"Plate reenforcments on fireforce men at arms" Topic

So looking at the spures, there are small rectangle bits, I almost didn't see them, I assume these are to put on the arms and legs as plate reenforcments for the mail?

Hi Gunfreak,

I believe you are referring to the ailettes – these were a flat plate of leather or parchment which tied to the point of the shoulder. Typically worn between 1250-1350 to display the owner's coat of arms.

Ah thats what they are, thanks, tried to find painted up versions were people had used them. but no luck

Gunfreak: I threw my box away, but I believe that on the box there is a picture of a painted crossbowman with them attached.

I hope you removed the contents first, tigrifsgt.

Ailettes were a relatively short-lived fashion, decorative rather than functional. If I'm looking at the correct Fire Forge box – and I may not be – it's a funny assortment of figures…armoured mounted crossbowmen on barded horses?
By the turn of 13/14th C the term 'man at arms' is pretty specific.
It comprises each and every fully armoured bloke on a barded horse whose primary weapon is his lance, from the lowest status person obliged to give 'knight service' (and of course hardly any of them are actual knights) up to and including the king himself. It does not include footmen of any kind, nor hobilars, though the latter may become a man-at-arms if he makes a success of his career – Pierre de Lubaud would be a good example.
The fireforge weapon choices seem questionable. Do the weapons come moulded to the arms or can you equip everyone with a lance? A man wielding an axe or sword from the saddle will be someone who has dropped/broken his lance.
The guys who don't have barded horses will not be getting their 12d a day, just the reduced rate of 6d same as a hobilar and they may not be entitled to the 'restauro' payment if their horse is lost in action since they did not take the proper steps to protect it. The Fire Forge set – other than the barded horse chappies – is maybe better regarded as potential hobilars.
A hobilar is not a light cavalry soldier/mounted skirmsher, but rather a mounted infantryman; OK for riding round the countryside frightening the locals, but not for riding into major battle.
The term sergeant is used is a variety of functions at different times, but by the later middle ages a 'sergeant at arms'in English armies is most likely going to be a man-at-arms with a command function. In some instances – possibly most of them – it was essentially a rank thing to give leaders of sub-knightly origins a bit of authority over the other members of he unit – notably in garrisons.
Andrew Ayton, Anne Curry and (ahem) Chris Brown are the 'go-to' writers for this sort of thing in later medieval England and Scotland…don't know who you'd want for France, but I imagine there will be useful titles in the bibliographies of Ayton and Curry.

Yeah Henry it was empty when I threw it away.

To clarify the box i have is mounted sergeants.
Same as the men at arms, but no barded horses, no crossbows.

In my box, yes you can equip all 12 with lances.