Executions

[Ludens]

@Ludens. I was under the impression that the Longbowmen had to actually get into the melee at some point, not just kill the people already on the ground. There weren't all that many men-at-arms on the english side of that battle.

I am probably confusing battles. Either way, downed knights would often be finished by supporting troops using long, thin daggers that could be slid into weak spots of their armour.

[-Praetor-]

I am probably confusing battles. Either way, downed knights would often be finished by supporting troops using long, thin daggers that could be slid into weak spots of their armour.

No you aren't. It was at Agincourt where the longbowmen slaughtered the french knights that were prisoners. Henry ordered this deed to be done by his longbowmen in order to bypass the code of honour, that ordered knights not to kill other knights that have been captured or are unable to defend themselves. Thus, Henry used his longbowmen who were non noble, plain villains, to massacre several thousands knights.

[antisocialmunky]

Yeah, no one is disputing that. But I'm talking about joining the men at arms. I've seen quotations about how they disabled knights with lead mallets, hatchets and daggers after the melee was joined and they were out of ammunition.

All things considered, despite the tremendous amount of clusterery on the part of the French, 900 men at arms are still going find it hard to cut it against 10K-15K equally well armed french knights.