. They were characterized by being shock troops of infantry that fought on foot, with weapons and light baggage, generally with a short spear (azconas), described as a sharp spike or a simple stick with an iron spike, two spears that they threw with such force that they pierced enemy shields, a long knife (called a coltell) and sometimes a small round shield as the only defense.
Over time they also occasionally added a head covering (capells de rets) and chain mail .Their main weapon was the cutlass, a kind of short sword that they carried hanging from a strap. They wore a long beard and dressed poorly, only a short nightgown (both in summer and winter), they wore a thick belt made of leather, leather tights tight on the legs and they wore leather sandle .In a satchel they carried provisions, mainly bread, for 2 or 3 days, although due to their tradition of launching raids into enemy territory they were used to so survive by eating herbs for the same period of time. They also always carried a good fire stone (flint), as well as tinder, with which they used to strike their weapons before going into battle, so These threw huge sparks, which together with their terrible screams, terrified their enemies. Of great courage and fierceness, those coming from the Crown of Aragon entered into combat shouting "Desperta Ferro!", "San Jorge!" and «Aragon! Aragon! ”. FOR THIS THEY SHOULD HAVE THE ATRRIBUTE SCARY ENEMY TROOPS
This is the famous description of an almogávar made by Bernat Desclot in his chronicle called Libro del Rey Pedro de Aragón and his past predecessors:
"These people who are called Almogávares only live for the profession of arms. They do not live in cities or towns, but in mountains and forests, and they war every day against the Saracens: and they penetrate into Saracen land for a day or two, plundering and taking Saracens captive; and they live on that. And they endure very harsh conditions of existence, which others could not bear. How well they will spend two days without eating if necessary, they will eat herbs from the fields without problem. And the leaders who guide them know the country and the roads. And they only wear a gown or a shirt, be it summer or winter, and on their legs they wear leather tights and on their feet leather sandals. And they bring a good knife and a good strap and a link on the belt. And each one brings a good spear and two darts, as well as a leather bag on their back, where they carry their food. And they are very strong and very fast, to flee and to pursue; and they are Catalans and Aragonese and Serrano."
Bernat Desclot, Libre del rei in Pere e dels seus antecessors passats, ch. LXXIX.
However, it must be taken into account that these descriptions are not exhaustive and that the description of the Almogávars, both in clothing, as weapons and even way of life, differed to a greater or lesser degree according to their geographical location and time. Thus, the previously made description of the Almogávares, in which they are related as people who lived not in towns, but in areas of difficult access such as forests and mountains, as well as the description of their weapons, only refer to the Almogávares of the designated time, and probably of the previous centuries. The last almogávares, those who between the second half of the 15th century and the 16th century had their scope of action on the Granada border, were residents of the towns present there, well-versed in the terrain, who made riots against Granada's territory.
Its basic characteristics were permanent dedication to war, not exactly as a profession, but as a way of life, perfectly adapted to the conditions of the border with Saracen peoples, remuneration, based on looting and the sale or rescue of prisoners, frugality and resistance to fatigue; light weapons and hierarchical organization.
Their mere appearance makes them invincible and with their own bodies they confirm the mutilations of the Hydra. Of course, neither these nor the deprivation of limbs contains their thrust, but if you cut one hand they fight with the one they have left, if you cut them both they fight with their feet, not feeling the lack of limbs, but only not being able to use his dexterity, (...). To such an extent they do not give any value when dying in combat and leaving the clash of arms unscathed that many times they even consider this fate as an outrage to their impetuous fury, without anything being enough to stop them ...
Theodulus Monachus
The Almogávares were considered one of the best infantry of their time. At a time when the cavalry was the favorite weapon of the armies and where the model of the chivalric ideal was the mythical one to follow, the Almogávares used the land to In their favor, they fought at night, they were always on their feet and did not wear armor, which gave them great mobility. Ramon Llull gave them as much importance as the crossbowmen and the knights in heavy armor, and in his view, the only way to effectively fight Islam and recover the Holy Land was to start the war on the Hispanic border and after defeating the Moors of Al-Andalus, moving to North Africa and progressively advancing until reaching the Levant, considering the Almogávares as a key piece in their plan. In the year in which he wrote his chronicle (1315) the Almogávares were at the height of their fame, and had achieved renown throughout the Mediterranean for their deeds in Tunisia, Sicily and in the Great Almogávar Company.
The Almogávares used to fight in autonomous and small groups, of five to fifteen men, when they carried out border incursions, since they counted on surprise. In times of open warfare, the groups grew more numerous and we found mentions of twenty or thirty companions per group. Also, very rarely, some Almogávares participated in maritime privateering operations against the Grenadians.
It should also be noted that they were not exactly an army, but they formed a very hard lifestyle, and they did not usually have any trade: they took everything from raids, so they were a great nuisance in peacetime for any leader. The primary occupation of these groups was to carry out small forays into enemy land with the aim of taking cattle and captives and then selling them. In times of war, these activities were encouraged by local kings and nobles, who renounced the royal fifth on the loot obtained.
They were born out of border violence between the Islamic and Christian worlds, and indeed were often the cause of border tensions. The border with the Saracens, unattractive to people who wanted a quiet working life, was a refuge for adventurers, for people who had a taste for risky life and who lived by blows and looting on enemy land. During wars they put themselves in the service of the army, most of the time without pay, but with the right to booty and to be fed.
TACTICS
Their mission was to recognize the terrain where the army was advancing, positioning themselves in the vanguard and flanks, harassing the enemy, attacking their garrisons by surprise, and intercepting their convoys. They preferred to fight in an open order, although if they were in trouble they could form a compact mass to repel the repetitive charges of the cavalry, as happened in front of the Moors in Alcoll.
The almogávares acted as pawns and could be servants, acting in collaboration with the cavalry, but unlike other medieval infantry troops, they did not require the support of horsemen, they always preserved their autonomy and were a permanent militia, because their modus vivendi was doing algaras or raids in border territory. In the mercenary companies, apart from the almogávares or scutiferoi, there were units of «knights, infantrymen, crossbowmen, scudars, horsemen to the genet and the men who looked after the armament of the galleys ”, each with a specific mission and which had to be coordinated on the battlefield.
For the latter, they always went with light weapons, to move swiftly during riots that could easily last 2 or 3 days before even reaching villages with desirable loot. For the same reason, their long marches were proof of his endurance, speed and frugality. Also because of their tactics, the Almogávares had that simple hierarchical structure with common soldiers, officers –almocadenes– and leaders –adalides–.
In Europe at that time the iron-clad heavy cavalry was the dominant striking force, so their tactics were an innovation; The Almogávares were uncomfortable riding on horseback, they always fought on foot. The first thing they did was throw their spears and spears at the knights, piercing their armor and shields with their powerful shots from a distance, but above all wounding death. to the horses. They also entered in full enemy charge and cut the hocks of the animals with their knives, or impaled them with their azcons until they burst. In hand-to-hand combat they did not hesitate to use their maces or short swords to gut the horses. When the mounts collapsed in agony and trapped their riders, a very close hand-to-hand combat ensued in which the azcona –if she still served– it was useless and they pounced on the knights with their coltel to kill them