Quote:This definition of half plate is actually almost exactly what I had in mind for them.
Half-Plate or Three Quarter armour mixes chain and plate to mix the benefits of both. Alternatively scale armour of the roman pattern or lamellar armour of byzantine rome or japanese samurai gives formidable coverage.
The standard gear for one of the Dynasty's ordinary line units would be a chain hauberk with a breastplate and helmet. The men expected to see a lot of close fighting - like, taking city walls or something - would add greaves and vanbraces and carry a sword and shield. Ranged troops would have a backup weapon like a short sword or a hand axe and their crossbow; and their spearman would trade in the last for something like a short-sword on a six-foot stick. The Guard? Besides adding plate protection for the upper limbs, they carry big swords.
The Rivers make their armor by taking laminated wood sheets, soaking them, and then forming them to appropriately shaped molds so that they dry into the desired shape. Once that's done, they glue then nail on a layer of high-quality steel strips - which, not having to be formed into a complete cuirass or whatever, are both simpler and cheaper than completely steel armor. Add straps and a leather layer on the inside to stop splinters and you're set.
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The reason I'm being resistant to the idea of breeding the existing mounts up, beyond my doubts about the canine body-plan being able to support it, is that heavy cavalry was historically ubiquitous, and effective against almost anything else on the battlefield.
Also boring.
By strictly limiting the maximum weight their mounts can bear, I force these nations to come up with other, more interesting solutions to the problem, from both gameplay and story perspectives.
Ja, -n
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"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"