Foot-Soldiers (Generic)

Making up the bulk of any feudal army, these fighters, generously called soldiers, are often drawn from the peasant classes by conscription or feudal obligation.

Composition

Manpower

The size of a unit of foot-soldiers can vary wildly, from a few dozens to thousands.

Equipment

The average quality of a foot-soldier's equipment ranges from poor to middling, but rarely beyond, largely depending on their wealth and status. These militiamen are expected to provide, at a minimum, their own helmets, shields or pole-arms and secondary weapons, most commonly axes, knives, maces and swords. For a peasant soldier, amour, if they are lucky enough to have any, is mismatched, ill-fitting and incomplete, cobbled together with errant pieces of mail and plate. Middle-class freemen and nobility are often able to afford more robust and proper armour.

Weaponry

The primary weapon of a foot-soldier is a spear or other pole-arm, such as a halberd, used to break cavalry charges. Often, a secondary hand weapon, such as an axe, mace, knife or sword would also be carried if the formation devolved into close quarter combat. At times, shields are also carried, but this has largely fallen out of favour as more armies switch to two-handed pole-arms.

Vehicles

N/A

Structure

Foot-soldier units are often drawn from local militias, based on guilds, towns or districts. These units are grouped under a banner. A commander is appointed to maintain order, pass along instructions and ensure that they men can recognize their own banner and that of their allies. While some units, especially among veteran mercenary companies, are able to maintain a more complex and organized command structure, most are comprised of largely untrained peasantry and do not evolve past this base understanding.

Tactics

As the majority of foot-soldiers are inexperienced, poorly equipped and untrained, tactics tend to be relatively simple, easy to remember and understand, with little need for initiative or personal skill. Most tactic can be explained with three basic formations, as follow:

• The Wall

- The militia forms a long line, several ranks (4-16) deep. This is often a shieldwall (with a line of tightly packed shields), a pikewall (an "artificial hedge" of pole-arms, planted into the ground for the purpose of breaking cavalry charges), or a mixture of the two. The Wall is the most common tactic, requiring little experience and preparation.

• The Circle

- A round formation of pikes to defend the interior against cavalry charges.

• The Wedge

- A tightly packed triangular or diamond formation.
The crucial role of the infantry is to stand against the attacks of mounted cavalry, protecting the archers and knights behind the line. As such, a unit must be tightly packed, but not so packed as to prevent counterattacks. Although highly defensive, if a line is broken, the inexperienced soldiers will often panic and disperse. Without a period of rest, which are common in many protracted battles, it is very difficult to reform these units in the heat of battle. Therefore, all steps are taken to ensure the line holds. Attacks by infantry are highly discouraged and when the line is moved it is in a straight, slow and methodical march in formation to maintain its integrity against the faster cavalry.
Foot-soldiers are essential to siege warfare, both in defending and attacking. Defenders protect the ramparts from attempted breaches and rebuild damaged fortifications. Attackers build and protect siege weaponry, storm the walls and maintain the blockade preventing fresh supplies and messengers from going in or out of the fortified positions. Often, sappers are recruited from these militia units, sent to dig tunnels to undermine enemy fortifications or erect their own defenses.

Training

Formal training is very rare or even nonexistent for most infantry, limited to basic drilling on marches and in camp once the campaign has already begun. Other, better organized militias, belonging to merchant's guilds, cities, noble houses and mercenary companies may have more sophisticated drilling regimes. For the most part, these are still far below the regimen of mounted Knights and Men-at-Arms.

Logistics

Logistical Support

A large contingent of non-combatants often accompany the army. These include prisoners, servants and civilians, who are tasked with the construction of latrines and foraging duties to support the soldiers. Women commonly make up large portions of this contingent, maintaining the campsite, checking for lice and maintaining animals like mules and oxen which pull the heavy equipment. Camp-followers, both male and female prostitutes, often take these roles as well and travel with the camp in many campaigns, albeit in an unofficial capacity.

Upkeep

A solider can usually carry about one or two weeks of food with him. This is largely inadequate for longer campaigns. Although supply lines are often used when possible, for the most part an army is left to forage, given ful reign to commandeer what supplies are needed from the surrounding landscape. It is not uncommon for a decently-sized army to leave a wasteland 15 km in diameter around its center, cleared by a larger army of foragers. Tents are usually reserved for Knights, and most infantry sleep outside. In towns, quartering of soldiers is often required of the inhabitants.
Mercenaries require a steady stream of pay, requiring a stronger supply line, or granting them the right to forage with impunity. This has led to the establishment of mercenary-bandits like the Tards-Venues.

Recruitment

Most infantrymen are recruited either by an obligation to their feudal lord or after being conscripted and paid as mercenaries. Often, especially in larger towns, a potential recruit can instead pay a scutage, a fee which allows them to avoid service, the funds which are then used to hire a mercenary. These mercenaries are often more dedicated and better trained and equipped. More reliable in combat, they also have a tendency of becoming a liability in peacetime when left to their own devices.

Type

Infantry

Overall training Level

Levy

Assumed Veterancy

Trained

Used by

• Biskonti Leon - Viscounty of Léon
• Duchy of Anjev
• Duchy of La Manche
• Duchy of Letha
• Grand-Duchy of Akitania
• Kingdom of Gallia (+)
• Kingdom of Logres (+)
• Kontelezh Dreger
• Kontelezh Kernev
• Marches of Neustria
• The Southern Church
• The Tards-Venus