When the Old ways meet the New: Landsknecht versus Man at Arms on foot [Greatsword and Pollaxe]

The late 15th and 16th centuries are known as a time of great changes, and this is no different with regards to warfare. This so-called military revolution is among others a process of professionalisation, with professional Infantry like the Landsknechte gradually taking the place of the lance system centered around the Man at Arms. This video is an attempt to visualise what an encounter between these two types of fighters could have looked like.
Note: we have to both hold back our strikes and thrusts quite significantly. It's a challenge to go at full speed in historical kit with half armour and stay safe. The unprotected openings are many. Also, a lot of the hits that I as the Landsknecht get to make occur by the grace of the man at arms not wearing mail voiders. There's a few exchanges where I set up a lot of consecutive hits that hit the armour, only for the man at arms to get one good hit in and end the exchange. If he would have had more of the weak points protected by mail, this would have happened more often. We are both currently upgrading our kit. So if you think this is cool, but would like more intensity, let me know and we might get back to this topic in some time.
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Music courtesy of epidemicsound.com

[@unexpectedbonk4049]

It's an interesting fight to watch but I can't help but notice the difference in speed between the two. Naturally you're more comfortable swinging at closer to full speed against the fully armoured man as opposed to semi-armoured so you can see the Knight holding back a little for safety reasons

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Yep, it's an artefact, but similarly I also had to hold the thrusts back quite a bit. It balances out somewhat, but it will be more representative after we get our armour upgraded to be safe at higher intensity

[@thewarlordhimself]

I've been recently watching your videos and I must say I love the stuff that gets pushed out, especially with the landsknecht content that you've been doing.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Thank you! I'm really happy to hear that. :)

[@dequitem]

A very beautiful location. I would love to make a video with you there!

[@VirtualFechtschule]

That would be a very nice idea. I'm sure Nick and the other guys would love to meet you as well! Let's start planning something! :D

[@Dugong-cb7lw]

That would be epic

[@hanshanszoon]

If you are at Harnischfechten Symposium next week, we can meet ;)

[@polymathart]

Swiss pikeman vs German landsknecht next please!

[@ontaka5997]

I assumed most Landsknaechten didn't wear head protection, and expected for the full armored knight to go for the head. The legs also seemed quite vulnerable.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

They did, but most portraits and other famous depictions show them rather in campaign dress, rather than fully kitted out for battle. When looking at some reliable sources showing Landsknechte armed for a battle, they look often more armoured up. Front rankers especially were often armoured even better than the Landsknecht in this video is.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

As for legs, they are. It's quite difficult to get legs with a polleaxe, without opening up to instant karma, delivered to the upper openings. 😅 But with good timing it's very possible, and you see Nick getting me there quite beautifully.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

@@VirtualFechtschule Pietro Monte favored a rather long pollaxe specifically for its ability to strike the foot more conveniently: " The length of the poleaxe or tripuncta to the hammer should be in measure one hand longer than the man carrying it, so that it can reach everywhere, without being lowered to strike the other’s foot, for a distance on the ground as long as our self." So attacking low with a pollaxe was definitely practiced historically.

[@ontaka5997]

@@VirtualFechtschule THX for the detailed information 😄😄

[@VirtualFechtschule]

@@b.h.abbott-motley2427 Yes, but I think Monte would have agreed you need to be smart about it. ;) That said, do you know whether he means to cut or thrust at the foot? The thrust is quite good for timing your attack well in my experience, and I think especially so with a long polleaxe.

[@darthplagueis13]

I imagine in a 1v1 the Man at Arms might be at an advantage, simply due to being more heavily armoured. The big difference would be in how entire armies would look, with Landsknechts utilizing a modernized military doctrin of dense but still quite maneuverable pike formations, hard to crack for heavy infantry and cavalry alike. A Doppelsöldner like the one portrayed in the video would really fill support roles more so than contributing much to the frontline fight. They'd protect the flanks and rear of formations, accompany key personell as Trabants, guard important locations and might occasionally serve as shock troopers to strike at relevant targets or help break up enemy formations.

[@eduardocavalcanti4193]

That is a epic fight, i absolute Loves it

[@xgodslayer69x]

seems like greatsword struggled a lot against a heavily armored enemy, can't say im surprised wonder how the fight would look like if the knight didnt have leg and arm protection

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Way different. ;)

[@АлексейШпак-ш2п]

standing in a close clinch with a man at arms in full armor is suicide

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Trying to land shots from longer range isn't ideal either.

[@ianmorrison6127]

LOL, the landsknecht looks like an angry child

[@thepalebird9826]

2:23 good head duck!! Love Y'all!

[@rhabeldibabeldi6812]

second that, it was lovely to see

[@ghiaccio4179]

2:41 you know it's over when your opponent's theme song starts playing

[@davidribeiro1064]

The knight is an absulute unit of a dude.

[@hanshanszoon]

Thanks 😅 I am 2m tall

[@TITANia69420]

There *might* be a height difference/advantage within the bout

[@MairsMate]

Very cool.

[@pangopod2969]

What's the name of the guard used at 4:07 by the personn on the right please ?

[@TheFreaksAteMyBrain]

Well, knights and landsknechts fought for real against eachothers in the early '500. But zweihander can't really do much against a full plated knight of the same epoch. The main way to put down a foot knight in melee is to wrestle him and stab him between the plates with a knife (and that's not easy because XVI armors were nearly impenetrable). Zwaihanders can't ofc cut through or pierce the tempered steel plates. The primary use for a greatsword is to cut down light infantry formations that have unarmored limbs or to break the enemy pikes.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Yep, pretty much. There's a few exchanges that show this well, and the ones where the landsknecht wins, it's mostly because the full armour has a few more weak spots than a top tier armour would have had.

[@viscountsb7140]

What music was used? I've been looking for the song at 2:55

[@Robert_0112]

It's called "Wir zogen in das Feld"

[@derbaummitfleisch]

Nice Video ❤where did you get your breastplate.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Thanks! It's made by Radoslaus the Armourer.

[@slackerpope]

Nope, that friends is expensive cosplay. The guy with no armor is in HUGE trouble. Go see how much you'd have to pay a Battle of Nations guy to enter a melee in his Ren Faire outfit to find out the truth.

[@darthplagueis13]

Well, that's kind of the thing, mate - it's a very different style of warfare. In single combat like this, a 16th century Landsknecht wouldn't do well against a 15th century Man at Arms. However, the army that the Landsknecht would be part of had very good odds of wiping the floor with that of the Man at Arms because of a change in military doctrin which made them really quite effective against late medieval armies. Instead of using your money to afford as many of the best equipped combattants you could find, you instead hire a much larger quantity of cheaper and more lightly armoured pikemen and halberdiers and have them fight in dense formations. Instead of facing just one guy, that Man at Arms might be facing three or four, all of which would be using some kind of long-range polearm. The Landsknecht in this match-up is already somewhat better off than the average soldier in those regiments, having at least a chestplate. By his use of a Montante/Schlachtschwert you can idenify him as a Doppelsöldner, a higher-paid specialist who would mostly serve as bodyguard for key personell or for defending strategic locations and the flanks and rear of formations, maybe being deployed as shock troopers if the situation called for it. Battle of the Nations is a sport, first and foremost. A historically inspired sport, but a sport nonetheless. At the end of the day, it's about having fun and showing your skills, but you don't want anyone getting seriously hurt. Therefore there's a long list of specifications for the armour and which weapons and techniques are and aren't allowed and such, which lead to the emergence of specific tactics that are unique to this kind of tournament and not applicable to actual historical combat. Considerations such as hiring cheaper soldiers so that you can field larger quantities and open up more strategic options simply don't apply - one side isn't allowed to simply bring three times as many combattants into a melee and in exchange having those combattants wear less armour. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for people who do HMB, but you shouldn't use it as reference for what does or doesn't work on a medieval battlefield.

[@docholiday7975]

Oh please, HMB is a joke so far as recreating combat goes. The armour is so overbuilt and the weapons limited in mass the only reasonable way to out someone is by wrestling. Even if the weapons weren't close to useless the lack of any type of thrusting because of safety rules makes it meaningless, especially since it forbids entire categories of weapons from being used. It's a medieval themed sport and nothing more.

[@crimsoncrusader4829]

was the knight's sword an arming sword or a longsword? what length was it?

[@hanshanszoon]

It's an old Kovex longsword that I use. The sword is from my father in law, like half my armour. It is a tiny bit shorter than regular feders used for HEMA these days. The sword is too heavy, but very stiff, so I like it for halfswording.

[@mitsuhide1vampire]

What is the song name at 3:00?

[@Robert_0112]

It's called "Wir zogen in das Feld"

[@svensvensson2724]

At this range whoever pulls a dagger is the winner.

[@Specter_1125]

It’s really not that simple. You still need decent structure to get a dagger through maille. Not every thrust will hit home.

[@svensvensson2724]

@@Specter_1125 You've plenty of opportunity locked up like that.

[@АлексейШпак-ш2п]

wild nonsense, and some kind of nonsense in the video description.

[@Specter_1125]

Then why are you here?