Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

Mark Stone wrote:
> I've looked at Free Company from time to time, but I don't think
> it offers any advantage over several other lists on which
> longbowmen appear in quantity. And it's hard to imagine someone
> who would play Free Company out of greater historical interest.
> These guys were kind of a chivalric low point in Medieval history.

Mark, just because they got some bad press from historians doesn't
make them all that bad. Their antics were really no different from
their master's. The English were rapacious brigands whether they
were working for the king or working for themselves. And recent
works like "The Devil's Broker" suggest and strongly back up that
Hawkwood and his contemporaries were really continuing Edward's
policies abroad. While their tactics were a surprise to the
Italians, who were used to a different way of doing business, they
would have been very familiar to the French.

And while they have been called unchivalrous, I can't think of a
Free Company Captain who would have slaughtered valuable prisoners
the way Henry V did a Agincourt. The captain's reasons may have
been base economy, but at its root the whole system of Chivalry is
deeply mired in such affairs.

In addition, their interaction with the Italian Condotta system is a
fascinating study of differening philosophies of warfare in
conflict. None of the English-French interactions are half as
interesting as the Free Company-Italian ones.

Besides, Conan Doyle's "The White Company" and "Sir Nigel" ought to
be enough of a sell job to convince someone to take an interest in
the Free Companies.

Have fun!
Cole

[Bill Chriss]

>>
> In addition, their interaction with the Italian Condotta system is a
> fascinating study of differening philosophies of warfare in
> conflict. None of the English-French interactions are half as
> interesting as the Free Company-Italian ones.


Cole,

I would be interested in reading a longer post about this from you,
since I am considering Italian Condotta for the 2006 H'con theme.



>
> Besides, Conan Doyle's "The White Company" and "Sir
> Nigel" ought to
> be enough of a sell job to convince someone to take an interest in
> the Free Companies.


I certainly agree with this!

-Greek