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i have bought the osprey book 1300-1500 italian armies however it does not delve much into infantry and units perspecifc to areas. I have found looked all over the web and have found very little. So if anyone knows anything about italian armies in this period could tehy please post.
The Two crowns forum has some good info on Italian Renaissance units by Angelnessuno. Though you'll have to dig around a bit. Think its in the main thread there. Somewhere around 3weeks/a month ago.
~:dizzy:
This is Angelnessuno's research not mine. But incase anyone missed it here it is again. I hope he doesn't mind the repost. Its a comprehensive intro to Venetian armies of the late med/early renaissance.
MERCENARIES and venetian units
-''San Marco knight order''
San Marco order was composite by the Venetian Nobility
it was an elite unit of knight armoured with the best italian and german armours design,it was a mounted heavy troop well trained and equiped
(DJ i think that you can use them like royal knight .....Venice was a republic so there weren't the royal knight)
-''LANZE SPEZZATE''(heavy mounted man at arm)
Generalli the new permanently employed Horseman was know as a ''Lanze Spezzate'' or ''broken lance'' and stemmed from the fact that many of the first had either deserted from ''Condottieri''company or came from those whose leader had died : they were common in most italian Armies
They were heavy Men-at-arms that continued to use old cavalry tactics consisting of repeated frontal charges
-''Cavalleggeri'' (light mounted man at arm )
an heavy cavalry but the horses hadn't their armour
-North Italian Light cavalrymen ''CAVALLERIA LEGGERA''
Venetians and Italians cavalry were divided into light and heavy units,throught the main difference seem to have been
in the uses of otherwise of horse-armour
In the fiftheenth century italians light cavalrymen were quite heavily armoured by early standards
They charged the enemy with their lances ,after in the middle of battle they used their swords.
The primarily heavy cavalry tactics consisting of repeated frontal charges while the light cavalry must manouvre and charge the enemy in the flanks so
the light cavalry operated after the charge of the heavily mounted units
-''Heavy mounted Man-At arms''
they continued to use old fashioned cavalry tactics consisting of repeated frontal charges by relatively small formations. The italian man-at-arms were heavily armoured respect their 14th century counterparts .
They were equiped with italian armours that were famous for their design,unlike the best german armours,with their almost barbaric abundance of decoraytions the 15th century italian armor were strict and functionals as a modern warplane .
-''ARSENALOTTI''ELITE (doge's guard)
The Elite of Venetian infantry were drawn from the ranks of ''Arsenalotti'' They provided guards from the doge's palace and other governament buildings ,acting as a police force and even a fire-brigade,as well as furnishing detachments of well-equiped infantry
-''STRADIOTTOI''
Stradiotti were always lightly armoured or even unarmored ,they were recluited in the southen and eastenmost part of the venetian empire,maybe from Dalmatia and Istria ,it was a light skirmisher cavalry.
They fought primally with light spears,swords and Asian composited bow.
Their fighting style was very similar to light spanish cavalry who fought a' la jineta in Moorish style.
The stradiotti had shown their skill in counter-raiding,forming advance and rear guard ,harassing the foe in naval landing.
In Combat the stradiotti operated in a manner identical to their bizantine predecessors and muslim-turkish enemies :ropeating charging and withdrawing ,them couterattacking a foe who had become disourganised.
-''SFAKIOTY ''infantry Archers
They were recluited in the Venetian province of Crete,They fought for Venice but they were generally a source of rebels,brigands and pirates.We can have some doubt about their loyality specially because Crete vas famous for his Anti-Venetian Feeling
it was a light equiped gneraly unarmored archers that fought with normal bows .
-''ZAGADARI''
It was a heavy cavalry unit... generally mercenaries that came from Cristian European territory...the great part was recluited from german.
-''Mounted crossbowman''
They were included in a lot of european army but They played a mor significative role in italian armies.it operated as a skirmisher unit in open order avoiding frontal assoult
-''Mounted archibuisers''
Mounted archibuisers rarely used their weapons from horseback but were becoming popular as bodyguards.
Only at and of 15th century they begin to operate like skirmisher and counter-raiding units.The Famous Condottiery Jovanni of Black bard Had in is mercenaries army these units that operated specially in night raids
against enemy infantry units .These units of mounted archibuiser in jovanni army wore black armour so during night attacks the enemy had some problem to see and distinguish them
-''TARGHIERI''or (Pavise crossbowman)
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-''ROTULARII'' (an italian sword- and Buckler)
The italians sword -and bucker foot soldiers were a light fast and quick assault infantry distinguished by small round shield.Lightly equiped and trained for offensive fighting
This new type of unit is borned after the decline of the old urban militias in response to warfare in the broad flat lombard plain with its pachworks of river and canals
-''FOOT MAN AT ARM''
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-''CROSSBOWMAN''
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-''ARCHIBUISER''
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-''Heavy Infantry with lances''
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-''Italian Light Cavalry''
The role of light infantry was vital in those siege that dominated italian renaissance warfare .They were light armoured ,generally they used a large wooden shield that became charactheristic of italy's infantry. Their primarily arms were pole-weapons like spears
In Italy there was the tendency to use only a lef harnees worn on the vulnerable left leg ,wich was normally advanced foward when fighting in ranks.
The light italian infantry tradition is something similar to the english longbowmen ,or swiss pikeman tradition .
All infantry were trained to act in close co-operation with friendly cavalry and to attack enemy horsemen rathen than foot soldiers.
They would also engage the enemy in relatively open order avoiding frontal assault but moving fast and attempting to hit the enemy flanks
-''RONCOLIERI'' (billman)
The characteristic italian ''Roncone'' a version of the english bill provied inadeguate against the latest full plates cavalry .During Middle of 15th century they were still used but they were gradually replaced by the heavier swiss-style halberders
-''Archers''
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-''Militia''
-common units-
-''PROVISIONATI''
Garrison units were naturally the first such permanent troops and were know as ''Provvisionati'' from their regular wage or ''provvisione''.
The great part of provisionati were infantry generally heavy equiped.
Like ''Lanze Spezzate'' cavalry units Provvisionati were common in most italians army
ABROUD MERCENARIES:
-Swiss pikeman
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-german pikeman
-nothing to say they were common in all europe-
-german hands gunner
-nothing to say they were common in all europe
Thanks to you Nomad and Angelnessuno this has helped me a lot for the ventian faction if anyone knows or finds any information please post.
please could anyone tell me of any italian troops in their armies not already included in the game please. I already have many venetian ones however i have not so many about the others could anyone post any info they know about italian armies between 1300-1500.