Introduction

Air Combat

Civilian

Land Combat

Archer

Artillery

AT Crew

Barbarian Horse Archer

Barbarian Horseman

Berserker

Black Army

Bombard

Carolean

Catapult

Cavalry

Conquistador

Cossack

Courser

Crossbowman

Crouching Tiger

Cuirassier

Digger

Domrey

Eagle Warrior

Field Cannon

Gaesatae

Garde Impériale

Giant Death Robot

Heavy Chariot

Helicopter

Hetairoi

Highlander

Hoplite

Horseman

Hul'che

Huszár

Hwacha

Hypaspist

Immortal

Impi

Infantry

Janissary

Keshig

Khevsur

Knight

Legion

Line Infantry

Llanero

Machine Gun

Malón Raider

Mamluk

Man-At-Arms

Mandekalu Cavalry

Maryannu Chariot Archer

Mechanized Infantry

Modern Armor

Modern AT

Mountie

Musketman

Ngao Mbeba

Nihang

Okihtcitaw

Oromo Cavalry

Pike and Shot

Pikeman

Pítati Archer

Questing Knight

Ranger

Redcoat

Rocket Artillery

Rough Rider

Sabum Kibittum

Saka Horse Archer

Samurai

Scout

Skirmisher

Slinger

Spearman

Spec Ops

Swordsman

Tagma

Tank

Toa

Trebuchet

Vampire

Varu

Voi Chiến

Warak’aq

War-Cart

Warrior

Warrior Monk

Winged Hussar

Zombie

Naval Combat

Support

Heroes

Man-At-Arms

Description

Medieval Era melee unit.

Historical Context

The term “man-at-arms” is a general term for heavy troops, especially European units in the middle ages. While a man-at-arms could be anything from a noble, mounted knight to a mercenary pikeman, here we use it to refer to the heavily armored footmen of the later middle ages. As armories and forges grew more standardized, cheap, replaceable “munition armor” became an option instead of the individually tailored, extremely expensive suits of plate that nobles used. With munition armor, regular soldiers or mercenaries could be nearly as well defended as a knight, and as such posed a real threat on the battlefield. The German-speaking “Landsknecht” of the 15th century, with their great two-handed swords, were a classic example of this.

Outside of Europe at the same time, similar pushes for mass-produced armor for non-noble soldiers led to similar “men-at-arms.” In the Sengoku period in Japan, a time when rival feudal claims to the Imperial throne tore the island apart, ashigaru (foot soldiers) dressed in folding armor (tatami gusoku), were vital. With the arrival of footsoldiers in mass-produced armor, no longer were infantry rabble to serve as backdrop for knightly conflicts, but they were suddenly significant on their own.