were rather limited. Even the knight who fought due to feudal obligation would expect some kind of payment, and often enough the feudal lords, in particular the prince-bishops, preferred to hire knights to meet the demands of the king. Beginning as early as the 12th Century the feudal service became more and more limited in a way that the knight was only required to serve for a fixed amount of days (most commonly 40 days). This did not follow that after 40 days the knights would have been sent home, but after this time the knight became a 'mercenary' and would receive a payment for further service. If his lord failed to pay him this salary the knight was in fact allowed to leave the army and go home, without consequences for his status, titles and lands.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Equites (Mercenary Horsemen)

These men are mounted mercenaries. Typically for western Europe, the 'light cavalry' preferred heavy horses and anyone who could afford it would have at least a helmet and a padded gambeson. They are well suited to support knights in battle and would be a useful addition to the noble servants and squires when it comes to fight down light cavalry and foot soldiers. Of course, they should not be placed against knights, but would also be of a rather limited use against Oriental light horsemen. Together with the Stratores these men would have made the major part of the non-knight European cavalry.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Solidarii Scutarii (European Mercenary Spearmen)

These men are the mercenary 'rank-and-file' of each European army. They are armed with spears and shields, and can afford at least helmets and gambesons as armour. They are hired in larger groups, not as single soldiers, what gives them the advantage over retinue spearmen that they are used and drilled to fight as a tactical unit, ready to form a shield wall whenever needed and much more disciplined than any feudal or militia force with the same equipment.

Not much is known about the composition of the early mercenary warbands. Recent surveys on the social composition of the later 16th and early 17th Century mercenary bands have shown that they would have not been a distinctive class 'outside the civil society' but, different to the traditional image of them, were composed of part-time members of all groups of society. For a young citizen there had been nothing unusual in taking the spear and earning his living as a mercenary for some time, and after that to return into his civil life. It would only be logical to assume that also in the High Middle Ages some young citizens of the towns, who were required to own arms and armour anyways, would join a band of mercenaries for some time, seeking wealth, fame - and also adventures: besides a pilgrimage, going to war would have been the only chance to ever leave place they had been born for most people in the Middle Ages.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Solidarii Arciarii (Mercenary Archers)

These men are professional archers. They would be part of the retinue of a mercenary knight or troops of volunteers that hired themselves out in small groups; another group that would have fought as mercenary archers would have been retinues of knights that were killed in battle. Even though they earn their living as archers they don't reach the expert marksmanship of lifetime hunters or herdsmen. Their bows made of a single piece of wood would be well suited to be used in the wet European weather, but would not have the same reach as the Eastern composite bows. In short, they are well suited to fight foot soldiers in dense formations, and thanks to their swords and shields would also be able to defend themselves against enemy spearmen, but they would be outclassed by many other missile troops.

German and Lowland regionals

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Brabancones (Lowland Pikemen)

These professional mercenaries hail from the country of Brabant and the surrounding areas. They have a fearsome reputation, especially among knights. They are one of the few units of their time able to withstand a cavalry charge, thanks to their long spears.

While hiring oneself out as a foot soldier was usually done by the poorer people on the edges of the Catholic world, the Brabancones from rich central Europe formed a new class of professional soldiers. They were excellently equipped, well armoured, highly disciplined and to a hitherto unknown degree - greedy for plunder. They were the forerunners of the later Swiss and Landsknechts' armies of the Late Middle Ages.

At Bouvines (1214) the Brabancones gave a good account of themselves when forming a defensive circle and offering the victorious French a last stand that allowed most of the coalition army to escape. Besides their famous pikemen the Brabancones were full army, including missile units, light and heavy cavalry and true nobles who commanded them.

Arbalistes Brabancones (Lowland Mercenary Crossbowmen)

These professional mercenaries hail from the country of Brabant and the surrounding areas. Their crossbow is a potent weapon ready to be used with minimal training unlike other archery weapons. It is slow to reload and lacks the distance of drawn bows but makes up for it in power. Mercenary crossbow units are popular throughout the known world as they provide ranged punch for those that need it. These are even better as they wield deadly axes in close combat, and know how to use them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Lotharinger (Lowland Mercenary Spearmen)

These mercenary spearmen hail from Lorraine. With the de facto disappearance of the levy host from the European roster in the 12th Century the feudal armies were often lacking a suitable infantry. Apart from the poor border regions of the Catholic world, from where light troops could be hired at any time, in particular the overpopulated, but comparable rich, Rhineland offered a good ground for recruiting. These men are excellently equipped and well disciplined. Under good conditions they even would be able to stop a charge of knights.

French and Italian Regionals

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Archèrs Gasconas (Gascon Crossbowmen)

Even though the crossbow is usually associated with the Middle Ages, it is in fact an Ancient weapon. One of the regions from were the crossbows never completely disappeared during the Dark Ages was southern France. There crossbows were still used in large numbers by peasants for hunting. A good ground for recruiting crossbowmen as mercenaries!

The Gascons were recruited in large numbers by the English kings as an answer to the Welsh longbowmen. Even though having many crossbowmen is better than nothing when facing large numbers of skilled archers, it turned out that the crossbow was far better suited to shoot down knights than fighting a war of ambushes in the hills and woods of Wales. Nevertheless, until they were finally able to replace the French crossbowmen with Welsh archers (against France), the English armies made much use of crossbows on both sides of the Channel.

As a matter of irony, Richard the Lionhearted, one of the foremost supporters of the usage of French crossbowmen, was killed by a crossbow-bolt in France.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Balestrieri Genovesi (Genoese Crossbowmen)

Men from Genoa would have been among the first to fully utilize the lethal military potential of the crossbow in the Middle Ages. Genoese Crossbowmen are attested since the early 11th Century, they played an important role in the conflicts between the Italian communities in the 12th and 13th Century and finally appeared in huge numbers on the battlefields of the Hundred Years War until the 15th Century. As long as the crossbow played a role in European warfare the Balestrieri Genovesi did too.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Exercitales (Italian Picked Spearmen)

These men are picked soldiers deployed by the Lombardian cities. Even though the armies of northern Italy were centred on knights and their retinue, like those of all western Europe, urban militias often played a vital role in the Lombardian armies. This was also a result of many nobles living in the towns, something that would have been out of question for the German or French nobility.

While huge cities like Milan would have been able to field hundreds, if not thousands, of militiamen, the true contingents deployed by individual communities stayed rather small. At Legnano (1176) the corps of foot soldiers of all allied cities present did not number more than about 500 picked men, deployed around the Carroccio. But these 500 men had been able to withstand the charge of thousands of German knights, command by Emperor Barbarossa himself, long enough to allow the already routed Italian knights coming back to the field and turning the already lost battle into a victory.

Spanish Regionals

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Caballeros Villanos (Spanish Militia Horsemen)
These men are the famous Caballeros Villanos, the famous "Brown Knights", so called for peasant clothing. They are not nobles but peasants that were given land by the king in return for their service as horsemen. Different to the rest of Western Europe, the rural levy in Spain maintained a high degree of readiness as a result of the constant border wars between the various Christian and Muslim kings and petty kings. The Christian kings also abstained from the European customs to instantly divide the newly conquered lands amongst their vassals and made free farmers, like these men, and knights orders the base of the Reconquista.

Almughavars
The name Almughavar comes from Arabic, 'al mughavir' meaning raiders. Originating from Aragon, from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds, these professional warriors are elite light infantry skirmishers armed with javelins and spears, and sometimes armour. Despite their light equipment, they have a fearsome reputation.

Gaelic Regionals

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Saigheadair (Gaelic Archers)
These men were levied of the clan’s herdsmen. While they would be certainly outnumbered and outclassed by the more professional English archers they would be a decent addition to any Scottish army, at least when the enemy would be similarly poorly armoured as the Highlanders themselves.

Schiltrom (Gaelic Pikemen)
These men fight in a very traditional, but also very effective way. Not being able to afford any armour, blade weapons or even shields using a long spear to keep the enemy at bay can be a good way to survive the day. In fact this kind of fighting was known since the Celtic times. While it might have been of limited use when facing armoured foot soldiers it turned out to be very useful when the Scottish kings needed anything to counter the superior English knights.

Men like these had been hired and levied in huge numbers during the centuries of Scottish-English warfare. While the English knights in fact had not been able to overrun the Schiltroms, as they were used to so with any other infantry, the completely unarmoured spearmen proofed to be an easy game for the Welsh longbowmen that quickly became the most important part of the English armies.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Gall-Gaedhil (Norse-Gaelic Nobles)
These men are nobles from Ireland and Scotland. Both regions were heavily influenced by Norse invaders since the Viking times. While the newcomers, small in numbers as they were, would have quickly adopted the Gaelic culture, they themselves brought their style of fighting and their typical equipment to their new homes. That way the nobility from Ireland and the western Highlands would not have looked much different to the Norse Hersar. In fact the typical Viking helmets with their nose- and face-protections stayed much longer in use in Scotland than in Scandinavia itself.

The Gall-Gaedhil fight in a traditional shield wall. Even though this formation would be easily crashed by modern European knights, it is much better suited to fight the spear-walls of the Highland peasants than rushing on horseback into the pikes.

Ceathairne (Gaelic Warband)
These men are ordinary clansmen. In times of war a clan would marshal all his male population fit for warfare. Commanded by the clan leaders, these levies would have often counted several hundred men per clan. The clansmen themselves would provide their own equipment. While the leaders might be protected by mail and would be using excellent Norse and English weapons, the commoners would have padded clothing, war axes and small shields - at best!

Despite their poor equipment, what is on the other hand well suited for warfare in the Highlands, these men form a fierce force that can be a useful addition to any feudal army.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Marcshluagh (Gaelic Horsemen)

The Highlands are probably not the best ground for mounted warfare and the Highlanders never were exceptional horsemen. Nevertheless having a few men mounted would always be needed to do the necessary recognition, chase off enemy archers and steal the neighbour's cattle. Riding small ponies and wielding rather simple spears these men better keep away from anything that even looks close to a knight.

Norse Regionals

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hersar (Early Norse Nobles)

These men are the Hersar, the Norse lesser nobility, and their retinue. The Hersar are ranking next under the jarls, and like the jarls they are required to provide the king with a certain amount of men (usually 20 or more).

Despite the western European nobility had turned into an army of horsemen for centuries, the people in the north, from Ireland to the Baltic shores, still preferred to fight in the old fashioned shield wall. In a shield wall these men would make the first lines, the central lines being composed of lesser armoured men with spears and the last lines being made of archers and javelinmen. A formation like that had been able to withstand William the Conqueror's knights at Hasting for a full day and only was defeated because the men left their positions and started running behind the seemingly fleeing enemy. But that was a generation ago. More modern tactics, in particular the massive charge of the knights with crouched lances, should nowadays make short work out of any shield wall.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Konungsdrengir (Norse Retinue Archers)
Those young Norse that seeked fame and wealth in the armed service of the king or another high noble were called 'konungsdrengir'. These men are armed with a bow, a short sword or an axe, and a shield. Unarmoured men with ranged weapons like these would form the rear lines in a traditional shield wall.

Because herding and hunting played a large role in Scandinavian economy the Norse archers with their long bows were often able to outclass their German and French opponents. Nevertheless using, rather young and inexperienced, archers in the rear lines of a shield wall was not without problems, and the full armoured warriors in the front ranks often lost not few men to what generals call 'friendly fire' nowadays.

Huskarlar (Norse Retinue Axmen)
Literally meaning 'house man', Huscarls are the household troops of Scandinavian nobles. They are full armoured in mail, and their huge axes, with which a skilled Huscarl would be able to kill a charging horse at full run, had become legendary on Europe’s battlefields, and a nightmare to those who oppose them. In a shield wall these men would form the front lines, together with the nobles. Men with this kind of equipment and style of fighting had been adopted, hired and copied from the British Isles, the Baltics, Russia, down to the Varangian Guard in Byzantium.

As a loyal and entrusted servant of his lord a true Huscarl would not just be a soldier, but also be occupied with duties of the same importance in peace times, such as collecting taxes, making visitations on remote possessions of his lord and the like.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Fardrengir (Norse Mercenaries)

Those young Norse men that go on overseas journey to earn themselves fame and wealth were called 'fardrengir'. They were the same people that a century ago had been called ''vikingar', Vikings. Those men fight for everyone who is willing to pay them and traditionally make no difference between a Catholic king, a pagan chieftain, the Orthodox emperor in Byzantium or a Muslim emir in Spain.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

I am so stoked for the next version! dHRR is shaping up VERY well

[konny]

updated first post (new Acriarii and Sagittarii)

[Musculus Maximus]

Nice units and skins

hoffe ihr macht auch wieder eine übersetzung

[toluas]

Great work, again!

[Ford Prefect]

Nice preview.

hoffe ihr macht auch wieder eine übersetzung

Selbstverständlich.

[IVIarkI2I]

Nice units guys

[IVIarkI2I]

guys really awesome work

[dome]

nice!

d.

[Tony83]

Well done guys, superb looking units. I'm looking forward to playing this.

[The Noble Lord]

Nice work guys, nice work. It's all coming together now .

[Commander Ruunu]

Great work indeed, I hope .8 will come out during the summer

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

MORE

[XXVIII]

Amazing work!

You could even go further by applying possibilities to diplomats? If it possible that is. The Venetian diplomats were known for their stunning work and a lot of Venetian "rulers" were diplomats or even merchants for the Signora. It would greatly increase the size of the council! Enabling them to become characters after a certain age and a degree of negotiation skills. I wish i knew how you do this !

This is great! I think i've read John J. Norwich' A History of Venice like 3 times now

[Pnutmaster]

I'm very eager to play with these Venetian traits Excellent representation of a merchant empire!

[crusader knight]

the date of the release?
beautiful units congratulation
hi

[konny]

the date of the release?

I think, in two month. We won't get everything finished we have planned this year, so there will most likely be a release with the stuff finished now (complete re-work of the Western Catholic factions, lots of new units), and additional "Expansions" for the Eastern and Muslim factions.

beautiful units congratulation

All artwork done by HannibalExMachina. I only implement them into the game and make the representation.

[konny]

You could even go further by applying possibilities to diplomats? If it possible that is. The Venetian diplomats were known for their stunning work and a lot of Venetian "rulers" were diplomats

You are thinking of the Bailòs? This office is implemented as a governor's title. I thought of making it a diplomat's title first, but diplomats don't contribute much to a political system like that.