This document summarizes the French armies from 1328-1444 AD during the Hundred Years War. It describes the core army as noble knights who initially fought mounted but later dismounted to resist English longbowmen. Only in the late 14th century did the French adopt new tactics under Bertrand du Guesclin and later artillery innovations allowed them success against the English. The document provides the army composition including commanders, nobles and retainers, and commoner units like militia, brigands, and ribaulds.
This document summarizes the French armies from 1328-1444 AD during the Hundred Years War. It describes the core army as noble knights who initially fought mounted but later dismounted to resist English longbowmen. Only in the late 14th century did the French adopt new tactics under Bertrand du Guesclin and later artillery innovations allowed them success against the English. The document provides the army composition including commanders, nobles and retainers, and commoner units like militia, brigands, and ribaulds.
Original Description:
Medieval French army for Swordpoint rulebook part 1
This document summarizes the French armies from 1328-1444 AD during the Hundred Years War. It describes the core army as noble knights who initially fought mounted but later dismounted to resist English longbowmen. Only in the late 14th century did the French adopt new tactics under Bertrand du Guesclin and later artillery innovations allowed them success against the English. The document provides the army composition including commanders, nobles and retainers, and commoner units like militia, brigands, and ribaulds.
This document summarizes the French armies from 1328-1444 AD during the Hundred Years War. It describes the core army as noble knights who initially fought mounted but later dismounted to resist English longbowmen. Only in the late 14th century did the French adopt new tactics under Bertrand du Guesclin and later artillery innovations allowed them success against the English. The document provides the army composition including commanders, nobles and retainers, and commoner units like militia, brigands, and ribaulds.
1328AD-1444AD This army list covers the French armies from the reign of Philip VI, first Valois king, up to the Ordnances issued by Charles VII in 1445. This period is obviously marked by the conflict with the English kings, known later as the Hundred Years War and a spectacular list of defeats, the sole exception being the last quarter of the 14th century, when the Constable of France, Du Guescling, was the only one to understand that the English wouldn’t be defeated on the battlefield, and another approach was required. The core of the army was the nobility that fought mounted, and later, after the disaster of Crecy, started to dismount in an unsuccessful attempt to resist the English barrage of arrows. Only later, with the development of artillery and the Ordnances of Charles VII that modernized the army, would the French be successful on the battlefield.
ARMY COMPOSITION Commanders: Up to 4 COMMONERS Nobles & Retainers: Up to 100% Town Militia Commoners: Up to 50% Mercenaries: Up to 50% D C Pts
Allies: Up to 50% Militia Spearman 6 6 10
Militia 6 9 Crossbowmen COMMANDERS Militia Handgunner 6 6 A C Pts Spearmen have spear and shield. Inferior Fighters. 0-1 General +2 9 0 May have light armour (+2) and may exchange Captain +2 +2 20 shield for pavise (+2).
- May ride a horse. Crossbowmen have a crossbow. Inferior Fighters.
Open Order. The General may be accompanied by the Oriflamme standard. This increases the Cohesion of You may combine Militia with pavise and Militia all units within the General’s command radius by +1 with crossbows in a Combined Formation, the (Example: to C10 if using the General’s Cohesion crossbowmen becoming Close Order (+3). The first as a base) but the units become Impetuous and base of Crossbowmen can fire at full effect if the unit take their Cohesion test with a +2 modifier. Units that is stationary. were already Impetuous take their Cohesion test Handgunners have a handgun. Skirmishers. Inferior with a +3 modifier. Fighters. The number of Handgunners may not exceed the NOBLES & RETAINERS number of crossbowmen. D C Pts Light Foot Mounted Knights 3 8 27 D C Pts Dismounted Knights 4 8 29 Brigan 6 8 Mounted Sergeants 4 7 18 Bidet 6 6 6 Dismounted Sergeants 5 7 16 Brigans are Open Order. May have light armour (+ Sergeant Crossbowmen 5 7 15 2), halberd (+ 2), spear (free) and shield (+2). Mounted Knights have shield and partial plate Bidets have a shield and javelins. Inferior Fighters. armour. Superior Fighters. Impetuous. Shock Cavalry. Skirmishers. May have throwing spear (+ 1). Veterans. May have full plate armour (free). May have cloth barding (+1). May have a lance (+2). Arriere Ban Dismounted Knights have shield and partial plate D C Pts armour. Superior Fighters. Veterans. Riding Horses. May have full plate armour (+2) and double handed Ribauld 4 2 weapon (+2). Ribauld Bowmen 4 1
Mounted Sergeants have a spear, light armour and
Ribauds are Open Order. Levies. Inferior Fighters. shield. May exchange light armour and shield for heavy armour (free) and spear for either lance (+ 1) Ribaud Bowmen have a bow. Skirmishers. Levies. or light crossbow (free). Inferior Fighters. Inferior Shooters. Dismounted Sergeants have a spear, light armour and shield. May exchange spear, shield and light armour for heavy armour and halberd (+2). Sergeant Crossbowmen have light armour, shield and crossbow. Open Order. May have pavise (+ 4).
