Hi all, maybe someone of you remember me for the Warwagon mod....Now i'm working on a new project called CSUR - Complete Sicilian Unit Roster. The first goal of this project is to recreate the entire roster of the Kingdom of Sicily between 1150 and 1400 allowing users to know something that had been very important during the medieval age in italy...something that most of us don't know.
One of the most difficult things of this project is the historical research because i want to realise something that must be historically corret and good to see in the same time. And it's for this reason that i want to thank my friend Zames that help me with the research and with units descriprtions.
We have done our best and we hope that you guys will enjoy it.
BASE ROSTER (1150-1400)
PEASANTS
When a lord calls for war, many peasants, obliged or in search of fortune, join armies, even if totally unfit for battle. In fact, even if they use a lot of agricultural weapons such as hammers, axes and scythes, from which derived many famous medieval weapons, they are totally unable to fight and without defences. They can be used in diversion actions to favorite manuevers by better soldiers, but they should be fast in doing them because peasants cannot stand in line too much, before flee.
ARCHERS
The bow is one of the most ancient weapons men have invented, and one of the most used during Middle Ages, either by professional soldiers or by hunters. These archers are hunters and peasants, obliged to serve during a military campaign or in search of fortune. They can be very useful to disrupt enemy ranks faster and more frequently than crossbowmen, cause of the less time charging the weapon, but surely not with the same strenght. They don't have defences, other than some occasional light gambeson, and they have only a knife for the hand-to-hand combat, which is a chance to avoid if possibile, because they couldn't resist more than a few minutes.
MILITIA SPEARMEN
Members of new nobility, either Norman or German or French or Aragonese, imposed their dominion when they conquered Southern Italy, and so they can command from lower classes of citizens and from the country soldiers which receive a minaml training needed to fight and stand in line during a battle. Surely thay aren't the best soldiers available, but they are numerous and they can engage the front enemy for some time, while the powerful heavy cavalry charges rears or flanks. The onyl protections they have are a light gambeson (occasionally) and a medium size shield.
CROSSBOWMEN
The crossbow is one of the most typical medieval weapons, and one of the deadliest (in fact in 1139 Pope Innocenzo III tried in vain to prohibit its use between christian armies) and one of the easiest in learning to use. So, commanders worthy of the name should always have crossbowmen in their armies. Southern-Italy crossbowmen maybe aren't renowned as Northern Italy ones, but surely they aren't less effective: as well as long distance combat, they can also fight in a hand-to-hand combat, cause of the protection of the gambeson (and occasionally of chainmails) and of the helmet, and cause of swords and falchions they are equipped with. Obviously, if possible they shouldn't fight directly in melee.
SICULO-NORMAN ROSTER (1150-1194)
SICULO-NORMAN KNIGHTS
It may seem strange, but who unified Southern Italy was a group of men from the far north: the Normans. Although it was a violent conquest, the result was one of the most cultured States during the Middle-Ages, the Kingdom of Sicily. These Norman Knights, who form the Southern Italy nobility, are direct descendants of the men who came from the North, and have preserved the indomitable warrior spirit and the ferocity in battle of them. Great warriors, either on horseback or on foot, they are equipped with a good chainmail, the best helmets and great shields.
FAMILIA
Nobles are not alone when they take part to a military in campaign: their attendants and squires are with them, with the task of going into battle equipped with what they can afford. In the Siculo-Norman knights case, these warriors are called "familia", and they form groups of light cavalry (even if they can fight also on foot). They don't have a complex equipment, in fact not many can afford a chainmail, so the majority has only the protection of padded coats, nasal helmets and kite shields, while their main weapons are a light lance, if on horseback, and a good sword.
NORMAN JAVELINMEN
The javelin is one of the most common throwing weapon of Ancient and Middle Ages, although for many peoples is more typical as a war weapon. In Kingdom of Sicily, the use of javelin is a heritage from previous Arabic and Byzantine conquests. Javelinmen don't come from rich classes, but they can afford a good equipment (a gambeson and a little, round shield), and they are useful to disrupt enemy ranks before a charge by heavier soldiers, such as cavalry.
In close combat they can use a falchion, but they aren't really reliable in this sense.
HOHENSTAUFEN ROSTER (1194-1265)
LUCERA SARACENS
Surely the most faithfull troops of the Swabian monarchs in Southern Italy, these Saracens don't come from Lucera: in fact they are descendant of those muslims that Frederick II wanted to move from the Sicilian city of Girgenti to resettle the Pugliese country, in 1220. Even if unpopular to local people cause of their origins, Lucera Saracens were not only tireless farmers but also excellent and faithfull warriors, expecially skilled in using the bow; historically they proved their worth and their loyalty many times, for example during the battles of Parma, Cortenuova and Benevento.
Elite archers and warriors, their typical weapon is obviously the bow, and they have also an eastern curved sword. They mainly fight on foot, but they can fight also on horseback forming a medium-light cavalry.
GERMAN KNIGHTS
Frederick II, taking possession and staying almost only in Southern Italy, has taken with him many members of the German nobility to govern many cities of the Kingdom of Sicily, even if he allowed some loyal old Norman families to remain at their place. When war calls, german barons are ready to go into battle with their king as knights, forming the heavy cavalry, unstoppable riding their warhorses but deadly also on foot.
Their equipment is formed by chainmail, helmet and shield, and occasionally also by an advanced and innovative leather protection from Germany.
HEAVY GHIBELLINE SPEARMEN
The reign period of Frederick II and Manfred in Southern Italy was also the time of greatest power of ghibellinism in all Italy. In many Italian Communes pro-imperial factions prevail on guelph ones (such as in Tuscany in that period), receiving support from the Emperor and helping him in exchange, expecially militarily, giving the most typical Italian medieval troops.
These disciplined soldiers are equipped with great shields ("palvesi" and "tavolacci") and spears, and they're able also to sustain a cavalry charge.
STIPENDIARII
Medieval Italy is know as land of Lordships, but also as a land of mercenaries. In fact militias are often insufficient to compose a complete army, so professional soldiers called "stipendiarii" (from latin "stipendiarius", that is "hired") are recruited, and most of them are Germans.
Equipped with various weapons (swords, maces, axes), they form a good heavy-medium infantry, more suitable to break enemy lines than stand in line as italian communal militias.
ANGEVIN ROSTER (1265-1302)
ANGEVINES KNIGHTS
When the Pope called to destroy king Manfred, Charles of Anjou came in Southern Italy with a strong army, whose core was composed by nobles from Provence who followed him and, after, by barons hostile to Manfred. They serve in the army as élite heavy cavalry, equipped with expensive chainmails, great helmets, additional leather defenses for arms and legs (even if less sophisticaed than German leather armours used by Manfred knights), great shields and, of course, swords; if on horseback, they also carry with cavalry lances to break enemy lines.
BALLISTARII EQUITES
The practice of the crossbow is well know by French, so this tradition exists also in Provence, where these soldiers use the weapon on fast horses. These Provençals can be deadly, because they merge the power of crossbow with the speed of movement of their mounts, allowing them to hit where is more needed. They are lightly equipped, in fact it should be better if they don't fight in close combat.
SCUTIFERI/SCUTIFERI PEDITES
Nobles following Charles of Anjou have many people at their service, between these we found their squires, who follow them also in the middle of the battle, so they can hope to be noted and to rise in social positions. They usually fight on horseback, but they can also fight on foot; they are equipped with medium-size round shields and with a sword (they are forbidden to carry also a lance), and their defenses are light by king's disposal, because they have to be fast in striking the enemy after heavy cavalry's charge.
CONCERGIUS GUARDS
When Angevines conquered Souther- Italy, they put in every city or castle loyal men to govern the settlement, defined "concergius". They have to ensure, as well as right progress in economical and judicial activities, security and calm to the settlement, and also their safety against masses of peoples who don't want to obey. So, these guards have two tasks: guards of the lord and police service. Lightly equipped, they use a long two-handed weapon, really typical in Medieval Ages.
SPECIAL FEATURES
-Thanks to Zames research, we have added many historical coats of arms of south italian nobles that have lived during the medieval age!
- I've added also a little feature about the second weapon: when a soldier uses sword as secondary weapon, while he use the primary weapon, his sword is placed in the sheath; when the soldier fights with his sword, he has his sword in his hand and the sheath is empty.
TECNICAL FEATURES
Eatch unit has 4 lod (lod0, lod1, lod2, lod3) and a sprite created with the sprite generator. So CSUR is good also for old PC. Obviuosly, we can't do miracle and CSUR units are not more light than vanilla units .
FUTURE GOALS
I've planned to create the angevin roster of the Kingdom of Naples (1302-1400\1450) and the aragon roster of the Kingdom of Trinacria (1302-1400\1450).
ATTENTION:
CONDITION OF USE
click here
CREDITS
Mr.Crow: idea, 3d models, textures[click here if you want to rep him]
Zames: research, descriptions, 2d (ui cards & info cards), screens for preview[click here if you want to rep him]
EXTERNAL RESOURCE EMPLOYED IN CSUR
Lord Calidor's weapons pack
FEEL FREE TO REP OR ADD A COMMENT