The Crusades
The Crusaders fought their way to the Holy Land at the end of the 11th century
and founded kingdoms that would last almost 200 years. This is often referred
to as the Age of Mail; chain mail was the prevalent form of personal protection
throughout this period. By the time of the Crusades, the armored knight had
become the heavy cavalry of Western Europe. It was said that a Crusader charge
could carry “through the walls of Babylon.”
The knights of the First Crusade were unruly, quarrelous, and impetuous. They
had little grasp of battlefield tactics or maneuvers. The Syrians, Turks, and
Fatimids who faced them were often commanded by noble warriors who displayed
great skill and subtlety with their armies. But as often as not the Crusaders won
the day through sheer hard fighting and weight of armor. It was not unusual for
a band of Crusaders to take on a force of Turks or Syrians several times its
own size and prevail.
The Crusades saw several important technological innovations. Chain mail
hauberks were now augmented by chain mittens and leggings for complete protection.
Crossbows first saw widespread use at this time. They proved especially useful
for keeping horse archers away from a formation, since they outranged the
cavalry’s lighter bows. Crossbows also had excellent penetration power, punching
through armor that could stop most bow shots.
At the end of this period, plate armor began to appear. At first, plates were
used to increase the protection over the shoulders and chest of a mailed
knight. Within a span of only 50 years, chain mail had been largely replaced.
In addition to the Crusades in the Holy Land, this era also saw the great
Mongol conquests of Russia, Hungary, and Poland.
In game terms, the Crusades represent an early Middle Ages society. Without
pikes and longbows to counter them, mailed knights owned the battlefield. A fair
number of standard fantasy settings center on this level of technology; for
example, the armies of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth are equipped with mail,
shield, and long sword.
The Crusades
| Battle axe
| 5 gp
|
| Bow
|
|
| Arrow, flight
| 3 sp/12
|
| Arrow, sheaf
| 3 sp/6
|
| Composite short bow
| 75 gp
|
| Composite long bow
| 100 gp
|
| Long
| 75 gp
|
| Short
| 30 gp
|
| Caltrop
| 2 gp/12
|
| Crossbow
|
|
| Heavy crossbow
| 50 gp
|
| Heavy quarrel
| 2 sp
|
| Light crossbow
| 35 gp
|
| Light quarrel
| 1 sp
|
| Pellet bow
| 25 gp
|
| Pellet
| 5 cp
|
| Dagger
| 2 gp
|
| Flail, footman’s
| 15 gp
|
| Flail, horseman’s
| 8 gp
|
| Hand/throwing axe
| 1 gp
|
| Lance, Light
| 6 gp
|
| Lance, Medium
| 10 gp
|
| Lance, Heavy
| 15 gp
|
| Mace, footman’s
| 8 gp
|
| Mace, horseman’s
| 5 gp
|
| Quarterstaff
| —
|
| Pick, footman’s
| 8 gp
|
| Pick, horseman’s
| 7 gp
|
| Polearm
|
|
| Bill
| 7 gp
|
| Glaive
| 6 gp
|
| Guisarme
| 5 gp
|
| Halberd
| 10 gp
|
| Spear
| 8 sp
|
| Spear, long
| 5 gp
|
| Staff sling
| 2 sp
|
| Stinkpot
| 1 sp
|
| Stone
| —
|
| Sword
|
|
| Broadsword
| 20 gp
|
| Long sword
| 45 gp
|
| Sabre
| 30 gp
|
| Short sword
| 15 gp
|
| Warhammer
| 2 gp
|
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