DBA Resources

Feudal English (IV/23)
(1181-1322 AD)

By Dan Mersey

During this period, the English fought themselves (mostly during the mid-C13th Baronial Wars), the French (with varying degrees of sucess), the Scots (the English mostly beating them), the Irish (mostly victory), and the Welsh (victory again). In between, English crusaders even found time to fight the Saracens... talk about having time on your hands!

Although they were mostly successful, the English had their set-backs too, so it will be up to your generalship (and dice rolls) to decided whether your Feudal English are those of the mighty Edward I, or under the control of John (who was chased around southern England by the French in the early C13th!).

Army Composition

4 x 3 Kn As with most European armies at this time, the English used heavily armoured, lance armed knights. They were the flower of English nobility, who were prepared to impetously charge all enemies, riding them down (or being hideously impaled). In addition to the nobles, lesser men-at-arms (Sergeants) rode too - knights were usually accompanied by between 5 and 30 such followers each.
2 x 4 Sp Other soldiers employed by the nobility fought with spears in a close formation. Although used in great numbers, spearmen were not expected to have a great influence upon a battle, usually being used to bolster defences and battle lines.
1 x 3 Bw Bows were used before the English adoption of long bow, and this element represents the lower class soldiers armed with it. Before Edward I's decision to make better use of his peasant levy bowmen against the Welsh, bows played a fairly minor role in English warfare.
1 x 4 Cb Professional mercenary crossbowmen were used in small but effective numbers by English commanders.
1 x 3 Ax The peasants! Well, you can use peasants or any lightly armed levy soldiers, who represent the large but (usually) ineffective poor folk who fought alongside their better armed counterparts.
3 x 3 Lb
or 4 Sp		 This choice reflects the change in tactics witnessed during this period - the English gradually turned away from heavily armed foot troops towards missile men; Edward I is credited with "revolutionising" the English army - he recruited large numbers of shire bowmen and (after his conquest of Wales) Welsh allies.

Enemies

As noted above, the Feudal English found enemies among the Welsh (#92), Feudal French (#137), Scots Common (#140), as well as within their own ranks (#145).

Tactics

On paper the Feudal English look a good, balanced army - they have an excellent strike arm in their Kn, and the Lb/Cb/Bw choices allow you to drive off attacks at a distance. The Sp should more than hold their own, and the Ax can hold any bad going.

Having said that, I've hardly ever won with them! It may be a curse of bad dice rolls (a likely excuse!), or my inept generalship, but I've suffered humiliating defeats on a regular basis by Welsh and Scots Common armies (and occasionally by the French). I always use the Bw option instead of the Sp, and maybe the Sp could provide more stability to my battle line?

Camp

A Feudal English camp can range from a row of knight's tents to the bailey of a castle (wooden pallisade early in the period, stone walls later). To represent the camp guard, I'd always choose to use Camp Followers as opposed to one of my fighting elements - I like to have a full complement of 12 elements as I march to defeat!

Painting Guide

There are many sources of English coats of arms, many of which (during this period) are simple geometric designs. A knight's men at arms would carry his emblem on their shields, which was often just a simplified version of his coat of arms.

Designing your own coats of arms is simple - you can use crosses, circles, hearts, whatever you fancy - but make sure that white and yellow are the only colours to border onto any other colour (ie use a white or yellow cross on a red background, or a quartered shield in blue and yellow).

Other Resources

Recently, I've been betraying DBA and using other rules (my Glutter of Ravens in fact!) for my Dark Ages battles - but I really like the way in which medieval DBA battles progress.

Loads of manufacturers make suitable figures, so you can take your pick - make sure that the figures you buy are dressed correctly (i.e. - the armour is of the right date and the shields are the right shape); generally speaking, early Feudal English wear chainmail and have kite shields, and later warriors wear a bit more plate with their mail, and have heater shields. My Feudal English are by Tabletop - their medieval range is very cheap and well sculpted (I like the "Frankish" knight and C13th mounted Sergeant best).

Lots of history web sites focus on England at this time, and good books are available, too:

  • ARMIES OF FEUDAL EUROPE is the Wargame Research Groups excellent starter guide to this period.

  • THE CAMBRIDGE ATLAS OF WARFARE: MIDDLE AGES is fantastic for most campaigns at this time.

  • THE WELSH WARS OF EDWARD I covers the conquest of Wales (as does the Castle of Wales web site.

  • THE WARS OF THE BRUCES covers the battles with the Scots

  • And biographies of the various kings will fill in other gaps - simple!

About the Author

Dan Mersey has a degree in Archaeology and is a Contributing Editor to The Castles of Wales website. Any feedback or questions can be sent directly to: danielmersey@yahoo.com.

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My thanks to Dan Mersey. Comments, questions or suggested additions to this page can be sent to Chris Brantley, brant@erols.com.

Last Updated: Feb. 21, 1999