Is the European Middle Ages an age of hot weapons?

In the Middle Ages (about 476 AD to 1453 AD), it was still a cold weapon war. Gunpowder had just spread to Europe through the Arabs and had not yet been used in warfare on a large scale, so cold weapons were still used. Weapons are the main thing! !

Section 1: Swords

The sword is the one who leads the troops.

In medieval Europe, the sword was a symbol of power or a representative of royal power. The knight's sword is the embodiment of chivalry and is endowed with sacred nature and independent life. From Pepin the Short to Charlemagne, the French king clearly stipulated: "If a knight is captured, he shall not use his sword as a ransom." "Even if you lose your personal freedom, you cannot give up your sword." What Roland did before he died in battle, He would smash the sword against the rocks to prevent it from falling into the hands of the infidels.

From the discovery of the secret of bronze in Sumer, to the three hundred warriors at Thermopylae, and the Roman Empire, most of them were equipped with bronze weapons. Later, most of the swords used in actual combat were hand-made iron swords, and a few were made of steel, but the smelting quality was mostly not up to par. The hundred-refined steel sword in martial arts books is full of nonsense. Common swords include the following types:

Roman dagger: The emergence of this weapon is related to the combat thinking of the Roman army. The first is to throw javelins from a long distance. When approaching the enemy at close range, they use a shield as high as a person to protect their whole body. They are lined up in a dense formation, leaving little room for maneuver for individuals. Therefore, the swords used were short and mainly used for thrusting rather than cutting. Cast in bronze, the length is usually 30-40 centimeters. During fighting, try to pierce the opponent's vital parts, heart or abdomen (the shots in "Gladiator" are extremely realistic).

English broadsword: The most common weapon in fantasy novels, in fact, it was also the most common equipment of the European army in the Middle Ages. About 3 feet long, it can be waved with one hand. The sword has two edges, so if you miss a blow, you can return it without turning your wrist. The cross-shaped handles are mostly made of iron or brass, and there is often a ball at the end of the hilt, which is not for decoration. Injected with lead to maintain balance on the wrist when chopping hard. Since the fall of the Roman Empire, this kind of weapon has appeared widely on various battlefields, from the Hundred Years War to the Red and White Rose, from "Brave Heart" to "The Crusader Knights". It was not until the 14th century that chain mail replaced simple leather armor, and heavy broad-bladed swords gradually lost their use and withdrew from the stage of history.

Scimitar/Saber: Can be considered a curved single-edged sword, about 3 feet long. On a high-speed horse, cutting the opponent's neck is the most common use. The curved edge is easier to process. Since the crossing on horseback only lasts a moment, only one side needs to be sharpened. The handle of the knife was also a cross in the early days. Later, in order to protect the wrist when thrusting, the handle was cast into a basket or cup shape. It was most commonly used by the Moorish and Arab cavalry. Friends who have watched "Guns Dream" must be deeply impressed by Kelly's Damascus blade. It was hailed as the sharpest weapon at the time and was mainly used by the Crusaders. Damascus steel knives are sharp, stainless, extremely tough, and can be bent to right angles. The secret to its smelting is to add aluminum to make the crystals smaller and less likely to break. As well as being repeatedly tempered in forging, a Damascus blade unearthed in 1990 in the British Museum has 15 subtle creases on it. Even though it has been buried for centuries, it is still as bright as a mirror, just as cool as when it came out of the furnace.

Dagger: A small scimitar, about 7-10 cm long. It is mainly used for close combat, so the handle of the sword is made of brass and cupped. For pirates, great times! After the destruction of the Spanish Armada, it declined and was reduced to mere decoration.

Long sword: a slender version of the broad-bladed sword, but with only one edge! There is no record of large-scale use in actual combat. They were mostly decorated by men or used in duels. The basket shape of the handle protects the wrist from injury and allows you to fight multiple opponents at the same time. The Spaniards are masters of using this weapon. They quickly move the sword around in a circle and stab it. It is really beautiful and pleasing to the eye. See "Zorro" for details.

Rapier: shaped like the foil used in today’s competitions, it was not a weapon when it first appeared. Rather, in order to test the quality of the armor, one would poke it with a sword to see if it could penetrate it, hence the name. Later it also became a decoration or duel. The long sword was too decorated and heavy, so the rapier became a symbol of European swordsmen. It is faster to draw the sword, but the damage is very small. It avoids vital points, and it will not hurt if other parts are viciously poked with transparent holes.

For example, see The Three Musketeers.

Foil sword: the last type of European sword, with four ounces to move a thousand pounds. The bowl-shaped handguard can deflect attacks from heavy weapons, and its lethality lies in its good elasticity. Today it is only used for fencing. When black powder first appeared in Europe, it was used as a self-defense weapon for musketeers, but it had no actual combat experience.

Double-edged machete: a two-handed weapon used by the Scots, 1.2-1.5 meters long, with a curved blade. There was such a powerful weapon in "Robin Hood" starring Kevin Costner, used by Daddy Moore. Duan is very powerful, and is best suited for charging into a large group of enemies alone, slashing left and right. I have always wondered why it has two blades. Historically, it was only used by the highland peoples of Scotland. As a symbol of status, only tribal leaders can use it and it is passed down from generation to generation.

Dagger: An elongated knife, specially designed to wipe the opponent's neck in close combat. It has many shapes and nicknames, with the same purpose. The most special one is the 14th century British military equipment called Misericord, which is two palms long and has good elasticity. It can be easily inserted into the seam of the breastplate and stabbed into the heart to kill a cavalryman. This weapon killed a large number of heavy cavalry at the Battle of Agincourt and is now only seen in museums.

Tachi: The signature of Japanese samurai. The slightly curved blade is 3 meters long and made of high-carbon steel, which is hard but brittle. The surface of the knife has been polished. It is common to see samurai wiping it with white silk when they have nothing to do. The long knife looks like snow. In fact, it has a high carbon content. If it is not rubbed, it will turn black if it gets wet. It is quenched more than 30 times during smelting, and there are as many as one million crystal layers in the cross section. The last time it goes through the fire, it is wrapped in clay to slow down the cooling rate of the knife. This makes the edge extremely hard and the back of the knife more elastic and tough. The tachi is the pinnacle of sword making, and there is no one in Europe that is as sharp as it is.

Waist sword: It is paired with the tachi sword, and the length is slightly reduced, about 70-80 cm. The materials are the same and are often used in religious ceremonies, such as caesarean surgery...

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Section 2 Bow and Crossbow

The sword is cold and the flowers do not fall, but the bow is over the dawn moon. bright.

The bowman rubs the wood and strings it to shoot the arrow. The simplest deflection weapon, often used in situations with short range and high accuracy requirements. Do not open the bow lightly when it is not in use, otherwise the bow string will lose tension. Generally, it should not be exposed to water, and the string should be removed when it rains. Except for synthetic bows, water will make the bow body break easily and the bow string become loose. For armored opponents, bows and arrows do not pose a big threat, except for longbows or crossbows. In peacetime, bows and arrows are only used for hunting. In wartime, they can only become combat effective when a large number of archers fire them in volley. After the Battle of Crécy, a term became widely used, "Hailofarrows". Archers are usually lightly armored, without shields, but have simple self-defense weapons such as daggers or short swords. Archers often formed horizontal formations with stakes buried in front of their positions to prevent cavalry attacks. When the arrows are gone, they retreat. Bows often come in the following types:

Ordinary bows: Bows with average penetration and range are most commonly used. The shooting range is usually about 50-80 meters, and the bow body is made of bent yew or ash wood. Lightly-armed archers tend to use this type of bow because of its low cost. When shooting an arrow, fire into the sky and wait for the arrow to fall naturally. Because there are many shields on the front for protection, it is difficult to escape the rain of arrows falling from the sky, and the speed increases during the fall. The arrows are kept in the arrow pot and retrieved after the battle. There are usually 12 bows and arrows in each pot. In general, after 3 or 4 rounds of volley shooting, the assault on horseback will begin. Basically, there will be no such situation as running out of arrows.

Longbow: It is also made of yew or ash wood, but the bow body is often 1.8-2.2 meters long. Users are required to be of considerable height. In 1279, the requirement for a longbowman was to be over 175 centimeters tall. They also needed to have strong arm strength, with the bow tension reaching 170 pounds. The arrows of the longbow are also specially made. The arrowheads are made of iron and can easily penetrate the breastplate of the cavalry. Of course, the more common tactic is to shoot the mount. The cavalry that falls off the horse is basically useless. The longbow has a shooting range of more than 300 meters, but archers usually need to maintain more training to ensure shooting accuracy at long distances. From the Battle of Crecy in 1346 to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the British longbow led to the elimination of heavy cavalry and crossbows.

The best longbowmen came from Scotland, who first used this weapon to shoot wild wolves to protect their livestock.

Synthetic bow: As the name suggests, it is made of a variety of materials. Usually the core is still flexible materials such as ash wood, and horny materials are also used; the outside is bound with harder wood pieces such as alder, and the inner layer of thorns is used to glue it. Combined; the outermost layer is made of beef tendon. The production process is extremely demanding and the process is complex. The tendons and horns have equal elasticity on both sides, so the bow made of it is extremely flexible and not easy to break, and both ends can be bent into one place. This kind of bow comes in two sizes: one is smaller, with a width of only about 50 centimeters when the bow is stretched, the bow string is extremely tight, and the arrows used are about 45 centimeters, which is called a Scythian bow. This weapon was used by the Huns in the 7th century and the Mongolian rangers in the 12th century. The arrow shot can penetrate a bison at close range, which is amazing. The effective range is 60-80 meters, and the longest range can reach 200 meters; the other type is larger in size, about 1 meter wide after the bow is opened, the bowstring is slightly less tightened, and the arrow used is 70 centimeters long. The Assyrians in the 11th century The bow and the Persian bow belong to this category. It is worth mentioning that the Assyrian and Persian cavalry were both good at turning around and firing back from their high-speed mounts, catching their opponents off guard.

Bamboo Bow: It sounds simple, and it is. Japanese samurai used arrows made of iron or horn. Shot from a high-speed horse, the range can reach about 30 feet (Xun Ya Xun).

Crossbows: usually divided into two types, the ones that are easy to carry are called light crossbows; the heavy crossbows are installed on the tower and can weigh up to 70 pounds, such as Alexander's siege crossbow and China's bed crossbow . The light crossbow makes up for the lack of lethality and range of ordinary bows and arrows, which can reach 350 meters. Without any training, any peasant hiding in the bushes could become a noble. Therefore, in the 15th century, crossbows were banned in Europe. "The most humble and cowardly hands can take the lives of the most heroic and noble." Heavy crossbow strings are made of spring steel and must be tightened with a winch. The Chinese bed crossbow has a receiver that can hold seven or eight crossbow arrows and is automatically loaded. It is similar to a machine gun in cold weapons, but its rate of fire is low and it is not easy to carry.

Arrows: Finally, let’s talk about arrows. There are two types of arrows. One is Quarrel, which is commonly known as bow and arrow, and the other is called Bolt. Friends who play in the dark will be very confused as to why the blacksmith sells them. Two types of arrows. The difference is that Arrow's arrows are square or triangular, while Bolt's arrows are round. The former has high precision and the latter is easy to process. The arrowheads were first made of cut and polished flint or obsidian, then cast iron, and a small amount of steel. The long, narrow and sharp arrowheads are used for armor penetration;

The flat arrowheads with a side edge are used for hunting.

Other long-range weapons:

Spear: The most basic and simple throwing thrust weapon, usually 1.8-2.5 meters long. It is the earliest weapon that humans learned to use. Generally speaking, there are very few occasions where a spear is used to directly stab the opponent who throws the spear. Most of the time, the opponent is injured and needs to go up to make up for it. For example, the Spanish matador must bleed the bull before entering the arena, and stab it with a spear from a distance.

Javelin: Pay more attention to balance during production to ensure aerodynamics. Achilles and Hector dueled each other with javelins (salute) before the city of Troy. In fact, this weapon was basically no longer used after the era of the Greeks. Inflicts similar damage to a spear, but is more precise when thrown, and sometimes has tail feathers on the rear to aid smooth and straight flight.

Short javelin: This throwing weapon has a shorter shaft but a ball-shaped handle at the end to maintain balance in the air. More difficult to use and less accurate. The example used was that only before the invention of the bow and arrow, warriors in the tribe used this crude equipment.

Slinger: It can easily throw boulders a long distance, usually 100-200 meters. The structure is simple: two belts of the same length are tied with a leather bag in the middle, and a stone is placed in the bag. Grab the end of the belt and swing it around your head at high speed. When the speed reaches the maximum on the fourth or fifth lap, let go of one of the belts, and the stones in the bag will be thrown in the tangential direction. When this kind of equipment is used as a weapon, its effect is not obvious unless it is a volley of hundreds of people. The stones used are also processed and polished, and the flight path of the rounded stones is straighter and more stable.

The last time it appeared in actual combat was in the early Roman War (see "Gaul Wars"), but it was initially just a game for Roman nobles, who used slings to shoot small beasts during hunting.

Heavy catapult: The construction principle is basically the same as that of the catapult. A thick leather rope is used instead of a belt. When used, the stone is thrown out from behind the shoulder instead of accelerating around the head. It was also one of the equipment of the Roman army, but its accuracy was worse and its range was shorter, within about 80 meters.

Javelin thrower: Made of bone or wood, it jams the top of the javelin and throws it out after a run-up. It can throw the javelin more than 100 meters away. It appeared at about the same time as the sling, and was later improved by the Romans. It had an extra belt for ejection and a longer range.

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Section 3 Long Strike Chapter

Huang Jing and white ax, spears and halberds like a forest.

In the dark ages, there were many strange and long weapons, designed to cut down opponents beyond the attack range of the sword. There is no unified standard, so long weapons reflect personal imagination.

Tomahawk: The concept of haunting. In ancient China, the short-handled ax was used and the long-handled ax was used. It can be seen from "Shuowen" that "the Dake ax weighed eight kilograms and was called Tianzhu. It is said that the ax was used as a yue." That can be called a long-handled axe. Axes can be single-edged or double-edged, and the handles are mostly made of wood. The user is always a person with extraordinary physical strength. The sharp ax can easily split the opponent's shield and break the neck bone. When the Normans landed in England in 1066, they generally used double-edged axes, and the English broad-bladed swords were invincible. The Vikings mostly used single-edged axes with a barb on the tip. The people in the north were poorly clad and armored. They could cut their opponent's chest and abdomen with an ax and then use the momentum to hook and pull them, which was horrible to watch.

Crauce hook: In China, the cymbal is a musical instrument in the army, used to stop drums; the hook refers to a long and curved sword, "A young man has a special gift, look at Wu Gou with a smile." The European cymbal hook is Combat weapons were first used by people who pruned branches and leaves in orchards. The nobles and lords fought with weapons, and the peasants were also implicated, so they were quite handy in picking up this kind of strange weapon. The sword is shaped like a curved hook at the top and can separate the limbs of the opponent. This tool was active throughout the Dark Ages, and you can take a closer look at "Braveheart", where a bumpkin peasant is carrying this weapon.

Long knife: It is also the most common weapon in the Middle Ages. The top of the wooden handle is tied with a long and sharp blade, which is a bit like a Japanese monk's razor. It is always very simple. Although the length can reach 2-3 meters, it is very short. The wooden handle can easily be cut off by opponents.

Long halberd: Among the countries of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, halberds were made of bronze and were a mixture of spears and daggers. European halberds are slightly different. The back of the halberd is a hook and sickle, the face of the halberd is an axe, and a spear is placed on the top. It is about 3 meters long and can stab, pick, chop, chop, and hook. It is very powerful. It is the signature weapon of Swiss mercenaries. Today, the Papal Guards in the Vatican still use this weapon.

Spear: The most basic long weapon, slightly thicker than the javelin. The length is more than 6 meters, even 10 meters. The top is a simple gun tip, with a 5-10 cm long iron protector underneath to prevent the gun tip from breaking or being cut off. When in use, place the thick end against the ground and the spear tip forward, which can effectively prevent cavalry attacks. More of them formed a dense formation, with the spears of the soldiers at the back resting on the shoulders of the front row, and they marched forward with a shout. This V-shaped formation is almost an all-powerful attack formation, and there is no need to engage in close combat with the opponent. The Roman legions invented this method of combat and rarely encountered opponents when they moved to the Apennine Peninsula. It was not until the invention of the rifle bayonet that the spear was put into a museum.

Warhammer: As mentioned above, after wearing chain armor, a spear cannot penetrate and a sword cannot break. But one thing brought down another, and heavy strike weapons came into being. A hard blow with a blunt instrument can break muscles and bones through soft armor and crush skulls. The origin of the warhammer cannot be traced. It can be held in hand or thrown to injure people. The handle is made of wood and is covered with iron. Most warhammers have spikes on the back. When used, joints are specially selected due to their small cross-section. The head, shoulders, elbows, knees, one blow will completely destroy the opponent's combat effectiveness, it is extremely vicious.

Mace: Simply put, it is a solid iron rod, or a wooden rod covered with iron. In order to cause greater damage, iron nails or grooves were placed on it, hence the name. Used by cavalry, usually shorter. Infantrymen use a thicker version with a longer handle that can be held with both hands. This weapon is simple and practical, and a hammer hanging on the waist became a symbol of nobility.

Fail: The length of the hammer is too short, so one is cut into two and connected with an iron rope. In the later evolution, the nailed iron rod at the top was replaced by iron balls, and two or three hedgehog balls were whirling and flying. The one who caught the ball would have his skin and flesh bruised or his face would be covered with flowers, and he would be killed instantly.

Meteor hammer: The name is very nice, it is an elongated flail with an iron cable up to one meter long. However, it requires high usage skills and makes a whistling sound. Users can easily become victims, so it is rarely used.

Holy Water Arbitration: A unique hidden weapon, rarely recorded. Strictly speaking, it is a hot weapon, and I will introduce it here. The wooden handle of the hammer is hollowed out and filled with long nails and black powder. It is used as a short blunderbuss that can be fired once. There are few cases of combat. The only time it appeared was during the dispute between the old and new believers, Henry VIII's army had this kind of equipment, and the effect of its use is unknown.

Hatchaxe: As the name suggests, a short-handled handaxe, used for throwing. There are often raised spikes on the back of the ax to increase the killing effect. Henry V's army used this weapon in the Battle of Agincourt. The more famous one is the tomahawk of the American Indian chief. The earliest battle axes were mostly made of stone tools, made of obsidian, flint or black silica. The French entered the river basin and brought steel to the Indian tribes, so tomahawks were cast from steel.

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Section 4: Clothing and Armor

In ancient times, leather was used, which was called armor; today, gold is used, which is called armor.

The characteristics of each era can be seen from the armor. Medieval armor reflects the endless war. In many paintings, King Arthur is wearing armor and is very powerful. In fact, full-body protective armor did not appear in Europe until around 1550. King Arthur was a fighter who resisted Roman rule and lived around the 6th century AD. Uther, known to the Welsh as the Dragon King, was also the Husband of Britain. At that time, the best they wore were leather armor or ring armor. Even the Romans didn't have chain mail and breastplates at that time, so there were no barbarians who were herding sheep outside Hadrian's long wall. According to classic records, in the year 529, the sky was out of phase, comets struck the moon, volcanoes rumbled, and the Dark Ages began with the death of Arthur. Early armors were made by housewives, with tanned leather as the base and cotton as the lining. No one wants to wear armor unless they have to, because it is extremely uncomfortable when it is hot in the summer and cool in the winter.

Leather armor: It is relatively simple to make. Dry the animal skin, boil it in an oil pan; dry it again, knead it until soft, and sew it. It has basically no protective effect, is uncomfortable to wear, and easily scratches the skin. Most of them are equipped with archers and engineers.

Ring-shaped armor: Put several rings of iron hoops on the outside of the leather armor, which is ring-shaped armor. To a certain extent, it can protect against cuts from swords, but it is useless when it comes to the chest, and it cannot be used as a bow, arrow or spear.

Plate armor: also called hard leather armor. A transitional product between ring armor and chain mail. The piece of armor is nailed to the leather. It can protect against blows from above and from the front. If it passes through the seams of the plate armor or is stabbed from below, it will still be damaged. Can cause damage. There are very few in Europe. The most common ones are in Japan. The Ashigaru Cavalry all wear this. There are many in Hara Tetsuo's works. It looks shiny because it is painted with a layer of paint.

Chain armor: a major innovation since the advent of leather armor. Use small iron rings to form a long coat with a hood, which is covered with close-fitting clothing. All the weight is borne by the shoulders, which can effectively protect swords, guns, spears and other sharp weapons, but its weakness is its softness. Hit hard with a strike weapon, even if you were wearing chain mail, you would not be able to survive. The production is quite complicated and cumbersome, and the cost is high. Generally speaking, the smaller the hoop, the better the protective performance. Each hoop must be welded and connected, and the workload can be imagined.

Scale armor: It can be regarded as an improvement of plate armor. The original armor pieces were made of leather, but now they are made of steel; the original joints were lined with flax, and now they are made of mesh. It is always a transitional product, rarely seen, rather like the costumes in the Three Kingdoms comic strip.

Breastplate: The name of the breastplate actually covers a wider area. The torso and limbs are wrapped in a thick piece of steel armor. The joints are still covered with chainmail. The cuffs have mittens, and the head The whole helmet is wrapped in a complete helmet, leaving only a small gap for ventilation and observation. Only heavy cavalry used this equipment. The protection is also extremely complete, and most weapons hardly pose a threat.

Full body armor: The development of armor has finally reached its peak.

This kind of equipment is tailor-made for each knight. Both the man and the horse are wrapped in steel armor, and the joints are also made of extremely complex steel sleeves and bolts. Each set of armor has a loving name given by its owner, just like a knight's mount and sword. Armor-piercing arrows shot from longbows or crossbows can only make small holes at long distances, and other weapons are even worse. It is lighter in weight than chainmail and is more comfortable to wear because the weight is shared by the torso and limbs, no longer just on the shoulders. The disadvantage is its weight, the total weight is more than 50 kilograms, not including the weight of the horse armor. It took three or four well-trained attendants three hours to put the armor on the knight. It was impossible to loosen it on the battlefield, and the joints were all tightened with screws. By the way, the screwdriver was created for this very purpose. The Battle of Agincourt was a nightmare for heavy cavalry, as it rained heavily for two weeks. When the cavalry were outflanked from both sides, they fell into a quagmire, and their horses were shot down by British longbows. The knight struggling in the mud could not stand up on his own, and was easily killed by the opponent's dagger.

Helmets: From the horned helmets of Viking pirates to the iron pots worn on the heads of French infantrymen, helmets come in all kinds of strange styles. The overall function is to provide protection for the head, with a main body at the top, and wings on the sides and back. There is a ring of iron above the shoulders of the ring armor to protect the neck and is connected to the helmet. There are not many decorative elements on European helmets. The high crest on the Roman bronze helmets is more unique, but the bronze helmets weigh 10-20 kilograms. In the later period, the helmets of heavy cavalry were pieced together with steel sheets, making them much lighter. There is a small slit on the helmet through which you can look through. Helmets of this period paid special attention to the protection of the throat, wings and eyes. The smaller the seam, the better the protection, but the viewing angle is obviously more restricted and the requirements are different, so a balance is required.

Shield: A simple protective gear made of thick wooden boards. The exquisite outside is iron-wrapped and comes in various shapes. Generally, the left arm holds a shield and the right arm holds a weapon. A medium-sized shield can withstand the attacks of several opponents, and can also effectively block ordinary bows and arrows.

Giant Shield: Also known as Tower Shield, it mostly appears in the early stages. The Roman legions relied on it to form a turtle formation, and the Spartans and Zulus also used it. Both sides of the Trojan War used this shield that was as tall as one person. There is a strap on the back, slung over the shoulder, and the whole person can hide behind it. This shield is so huge that it affects one's movement, and must be discarded when retreating. The Spartan saying was: "Take my shield and return in triumph, or lie on it and return."

Small buckler: This type of shield is commonly used by cavalry because it has a buckle on the back. Putting it on the arm does not affect movement. Provides minimal protection against melee weapons such as swords or maces.

Gloves: complex and exquisite armor. The steel finger glove is connected to the locking net with leather, and can be used to hold the opponent's weapon without cutting the fingers. In knightly etiquette, the gauntlet was thrown to indicate a request for a duel. This tradition was maintained by later swordsmen, who exchanged their white gloves before a duel, which meant: "Polish your sword."

Horse armor: War horses often require the same or even higher requirements than their owners. Protection, the knight's ability lies entirely in the horse. Making horse armor for a mount is hard work. Steel armor is used for the chest and neck, mail armor is used for the back crotch, and various ribbons are added. However, mounts are still the easiest target for the opponent's archers. The sharp arrows of a longbow or crossbow may not be able to directly penetrate the knight's heavy armor, but they are more than enough to shoot the mount. What's more, the two-handed ax thrown by the Teutonic warriors can knock the knight off the horse or directly break the neck of the mount.

Additional: Castle attack (source unknown = =bbb)

In the late Middle Ages, the number of castles and fortified towns increased sharply, and their important strategic positions made Occupying or defending a stronghold became a common military activity. Although the castle was defended by a small force, the attackers required a much larger force than the defenders to capture it. Because the latter requires a sufficient army to control the countryside around the castle, repel the siege troops, directly attack the stronghold or besiege it. These are extremely consuming actions.

When enemy troops approach a castle, local residents usually retreat into the castle with their valuables, especially food and weapons. But if the lord believed that the siege would last for a long time, peasants who could not participate in the battle would be kept out to avoid consuming food.

With their troops exhausted and rescue hopeless, even though the garrison knew this was a forged message, they had no choice but to accept it and hand over the castle with honor.

Tunnels

The greatest difficulty encountered in capturing a castle or fortified town is overcoming the walls used to prevent enemy forces from advancing. One way to solve this problem is to loosen the bottom of the city wall to allow it to collapse. The prerequisite is that the castle must not yet have a moat or the moat must be drained first. This approach will not work if the foundation of the wall is rock solid.

Once the cornering strategy was adopted, the attacker would dig a tunnel into the wall and follow it to the base of the wall. The tunnel would be supported by wooden piles, and then the bottom soil supporting the foundation of the wall would be dug out and removed and replaced with wooden piles. The wooden piles in the tunnel would later be set on fire as planned. If all goes according to plan, as the wooden piles used to support the weight of the wall gradually burn away, the wall will collapse due to lack of support. The collapsed part of the wall would create a gap, allowing the siege army to directly enter the castle.

Digging tunnels is laborious and time-consuming. The defenders might have been alerted to the existence of the tunnel and built a second wall to prevent the wall from being threatened, so that when the outer wall collapsed, a gap would not be completely exposed. The defenders also knew how to counter the tunnel tactic, which was to dig a tunnel of their own at the base of the wall and try to intercept the enemy's tunnel. When two tunnels meet each other, an underground war ensues.

Siege

The siege army will set up appropriate positions to surround the castle to prevent soldiers in the city from escaping or breaking out. The besiegers will also control nearby farmland and countryside and set up patrols to collect all information about the opponent's reinforcements and gather food. The besieger commander would review the situation and decide which part of the castle to conduct a simple siege or prepare an effective attack. If a castle surrenders because it has run out of supplies, the besiegers will imprison the defenders and prevent any attempt to break the siege. Deciding on the best siege method to use will probably involve some of the following choices:

* Excavation of the base of the wall.

* Select parts of the wall to destroy and ram them with rocks (or cannons. Cannons were still ineffective until 1450, towards the end of the Middle Ages).

* Select the part of the trench (or moat) to be filled.

* Build siege towers and ladders to scale city walls.

* Select the city gate or other parts to hit with the battering ram.