By David Kuijt
Knights conjure up images of a galloping wall of steel jutting lances, thundering down on some hapless foe like a spiky, screaming, juggernaut. From the introduction of the stirrup to Europe until the Renaissance, the rulers of the battlefield were Knights. With heraldic panoply, snorting destriers, and the wealth to own and maintain the finest armour and the most deadly weapons known to man, the whole society and culture of Europe was centered upon the cult of Chivalry. What could stand against such fury, such valour, such martial prowess?
As it turns out, several things. The elitist cult of Chivalry, with its elaborate display and rigid codes of conduct (codes, incidently, that were rarely adhered to except in fiction of the time), had little or no respect for common foot soldiers. And common foot soldiers shocked the military wisdom of Europe in several crushing defeats at the height of the age of Chivalry.
At Courtrai, Stirling Bridge, and Bannockburn, pike blocks proved that a lance, martial fervour and a mucking great warhorse was not enough to break a block of well-ordered pikes. At Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt, English longbowmen slaughtered whole generations of French Knights. The Hussites found another answer in their Wagonburg, repeatedly crushing German and Hungarian Knight armies until internecine struggle brought them down. The Swiss made their reputation for nearly two centuries in fighting Knights and beating them with foot troops armed with halberds and pikes.
Nor was that all. Light Horse and Cavalry armies inflicted many galling defeats on the Crusader Knights. As the age of Chivalry drew to a close, the Ottoman Turks conquered their way to the gates of Vienna, on the way defeating the Knight armies of the Polish, Serbians, Bulgars, Hungarians, Germans, Venetian Condotta, and the last Crusaders, the Knights of St. John.
But Knights are glorious! There is a special thrill in sending a wall of steel in a headlong charge against some ignoble foot or Light Cavalry, Death balanced with fame, not knowing which way the balance will tip. Even the impetuous nature of Knights has an air of their fury, their disregard of safety, of sanity even. You know you are a true commander of Knights when you can cheer them on as they thunder onwards, totally ruining your battleplan, oblivious to what is best for them.
Knights in DBA are powerful elements. They have +3 combat factor against foot and +4 against mounted. Their terrible charge gives them a quick-kill against virtually all foot in good going, however. The same charge that gives them their destructive power can also throw them deep into the enemy formations -- like Warband or Scythed Chariots, Knights must pursue one base depth if their enemy recoils, breaks off, flees, or is destroyed.
Chris Brantley has written an analysis of Knight tactics for DBA in an essay entitled Much Ado About Knights. I direct you there for more discussion.
Last Updated: July 16, 1998
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