User blog:SkullinBones1/Henry Hotspur vs Gilles de Rai's

Throughout history we have heard legends of great Knight. We here of great characters like Lancelot and Gwain who were themselves fictional Knights. He have famous historical Knights and Kings like Robert the Bruce, Simon De Montfort and Richard the lion heart. But today I will pitting 2 Knights who are not as well known, but were still themselves highly skilled.

Henry Percy Hotspur: The great warrior and queller of Rebellions.

Gilles de Rai's: The Commander of the French army and later serial killer.

Henry Percy Hotspur
Henry Percy, better Known as Hotspur, was an English Knight who fought in many wars. He was Knighted in 1377 and fought and worked for england from that point to his death in 1403. He took up many offices of power, having worked as the Warden of Aquitaine, East march and Wales. He was famous for his many wars in places like Scotland, Ireland, France and Wales. He eventually entered his own Rebellion against King Henry IV, were he was killed in battle while fighting at Shrewsbury.

Poleaxe: Around 6 feet in full, the Poleaxe was a powerful hacking and damaging tool used primarily during the Late middle axes. The weapons was designed to damage armor/hurt a foe through armor. The grand majority of the weight was in the head, the weapons functions being composed of a straight edged blade, a war hammer bit and a steel spike. In combat, it was less used for thrusting and more for chopping and smashing. The weapon is often confused with the Halberd, though the weapons are themselves very different.

Oakeshott 16a: Just under 4 feet in its entirely (10 inc'''h long hilt and a 37 inch long blade). The sword was made '''with Half swording in mind (Holding the blade in hand and more easily directing the point into the gaps of armor, like the visor and arm pits). The weapon was fairly hilt heavy, making the blade more agile and less taxing on a warriors stamina to swing. But due to it being lighter, it was didn’t pack as much of a punch on the swing. It had a hollow ground style of blade, again not being quite as good on the slash but being great on the thrust.

Gilles de Rai's
Gilles de Rais was a was a French knight and lord during the hundred years war. He served as commander of the French army during the 100 years and served alongside Joan of Arc. However Rais is far better known for being one of history's first recorded serial killers and is said to have tortured and murdered Over 150 children. This has been disputed in recent years though and it is believed by some the crimes were made up by rival lords who yearned for his Lands and money.

Bec de Corbin: Around 6 feet in full, the Bec de Corbin was a highly piercing a bashing weapon used during the late middle ages. The weapons was designed to damage armor/hurt a foe through armor. Most of the lies within the head, the weapon either being used to bash armor with a hammer bit or pierce the metal plates with either the top mounted or side mounted spikes. The weapon was used primarily to pierce armor, though it had the problem of very often getting lodged in an enemies armor and becoming stuck.

Oakeshott 12a: Around 4 feet long (10 inch long hilt and a 37 inch long blade). The sword was more versatile, being less tapered in the blade (making it better on the cut but less effect on the thrust and half sword). The blade was itself meatier, making it better at chopping and slashing. The weapon was slightly more blade heavy then other Oakeshott models, making it better when cutting and slashing. This edge was itself a double edged sword (Pun not intended), The greater weight in the blade making it more physically taxing on the wielder. The blade had a fullered cross sections.

Armor Differences
At the time, both wore Similar suits of steel plate armor. In fact, the 2 essentially have the same sets of plate, only really having one difference (But more to the later). Plate armor sets of this time were composed of man parts. The torso would have been covered by a mix between breastplate, a placard and fauld. The arms were covered by a set of Pauldrons, Rebraces, Couters, Vambrace and Gauntlets. The legs were covered by the

Cuisses, Poleyn, Fan plates, greaves and Sabatons. The neck would have been covered by a steel gorget, and with some helmets like the Sallets would have had a bevor. Most sets also had a layer of mail and gambeson under it.

Plate armor has a certain number of advantages and drawbacks. The main advantage plate armor has was its insane durability and its resistance to incoming slashing and piercing strikes. Most sets of plates were resistant to most incoming barrage of arrows and quarrels, from many bows and crossbow (With special crossbows having draw weights exceeding one thousand pounds being made just to wound enemies through most sets of plate). It was even strong enough to resist some glancing blows from later Arquebus and could take direct hits from most attacks from hand cannons and handgonnes.

As armor, plate was just about impenetrable from attacks from swords, spears, and most ranged projectiles. But when looking at more head balanced weapons (axes, maces, the majority of pole arms Etc…), Plate wasn’t nearly as resistant. Since it was a solid armor composed of stiff materials, it was more prone against impacting strikes, these strikes being more suited for deforming the intricate and interlocking plates of the armor. Plate also has several holes in it defences, it not covering the entire body. The main places were it didn’t cover the body was the back of thighs (Which was covered by gambeson and possibly even mail), the Armpits (Which would have been covered by mail) and the eye slits and breaths in the helmet.

A different problem was that it limited the breath a warrior could take in and more importantly often limited the vision of the warrior (Which is why the Barbute is in my mind the best helmet). This somewhat lowered a warriors stamina, not being able to breath quite so freely. It also limited the warriors vision in some cases, varying from only slightly impairing vision to half blinding a warrior (In the case something like the frogs neck style of helm).

But where the difference appears is when you look at the helmets. The 2 men are seen wearing different types of helmets in the pictures and statues of them that we see. In the Case of Hotspur, we see him wearing a pig Faced Bascinet. In the Case of Rais, we often see him wearing an Armet.

A pig faced Bascinet was a commonly used helmet by the British and French during the 100 years war. The Helmet was made from plated steel, and would have had solid defensive abilities. The Helmet allows for slightly better vision and breathing ability then other helmets, it having more breaths and larger eye slits. It also had the ability to quite easily disconnect the faceplate from the helm entirely, not just flipping up the visor and hoping it doesn’t get knocked down again.

An Armet was a highly common helmet among the French, while also being common among the British and Italians. The Helmet was superbly strong, being able to repel incoming strikes and blows from most angles. It was similar to the German Sallet in the fact that it doesn’t have eye slits, having a single visor instead. But instead of other helmets, it doesn’t have all that many breaths, limiting the wearers breathing abilities much more the other helmets.

X-Factors
Experience: 100/75.

While Rai’s was by no means inexperienced, his experience as a warrior paled in comparison. He was knighted at age 15 and became a high level military commander at age 20, and would retire from said position 8 years later. Hotspur was knighted and first entered battle at age 13, and would fight on a highly regular basis until his death age age 39. Purely in terms of experience, Hotspur had 13 years more experience then Rai’s.

Fitness: 94/95.

Both of these men are highly experienced and highly trained knights of around the same age. But were I have to give it to Rai’s is in the fact that he is still very slightly younger. So while it’s not much of an edge, I have to give it too to Rai’s, but only just barely.

Voters information
This battle will be a form of trial by combat. Both warriors will be representing a lord in a form of land dispute. The 2 will fight in an arena, both carrying a sword and polearm. Both warriors will be at tip top conditions, the fight being between the 2 at their deaths.