Codex Martialis: Armor & Missiles of the Ancient World Crossbow, Light Crossbows are relatively accurate and can be held in An ordinary crossbow of a type which was very common in readiness almost indefinitely, but are less suitable than bows Medieval Europe, and also in many other parts of the for indirect shots, though they could be used that way. More world from the Middle East to Vietnam. The draw weight is typically they were used to individually target specific enemies between 80 and 120 lbs. Suitable for hunting small game, or targets. they can also take down larger game or people especially when used with poison darts as they often were in Asia. The knottelarmbrüste commonly featured a thick wooden An example of this weapon is the Skåne lockbow found in prod made of different types of wood (most commonly yew) southern Scandinavia during the Medieval period. with strings that were vulnerable to moisture, and unlike a bow they could easily be unstrung. For this reason, they were Crossbow Latchet typically carried with a leather sheath over both the prod (bow) and the string, and the quarrels or bolts were carried in This is yet another unusual type of crossbow which a special type of wooden quiver covered in fur. Though of only appeared in the late 15th or 16th Century and was known moderate power, is weapon quickly achieved an important to have been used in several places, notably by border role in warfare and it had a disruptive social effect as well, Reivers in the British Isles. It is a crossbow with a built in because it was somewhat effective against armor. spanning device, similar to a goats-foot, (or more closely, like the break action pump used in many modern air guns) which makes spanning the weapon very fast and easy. Javelin, Light They were expensive, and tended to be small, but the This is a smaller, lighter Javelin which can be thrown longer simplicity of spanning the weapon made it useful from distances, sometimes these were vaned like darts. horseback. Javelin Crossbow, Heavy A javelin is a relatively light spear specialized for throwing. This is the type of heavy crossbow called a This was arguably the most common weapon on the knüttelarmbrüste or knottelarmbrüste by the Germans, battlefields of both Europe and Asia from the Bronze Age which first appeared in Europe around the 7th or 8th through the late Medieval period. Javelins thrown individually Century AD and remained in use for both hunting and can be caught and thrown back, but javelins thrown in volleys warfare, through the 16th. Though not as powerful as the can be extremely devastating, especially to troops lacking composite and steel prod types which came later, they shields or heavy armor. Javelins were used from chariots, had a notable effect on the battlefield. from horseback, and by infantry. A moderately powerful crossbow roughly equivalent to a Half-Spear, Thrown modern hunting crossbow with a draw weight of roughly A half spear (see Codex Martialis Melee Weapons of the 150 – 250 lbs, this weapon launched fairly heavy quarrels Ancient World) that has been thrown. with a variety of different types of heads for hunting or warfare. Quarrels were shorter and stouter than arrows, Spear, Thrown and less aerodynamic. They typically featured just two An ordinary dual-purpose spear which has been thrown. At leather or paper vanes rather than feathers. short range a thrown spear has greater penetration than one used in a thrust. Sample file 59 Codex Martialis: Armor & Missiles of the Ancient World The 13th Century Byzantine monastery at Suemella, Turkey Table II.2 Martial Missile Weapons Weapons Cost Weight Ready Range Max Prep AP Basic Attack STR Plunging Bonus Increment Range Time Damage Type Bonus shot Swiss Arrow (S) 3 SP 0.5 lb 0 15’ 120’ 1 +2 1-4 P (Y) Y Javelin, Pilum (M) 5 SP 1 lb 0 15’ 90’ 0 +2 1-6 P (Y) N Javelin, Heavy Pilum (M) 8 SP 2 lb 0 10’ 60’ 0 +4 1-6 P (Y) N Javelin, Thong (M) 2 SP 3 lb 0 15’ 90’ 1 +2 1-8 P Y N Soliferrum (M) 10 SP 6 lb 0 5’ 30’ 0 +6 1-6 P Y N Short Bow (M) 7 SP 1 lb +1/ +3 20’ 180’ 1 - 1-6 P N Y Recurve Bow (M) 25 SP 2 lb +1/ +3 25’ (650’)*** 1 +2 1-6 P Y Y Crossbow, Slurbow 90 SP 5 lb +1/ +3 30’** 80’* 2 - 1-6 B N N Crossbow, Repeating 40 SP 8 lb +2 20’ (300’)*** 0 - 1-3 P N N Crossbow, Stirrup (M) 100 SP 5 lb +2/ +4 40’** (500’)*** 3 +2 1-8 P N N Long Bow 15 SP 2 lb +1/ +3 25’ (600’)*** 1 +2 1-8 P Y Y Staff Sling 5 SP 4 lb - / - 5’ 200’ 1 - 1-6* B (Y) Y For explanation of the Chart Columns see table I.2 Simple Missile Weapons above. * Flat trajectory only (max 4 range increments). ** +4 To Hit if readied beforehand (or Cocked and loaded). *** All bows can fire up to double maximum range as indirect fire, see below: **** Fist sized, hard, heavy rock (granite, obsidian) ***** 10’ radius required for throwing Swiss Arrow Javelin, Thong (Weavers Beam) A “Swiss Arrow” is not necessarily Swiss and is not really This is an ancient type of javelin which is made with a strap an arrow, it’s basically a war-dart or a small javelin which or thong in the middle called an ankyle, or an amentum, has a notch in it for the use of an amentum (see Javelin, which goes around the wrist and can be wound around the Thong, below) which gives it better range, as well as haft of the javelin. In throwing, this imparts a spin which (typically) vanes like an arrow. Weapons of this type were stabilizes the weapon and vastly improves accuracy. The widely used in Europe from Classical times through the Romans called this weapon a ‘veritum’ but it is far older Renaissance, and are recorded in historical records, than Rome, going back to pre-historic times. In fact, literature and artwork from Ireland to the Ukraine. weapons of this type were shot from chariots by the ancient SampleEgyptians and Babylonians . file 60 Codex Martialis: Armor & Missiles of the Ancient World Next to the armor-piercing pilum type this was probably the most popular type of javelins and also for smaller This was not the primary purpose of this weapon however, darts (see Swiss Arrow, above). Javelins were later used which was to kill. The pilum is an armor-piercing javelin, with detachable amentums which would uncoil when the shields were the most common form of personal protection weapon was launched, remaining in the throwers hand. used in Antiquity, and disabling a shield removed most of the protection a typical soldier had. But this weapon could Soliferrum also punch through armor and helmets, not to mention This is a solid iron javelin, a special armor-piercing weapon skulls and ribs, and was just as hard to pull out of your leg with a long pedigree. It was apparently invented by the as it was to remove from your shield (and a lot more ancient Celts as far back as the Hallstadt period, but painful). disappeared in much of Europe during the late Iron Age “As to the missile weapons of the infantry, they were javelins headed except within the Iberian Peninsula. Celitiberian and with a triangular sharp iron, eleven inches (279 mm) or a foot long, and Lusitanian forces used it with success against the Romans were called piles. When once fixed in the shield it was impossible to during campaigns in the 1st and 2nd Century BC. draw them out, and when thrown with force and skill, they penetrated the cuirass without difficulty” The weapon reappears in the historical record 1400 years later in the Middle Ages, as a favorite of the much feared “They had likewise two other javelins, the largest of which was composed of a staff five feet and a half long and a triangular head of Almogavar mercenaries of the Pyrennies region, and under iron nine inches (229 mm) long. This was formerly called the pilum, but their famous leader Roger De Fleur they re-introduced the now it is known by the name of spiculum. The soldiers were particularly weapon to Greece and Byzantium (point first). This exercised in the use of this weapon, because when thrown with force weapon has very limited range but has outstanding armor- and skill it often penetrated the shields of the foot and the cuirasses of the horse” piercing characteristics which the Almogavars found Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari 450 AD useful against heavily armored knights. The pilum was the primary battlefield weapon of the Roman Legions for roughly 500 years, during the period of the height of their power. In battle they were ideally thrown in three volleys just before the charge. Heavy Pilum This is simply the heavier version of the pilum, weighted either by a removable lead weight near the base of the iron part of the shaft, or by a heavier overall construction. When available, it was the last of the three pilum volley, it had shorter range but better penetration. Short Bow This is the ordinary, ubiquitous type of bow, used for hunting or warfare, but not extraordinarily powerful. It is the equivalent of a modern hunting bow. Bows of moderate power were still used in combat in antiquity, but were not primary battlefield weapons.