New Online Article - Mail Armour

[DanHoward]

MyArmoury has published an article on mail armour that I wrote for the website. It is a summary of about 8 years of research and experimentation. Bits of it made its way into the upcoming Low Tech 4e. It covers the origins and spread of the armour as well as info about its ability to resist various weapons that was used to help determine the DRs for mail in Low Tech.

http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_mail.html

[shawnhcorey]

Congratulations. Of course, you do realize you're setting a dangerous precedence; RPGs based on real-world knowledge and not something thought up at the spur of the moment by a GM who was playing all night and needed an answer Right Now. :)

[bolondro2]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

MyArmoury has published an article on mail armour that I wrote for the website. It is a summary of about 8 years of research and experimentation. Bits of it made its way into the upcoming Low Tech 4e. It covers the origins and spread of the armour as well as info about its ability to resist various weapons that was used to help determine the DRs for mail in Low Tech.

http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_mail.html

I have just read it. I like it. In particular, when it's explained the change to plate in terms of a mechanization of plate making, while mail remains purely handmade.

[Nymdok]

Well done Dan! Looking forward to seeing Low-Tech!

Nymdok

[shawnhcorey]

Looks like I spoke too soon. There are a lot of interesting points in the article. Like plate armour being cheaper than mail, at least after it became popular.

This is the first time I ever heard of plate under mail but I can see the advantages. From now on, my dwarf heavy infantry will be plate under mail. Imagine a dwarf that can take the full blow of a lance and then pop up and hack the legs out from under the horse.

And it explains why dwarfs would prefer mountains, especially those with lots of streams and rivers. It would allow them to build tall dams for more powerful waterwheels. And more powerful waterwheels mean bigger blast furnaces and trip hammers.

I too am looking forward to Low-Tech. It should provide for some interesting changes in fantasy gaming.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by shawnhcorey

This is the first time I ever heard of plate under mail but I can see the advantages.

Other than subtlety, I can't (at least, as compared to monolithic plates or plate over mail). Putting a hard backing plate behind mail would make it much easier to damage the mail.

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Other than subtlety, I can't (at least, as compared to monolithic plates or plate over mail). Putting a hard backing plate behind mail would make it much easier to damage the mail.

According to the article, the best way to prevent damage to the mail is to wear a surcoat. The layers would be:

• padding of leather or felt
• plates to cover the chest, back, shoulders, upper arms (front and outside), hips, thighs (front and outside), and shins (front and outside)
• another layer of leather or felt to provide slippage between the armours
• mail
• surcoat

The dwarf nobles would wear another layer of mail over their shoulders, similar to what the Romans did, to impress and intimidate their enemies. This layer could be banded with dyed leather or wool to denote heraldry and increase the intimidation effect.

[Maz]

Very interesting stuff, especially the part about how the weapons work against it. Thanks :)

Now, ofcpurse, we expect to see all these details represented in low-tech :D

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by shawnhcorey

According to the article, the best way to prevent damage to the mail is to wear a surcoat. The layers would be:

• padding of leather or felt
• plates to cover the chest, back, shoulders, upper arms (front and outside), hips, thighs (front and outside), and shins (front and outside)
• another layer of leather or felt to provide slippage between the armours
• mail
• surcoat

Does it? That wasn't my intent. A surcoat isn't padded. It is just a piece of material with a heraldic device on it. You might be thinking of a padded jack, which WAS worn over mail by some, and proved effective against longbows. You could certainly layer all the above using Low Tech but you'd suffer from DX penalties and it woudn't be historically accurate.

Historically the following was worn.

Either:
Lightly padded aketon/pourpoint followed by mail followed by pieces of plate which may have had integrated padded liners
Or
Lightly padded aketon/pourpoint followed by mail followed by heavily padded garment made of quilted linen or felt
Or
Heavily padded linen or felt garment followed by mail.
Or
Lightly padded arming doublet followed by plate. The only mail was used as voiders to cover gaps not protected by plate.
Or
A jazerant or khazagand which consisted of a mail shirt sandwiched between layers of padded cloth and leather. Usamah talks about his khazagand containing two distinct layers of mail.

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

... and it woudn't be historically accurate.

But dwarfs aren't historically accurate anyway. ;) Since dwarfs are suppose to be indifferent to burdens, overloading their armour seems justifiable.