Your role on a medieval battle field?

heavymental

If you were a soldier in days of old, pitched into battle against some swarthy invaders from a foreign land...where would we find you on the field?

Me? I think I'd be a night swinging a battle axe from atop a snorting stallion.

redddraggon

Archer, winning the battle.

pneumatic

The men of my village went to Bannockburn as "small folk". This meant that they were told to stay out of sight and chop up the oranges for half time (or whatever feeding the combatants involved in those days).

As the match progressed, they became so excited at the prospect of a Scottish home win, that they all rushed onto the field (remember Wembley 1977?). This proved to be the turning point in the battle as the English knights took one look at them and decided to go forth and multiply as fast as their armoured legs could carry them. As a reward for our contribution, Robert the Bruce gave us permission to have a market and get bevvied once a year, and we have done so every year since.

So I'd be one of the small folk. Take along a few tinnies, cheer them all on from the terraces and get the credit for being the decisive 12th man.

Rob Sallnow

I'd be Kate Adie.

Stewie Griffin

Archer - Twanging arrows from a strategic position. Safe distance indeed :roll: Bringing down the Horses of the French Nobility in the Kent mud for the Men at Arms to finish off :oops:

synchronicity

Isn't there another choice?

Can't someone still be technically involved in the battle, just without fighting & from a distance away?

How about a artistic painter? Surely someone has to record the epic moment for posterity. :oops:

Rob Sallnow

synchronicity wrote:

Isn't there another choice?

Can't someone still be technically involved in the battle, just without fighting & from a distance away?

Yeah...Kate Adie!!

bobpzero

or maybe the stealth ninja assassin. cant do without them

Lagavulin

Archer. Longbows are cool as f**k!

Ash_

synchronicity wrote:

How about a artistic painter? Surely someone has to record the epic moment for posterity.

We're talking the Middle Ages here - you'd be better off doing a tapestry. It'd take years and so could get you out of many subsequent battles too.

popette

excellent question Heavy - something I have never asked myself until now

I would probably be back at the castle, taking care of wounded soldiers or making feasts with lots of spit roasted meats. (wearing a low cut red velvet gown - yehhhh). Hopefully I would still have all my teeth.

hisoka

I thought carefully, looked at myself in a mirror and went "crazy fella, has to be" and so my vote is cast. hehe

McBain_v1

Soldier type, slicinig and dicing and getting maimed. Poor eye-sight on my part rules out archery, I'm crap at riding horses but my disproportionately large arms make me perfect to swing a long-sword, bastard sword, broad sword or glaive around to devastating effect 8)

Plus of course, you'd get some cool scars and chicks dig scars...

Parkey

Hmmmm....

Let me think....

ChrisLS

...I would be an English Bowman giving the enemy the two fingered salute...the longbow was the weapon of choice that brought down many a charge of mounted, over armoured knights...

...even Wellington asked for a company of archers...very efficent weapon the longbow... 8)

...great thread Heavy...

Mithras

Only one place to be......deep in the shield wall....luckily I get to do it at weekends. It's very much like Valhalla Arrive....Drink mead and ale...fornicate (well some of the lucky ones do)....get up in the morning...fight til you die...and repeat



In the shield-wall we stand to defend our land
Holding on till the end

Brace the storm and keep the shining blades at bay
Fight to let our kingdom live another day
Heed the old ones' cries, we mustn't let them down
We will slaughter them to keep them from the crown

heavymental

Well, Archer seems to be a very popular choice at the moment. I guess for every crazy axe wielding type you need a few level headed archers to get the job done from afar. Hmm...Poppette....maybe I should put in another option to cover your role.

Edit: Doh, can't add options as far as I can see. I'll pencil you in as the rosy cheeked Wench though. Maybe Synchronicity, our resident tapestryist(!?) can bear that in mind when producing his great work.

CHRISNOIR

I'd probably just ponce about in a very shiny suit of armour and look fantastic. Will this still allow me to partake in the feasting, drinking and wenching afterwards?

heavymental

CHRISNOIR wrote:

I'd probably just ponce about in a very shiny suit of armour and look fantastic. Will this still allow me to partake in the feasting, drinking and wenching afterwards?

Well Chris, I don't make the rules and it sounds fine to me but I'm not so sure the pikemen and sword wielding types would appreciate your lack of effort. I doubt the wenches would be that keen either. They can spot a phony knight a mile off. You might just have to hide in your room and buff up your helmet on your own (sorry).

ChrisLS

...us archers will need a few flagons of ale and a wench or two to give our aching shoulders a good rub down... ...all that twanging takes its toll you know...

CHRISNOIR

ChrisLS wrote:

...us archers will need a few flagons of ale and a wench or two to give our aching shoulders a good rub down... ...all that twanging takes its toll you know...

Careful, you'll snap yer string...

IceWeaselcp

General solider. Generals don't win wars, infantry do 8)

boybiker

I would go for being an archer but they now say that the longbow needed about 180lbs of pull so I might only be able to manage half a twang and a quick rub down with a wench every now and then, my arms being quite feak and weeble.

heavymental

Hmm...that hair would make you a popular target. I wouldn't hand around on the castle walls if I were you.

batch78

Hmm, stand around, listening to the battle plan, nodding in argeement, occaisonally pointing out tactical advantages with the local terrain, agree to take a small contingent of men along the river bed into the tree line beside the enemy, then wait for the perfect moment before,






BURSTING FROM COVER SCREAMING LIKE A LUNATIC, PAINTED FACE, BEARD, AND THE BIGGEST SWORD ON THE FIELD, SMALL AXE IN BELT, DAGGER IN BOOT,



I am the crazy fella, best thing about the vote so far is I even stand a chance of surviving what with three of us running amok! :twisted:

boybiker

I would be OK with a shiny helmet

Now we just wait for the silly and childish comments :roll: :roll:

Redmog

Archer - shooting a 60# Hun bow at the moment, but the warbows are another devastating bit of kit. The last shoot I was at there was a guy with a 180# warbow, he didn't look much like a cyclist tho!

shockedsoshocked

I noticed there wasn't an option for Mediivil Lord/King, so i'll volunteer myself for that position

shockedsoshocked

I noticed there wasn't an option for Mediivil Lord/King, so i'll volunteer myself for that position

robbarker

I'd be Henry V. He got the best horse.

Cunobelin

Mithras wrote:

Only one place to be......deep in the shield wall....luckily I get to do it at weekends. It's very much like Valhalla Arrive....Drink mead and ale...fornicate (well some of the lucky ones do)....get up in the morning...fight til you die...and repeat



In the shield-wall we stand to defend our land
Holding on till the end

Brace the storm and keep the shining blades at bay
Fight to let our kingdom live another day
Heed the old ones' cries, we mustn't let them down
We will slaughter them to keep them from the crown

Also been there - I was a pikeman in Sir Nicholas Slanning's Regiment of Foote for some years...... A few years late, but I suspect that there was little difference in the technique!