Medieval Kingdoms Total War: The Duchy of Lorraine

[Azrien Fox]

The Duchy of (Upper) Lorraine


The duchy of Lorraine evolved out of the Carolingian kingdom of Lotharingia. In 975, the kingdom was divided into the duchies of Upper Lorraine and Lower Lorraine. The area that formed Lower Lorraine was passed to the dukes of Brabant in 1100. They ceased to use the duchy's title ('Lothier') in 1190, so Lower Lorraine ceased to exist as a separate entity. Upper Lorraine was the sole surviving bearer of the name, and after 1190 it dropped the prefix of 'upper', becoming the sole duchy of Lorraine. Lorraine is the border duchy of the HRE, bordering the Burgundy to the west, with the HRE to the duchy's east. Because of this, I have units using French, German, and in tier three mostly, Alsatian (the prevalent language of Lorraine at the time) to show how Lorraine was influenced by varying cultures on all sides.


Early Tier

Generals:

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Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine




House-guard of Ardennes

Sword Infantry:

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Urban Militia


Lothar Swordsmen


Dismounted Alsatian Ritter

Axe Infantry:

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Volges Holzfaller

Spear Infantry:

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Common Militia


Dismounted Kurzschwertreiter

Pike Infantry:

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Bas-Rhin Schiltron Miliz

Shock Cavalry:

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Meuse Scouts


Alsatian Ritter

Melee Cavalry:

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Levy Horsemen


Kurzschwertreiter

Crossbow Infantry:

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Jäger-crossbows


Militia Crossbowmen

High Tier:

Generals:

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Duke Rudolph, The Valiant


Duke Rudolph, The Valiant (Polearm Variant)


House-guard of Vaudemont

Sword Infantry:

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Dismounted Alsatian Chevaliers


Lorrainer Swordsmen

Polearm Infantry:

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Hommes d'armes

Spear Infantry:

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Pavise Spearmen


Spear Militia


Lorrainer Dismounted Coutiliers

Pike Infantry:

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Schiltron Lanciers

Shock Cavalry:

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Alsatian Chevaliers




Hommes d'armes Montés

Melee Cavalry:

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Lorrainer Coutiliers


Militia Horsemen

Crossbow / Archer Infantry:

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Lorrainer Crossbowmen


Meurthe Levy Archers


Free Company Longbowmen

Late Tier:

Generals:

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Duke René II, Saviour of Nancy
Work in Progress

House-guard of Anjou

Sword Infantry:

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Dismounted Alsatian Chevaliers


Sãwell de Mãnn




Moselle Merchant-Marines

Polearm Infantry:

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Halberds

Stàdt Halbardde


Guild Halbardde


Polearms

Hommes d'Händ


Dismounted Nobles d'Alsace

Spear Infantry:

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Pavise Lãng-stëckke Mann




Dismounted Coutiliers of Alsace-Lorraine

Pike Infantry:

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Hecht de Mãnn

Shock Cavalry:

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Chevaliers of Alsace-Lorraine




Hommes d'Händ Montés




Mounted Nobles d'Alsace

Melee Cavalry:

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Coutiliers of Alsace-Lorraine

Crossbow / Archer Infantry:

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Lorrainer Pavise Armbrüste


When the Crossbowmen go into melee:


Franc-archers


Genoese Crossbowmen

(Just the generic merc crossbowmen)

Free Company Longbowmen

Gunner Infantry:

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Lorrainer Arkebusen

I would like to personally thank slytacular for his council, guidance, and advise on the Lorraine. I would also like to thank Luke George of Bologna for helping out with research of names and other general history questions, and Ltd. for his help with the different parts of the faction-making process.

Any feedback or suggestions are always appreciated!

[Kjertesvein]

Good job.

The only change I could recommend would be to swap these 2 handed renaissance polearms with actual spears. It just looks very off.
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.n...75A308417E02C/

I liked that you added unique names to some of the Lorraine units. Perhaps add some more of those unique units earlier in the roster as well, but that's just my opinion.

~Wille

[Visarion]

No no... leave the polearms in place... don't touch them... leave them alone... I had enough of copy-paste factions... add some diversity for goodness sake... very good units and glad to see this late Frankish faction... probably my choice for the west due to the great variety of units and multiculturalism and diverse ethnicity and influences from both Carolingian heirs/succesor states...

[anders99]

I really wish you keep the polearms, totally agree With Visarion that its nice to see some polearms!

[Slytacular]

I really wish you keep the polearms, totally agree With Visarion that its nice to see some polearms!

If you're talking about the partizans, glaives, and sword staffs, those are two handed weapons. It's as goofy as firing a rifle with one hand.

[Visarion]

Lotharingia I guees!? Well... this is a surprise... I like tgr colours... maybe the best in a western faction. Nice colour schrmes and "white armour".

[Minnesinger]

You've done a very good job, my only criticism concerns the use of big mustaches for some of the tier 1 soldiers, but it is a small detail and I guess it's a matter of visual preference. Also is the use of manuscript's illuminations to paint some tier 3 shields, as It was already made in the french roster, but it is not a big deal and you succeeded to give a particular touch to a faction stuck between western powers and their influence.

[Locus_Devium]

Looks cool and can't wait to see more units.
Why tier 2 swordsmen use spanish shields?

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[Deathshade]

It's realy cool !

I have juste a bit of a problem with some of the names :
Halbardde Hommes : Hallebardier would be best if you mean halberd men. Ou alors Hommes à Hallebarde.
Hommes à cheval : it juste means Men on horses. Why not use Cavaliers (riders) ?

(And I think there is a razor penury in Lorraine ^^)

But it is just details, overall what you made is awesome .

[Azrien Fox]

It's realy cool !

I have juste a bit of a problem with some of the names :
Halbardde Hommes : Hallebardier would be best if you mean halberd men. Ou alors Hommes à Hallebarde.
Hommes à cheval : it juste means Men on horses. Why not use Cavaliers (riders) ?

(And I think there is a razor penury in Lorraine ^^)

But it is just details, overall what you made is awesome .

Yeah, I see what you mean about the technicality of using Halbardde in a polearm unit name. I could always name maybe using Hommes a, and then the translation for polearm. Since it says you are from France, do you know what the French translation for polearm would be? Could make the translation be polearm men, instead of halberd men.

Also, on the Hommes a Cheval, I wanted to make their name stand out more, since the coutiliers are sort of the lower class, commoner mounted soldiers, I wanted to show their importance, and give them a more unique name. Maybe trying something like armoured Cavaliers, instead of just Cavaliers would work?

[finix]

Yeah, don't like spanish shields too. Need a proof for their existence. I was expecting to be a mix of french and german armor

[Azrien Fox]

^ That's where I got the inspiration from to do the shields. Middle right phto of the two guys holding those shields.

It's a page out of one of Jacob van Maerlant's books. He was Flemish so I thought it would work, but I mean if it's really throwing people off, then I can find an alternative to the heart shield.

[finix]

^ That's where I got the inspiration from to do the shields. Middle right phto of the two guys holding those shields.

It's a page out of one of Jacob van Maerlant's books. He was Flemish so I thought it would work, but I mean if it's really throwing people off, then I can find an alternative to the spanish shield.

I think these are bad drawings of heater shields

[Azrien Fox]

I think these are bad drawings of heater shields

I think the illustrator drew the shields like that on purpose, to give it more of a heart shield look. But I guess in that case, I could always just copy the spanish shield designs onto heater shields. The only thing was I was trying to avoid using a lot of the heater shield, so I tried to use the heart shield to mix it up.

[Locus_Devium]

I like the shields the pikemen are wielding. But is this historical correct? Aren't these typical bucklers for lighter Troops.

[Azrien Fox]

I like the shields the pikemen are wielding. But is this historical correct? Aren't these typical bucklers for lighter Troops.

Yep! I got the idea for using the small bucklers from this picture:



(The one guy at bottom right). I thought since the Hecht de Mann were going to be armored, and be more of a heavy pike, that the buckler would do better in terms of both clipping through the armour and making it easier for the unit to not have to carry huge, heavy shields.

Edit - Forgot to add the link to the manuscript: (http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3989/8580/)

[Azrien Fox]

Yeah, don't like spanish shields too. Need a proof for their existence. I was expecting to be a mix of french and german armor

Another manuscript showing the use of the heart shields in France, dated 1230's (courtesy of Sly). (http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4266/12011/)

[Locus_Devium]

Another manuscript showing the use of the heart shields in France, dated 1230's (courtesy of Sly). (http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4266/12011/)

But this is an unarmoured horseman.

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[Azrien Fox]

But this is an unarmoured horseman.

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But the date and location are both correct for the heart shield to work.

[Polemaios]

Always good to see MK team growing - cool units

PS. Could you show us Pavise Lãng-stëckke Mann instead of their shields?

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