}-Elizabethan Weapons-{
Weapons used during the Elizabethan period can be grouped into three main categories:
Melee Weapons, used in hand-to-hand combat.
Ranged weapons, such as bows or guns, used during long-range fighting.
Heavy Weapons, such as catapults, which
are mostly employed during sieges. (also known as siege weapons)
Naval Weapons, which includes ships, ranged weapons, and melee weapons.
Armor, which is essential in warfare.
}-Melee Weapons-{
Melee weapons are among the most famous of weapons, used for combat and hand-to-hand range. They include swords, halberds, spears, pikes, bayonets, hammers, and almost any tool which could be used as a weapon.
Melee weapons can be subdivided further into two sub-groups: polearms and true melee weapons.
}-Polearms-{
Polearms are spears, halberds, and the like, used for fending off enemies, and not allowing them freedom of movement. A polearm such as a halberd is essentially a weapon head fixed to a long wooden pole, so that the bearer can attack enemies before the enemy's weapon can attack a polearm bearer.
Spears are
among the most common polearms, as they are very simply to make, as they require
at least a sharp rock and a stick. As a result, they were the weapon of
choice for medieval lords equipping large, untrained
peasant forces. Spearmen were most commonly used in huge formations, in which
the front ranks walked forward, with their spears lowered. This was the best way
to use untrained masses of soldiers, for a phalanx like this is very difficult
to stop, because their enemy first has to meet their spears before you can attack the men
themselves. This formation is notably effective against cavalry, as horses
simply cannot be made, or even forced to jump onto a "solid wall of spears".
Spears also had a longer cousin, the pike, which could be anywhere from
thirteen to twenty feet in length, whereas spears were generally under ten feet.
Halberds were essentially spears or pikes with an axe-head added
to them. This increased their deadliness exponentially, as they were no longer
restricted
to a simple stabbing move, which could be easily blocked. Halberds could also be
swung down onto their opponent, in a powerful attack which could cleave through
even the strongest armor, and was nearly impossible to block. As halberds were
both dangerous by themselves and when used in a formation, halberdiers were most
often used as guards, both on castles and in camps.
}-Close-quarter Weapons-{
True melee weapons include swords, and some short spears, as well as hammers. These weapons have a short range, often only a foot or so beyond the range of the bearer's arms. These weapons were very effective at close quarters, for their small size made them easily maneuverable in tight spaces. However, they have a disadvantage compared to polearms, as polearm-bearers can attack first.
Swords are quite possibly the most famous of medieval melee
weapons, as they were the weapon of choice for the nobility, being deadly,
expensive, and impressive. Swords were used ceremonially, for a celebration when a lord gave a
sword to a knight, officially making the knight the lord's vassal. Swords come
in many varieties, although the main four are longswords, broadswords, rapiers,
and scimitars. However, while movies tend to make one believe that swords were
the most common weapons, they were, in actuality, generally reserved for the
nobility. By the time that countries were large & rich enough to afford swords
for their entire army, swords had gone out of style, replaced by the more
effective (and cheap) musket, or gun.
Longswords are thinner than the average swords, but longer. They are used mainly
by mounted cavalry and knights, as their extra length enabled cavalry to strike
enemies while perched on a tall warhorse. However, they were very difficult to
make, and therefore were expensive to purchase. As a result, they were the
weapons of the elite during the Elizabethan era. Longswords, preserved in peat,
have been found in Ireland and Scotland, where they were laid as religious
sacrifices.
Broadswords are the most common weapons of the general infantry, as their shorter length and heavier build enabled them to thrive in close quarters, as well as be enabled to strike a heavy, deadly blow. Broadswords are most often two-handed, as their extra bulk makes it hard for a single hand to handle them. In addition, their extra weight meant that they would stand up to more combat than longswords. Therefore, they were more effective in an all-out melee than were longswords or scimitars.
Sabers were used almost singularly by the cavalry. They are a
cross-breed between longswords and scimitars, as they have a long length, but
are curved. Sabers were used for slashing movements. Their heavy build, slight
curve, and the momentum of a cavalry trooper in a charge meant that sabers were
the nemesis of any soldier. It is possible for a cavalry saber to slice through
a soldier's thickest shield, their strongest armor, the thickest muscle & bone,
and then come out the back.
Rapiers are very rarely used in actual fighting, being much more common in duels. A rapier is a very thin, but slightly longer than most swords. Rapiers are often very well decorated, and are used almost singularly in a ceremonial setting.
Scimitars are almost identical to cutlasses, as both weapons are designed to thrive in very close quarters. As a result, scimitars are bent slightly backwards, so that they can be swung around in a smaller area. They are, however, very lacking in their stabbing ability, this being a very uncommon move in close quarters.
Warhammers are often simply carpenter's hammers, but reinforced
with iron bracings, and armed with a heavier head. They are often used by
militia, as a battle hammer can also be used as a regular hammer when not in
use. Warhammers were particularly used in saxon England, where the housecarls,
the elite soldiers, wielded either giant warhammers or axes.
Another common weapon of the Elizabethan era is the dagger, which was used mainly by the nobility for duels, as well as for personal protection while wandering the streets. Daggers are somewhat famous but their role in Elizabethan England is nearly always overemphasized.
Maces are essentially a heavy weight attached to a simple wooden
haft. They are effective for untrained soldiers, as they can often simply be a rock
tied to a stick. as a result, it is easy to create a lot of them, very cheaply,
in order to outfit poorly trained peasant soldiers with effective weapons.
Additionally even a simple mace can seriously damage a heavily armored knight,
for the heavy weight on a mace-tip, while unable to pierce a knight's armor, is
almost always capable of easily crumpling armor and knight under its heavy
impact, at the very least giving the knight a serious concussion, thus rendering
him ripe for a coup-de-grace. A flail is similar to a mace, except that the head
is attached to the haft by a chain, therefore making the mace more expensive,
but more powerful.
Lances were used by cavalry, as the lance was essentially a spear, but often capped by flags. Lances were rarely used in combat, as they broke easily. However, when used, they were capable of piercing multiple soldiers, if they wore no or little armor. Lances were normally used for ceremonies, as the often well-decorated flags looked stunning when in large formations. Lances were particularly popular in jousts, which still (rarely) occurred in Elizabethan England.
A quarterstaff is essentially a long wooden pole, gripped with both hands, and
used mostly for training, although, in the hands of an expert, a quarterstaff is
as good as almost any weapon, and much cheaper to manufacture. Quarterstaffs
were the favorite hand weapon of the legendary rebel Robin Hood. However, they
were almost never used in combat, as almost any sharp object could slice the
quarterstaff into wood chips. It is important to note that quarterstaffs are
useful for militias, as they are easy to make in a hurry, and can inflict damage
to almost any soldier. Quarterstaffs were mainly relegated to training soldiers
in the use of more advanced weapons.
}-Ranged Weapons-{
Ranged weapons are some of the most deadly weapons, as their ability to strike an enemy long before the enemy can retaliate is essential in warfare. No army or military force is worth its salt without a healthily large force of ranged soldiers.
Bows are the second-most common ranged weapon, as they are essentially a piece of bendy wood and a string. However, bows are much more complicated than that, and their ability to be easily manufactured makes them very popular. Bows are believed to be the second widely-manufactured ranged weapon ever designed, as the basic concept of a bow is very simple. Bows come in two main categories: longbows and shortbows.
Longbows are most commonly associated with England, which maintained a large
portion of their army as longbowmen during the Elizabethan era. In fact, almost
60% of the British army during the Elizabethan era were longbowmen. They
are the longest-ranged weapons of the era. Longbows are basically very large
bows, which can put a lot of power into the arrow, but longbows are notoriously
hard to draw back, requiring a lifetime of training.
Shortbows are smaller than normal bows, making them easier to use, maintain, construct, and easier to transport. As a result, shortbows were often used by infantry, who carried both their melee weapons and bows. This enabled them to strike the enemy with ranged weapons, and then charge in with their melee weapons. However, javelins were more popular for this purpose.
Javelins were the most common and cheap of the ranged weapons, as
they are simply a spear which has a slightly heavier head, and can be thrown
accurately. Almost all infantry, especially Roman Legionnaires, carried
javelins, which they hurled at their foes, then charged into the fray. Javelins
were perfect for this, as if a soldier was unable to hurl all of his javelins
before entering combat, he could use them in melee. Also, it was possible, in a
split second, to throw a javelin at point blank range. At such a close distance,
it was nearly impossible to block, and was capable of inflicting heavy injuries.
As such, almost all classes of infantry used these, particularly skirmishers.
Skirmishers were elite troops, sent ahead of the main army, armed with javelins
or bows. These men's value was in their ability to strike first, which often led
to a morale loss among the enemy ranks.
Crossbows were the most lethal hand-ranged weapons of the
Elizabethan era. Although guns and muskets get more of the attention, the
crossbow did much more damage in a shorter time, was easier to manufacture,
maintain, and use. The only advantage which guns enjoyed was the simple fact
that most enemies thought guns were tools of the devil, which were undefeatable,
and made a terrible noise when fired, as well as emitting a cloud of choking
smoke. However, crossbows dealt more damage than early guns, and were
exponentially more accurate. For example, the English King Richard III was
killed by a crossbow.
The most famous weapon of the Elizabethan era was the musket. The
musket is the earliest gun, essentially being
an iron tube, packed with gunpowder and
ammunition. These early weapons were so
incredibly inaccurate that they were used only at ranges from fifty to ten
yards. The main advantage of the weapons lay in that even the most experienced
veteran soldier was frightened by these weapons, as their flash and loud bang
was unheard of in previous battles. However, due to their heavy and cumbersome
weight, Elizabethan era musketmen had to carry a stand, which was stuck in the
ground before they commenced firing. One other main disadvantage with the
musketeers was their very slow firing rate, about 2-3 shots per minute. This
meant that enemy soldiers, particularly cavalry, could close ranks with the
musketeers before the musketeers could squeeze off another shot. This led to the
use of pikemen and spearmen interlocked in a musketeer's formation, due to the
fact that muskets, though powerful at range, were very weak at close range, due
to a lack of pointed surfaces. However, the mix of pikemen and musketeers proved
to be a near-perfect formation, vulnerable mainly to artillery.
The plug bayonet was the first attempt to turn a musket into a usable melee weapon. The plug bayonet was a dagger which had a bulge on the handle, as you can see to the left. This bulge fit into the barrel of a gun, thus turning the weapon into an impromptu spear.The main problem with the plug bayonet was that it prevented the user from firing.
}-Siege Weapons-{
Siege weapons, also known by the modern term, "artillery," are the heavy hitters of the Elizabethan era. They include everything from small cairoballistae, to the massive trebuchets and terrifying bombards.
Ballistae were the light artillery of the Elizabethan era. They could be fired easily and quickly, as well as being easy to move, transport, manufacture, and use. As a result, they were employed very often in battles. However, as their chief damage was caused simply by the speed of their projectile, not its mass, ballistae were almost completely ineffective against castle fortifications. However, they were devastatingly effective against the massed infantry formations of the day, and were known to pin up to ten soldiers together, firing a deadly bolt through several ranks of men, mowing down advancing formations and columns.
Catapults were the medium artillery, being equally effective
against fortifications and troops. They are a simple lever, at one end sits the
payload, and the other end holds a heavy counterweight. The payload end was tied
down to the ground, a rock, dead cow, or other projectile was loaded onto it,
and then the rope was cut, flinging the payload in a high arc, to come down with
extreme energy on the target. As well as the standard large rocks, catapult
operators were also known to fire diseased animals over the walls of a castle,
in order to spread disease among the defenders.
The trebuchet was the mother of all artillery, able to lob nearly a ton
of rock nearly two miles, in order to smash through castle defenses without
giving the defenders even a ghost of a chance to fire back. Trebuchets, while
incredibly powerful, had several faults: they were fragile and flammable, making
them very vulnerable to sabotage. Also, they were extremely hard to move, having
to be disassembled in order to move. This meant that they were very vulnerably
to counterattack. Also, their complication made them very costly to construct.
In fact, they were often sources of national pride, with kings often coming in
person to watch their "new toys" in battle.
Bombards were the first large cannons, being almost as costly to
construct as trebuchets, while lacking the range and firepower. They had one
main advantage, in that they emitted clouds of smoke, fire and noise, therefore
scaring most defenders enough to force a surrender. The Turks, who lived in the
Middle East, were some of the first users of gunpowder, particularly bombards.
As a result of this firepower, the Turks were able to capture
many Christian strongholds.
Cannons were much more rare than bombards, although they were
much more useful. While bombards were so heavy and large that they could not be
moved, cannons were small enough to be moved around a battlefield, therefore
making them potent weapons. The Ottoman Turks, the earliest users of
gunpowder,
even developed a cannon small enough to be carried and operated by a strong man.
Cannons of the Elizabethan Era had one major drawback, however: when they were
fired, the contained explosion, while it would fire the cannonball, would also
send the cannon itself hurtling backwards. This was because the cannons, unlike
bombards, were mounted on wheels, which rolled freely when fired. As a result,
artillery crewmen were in danger of serious injury if they did not jump clear of
a cannon when it fired. To rectify this situation, artillery manufacturers
developed a small flintlock device which could be mounted above the cannon's
firing hole. This device was attached to a string, so that artillery crewmen
could stand well back to trigger the cannon.
One of the most basic siege weapons was the humble ram, which was
nevertheless one of the most effective. A ram would, depending on its country,
be composed in two main ways. The Norse, as well as other "barbarians" would
prefer a very simple ram, often assembled on the spot, which consisted of simply
a sharpened log, which would be carried by a small team of men to attack a
structure. The more advanced rams, such as the one pictured, were a large frame,
which both supported the ra
m and protected the crew from arrows. These "covered
rams" were very effective at breaching even the strongest gatehouse and small
walls. The top of such rams would commonly be covered with animal skins, which
provided limited protection from burning arrows. These rams also often had metal
heads, either simple metal caps or decorative rams' heads, attached to the front
of their "ram," in order to increase their damage and longevity.
The absolute most simple siege weapon was the siege ladder, which
was, like the siege ram, assembled at the site of the siege. A siege ladder is
simply a very long ladder, which is set up on the castle walls, thus allowing
attackers to attack the defenders, and possible conquer the castle. The main
problem with siege ladders was that the defenders could easily just push the
ladder off the wall, causing any attackers who were climbing the ladder at the
time to fall to either serious injury or death.
Another relatively common siege weapon was the siege tower, which
was often combined with a ram. A siege tower was essentially an armored ladder,
being a heavy wooden scaffold, covered in wooden armor & animal hides. This
offered soldiers medium protection from arrows, crossbows, and fire. In
addition, siege towers generally had several ladders, enabling more soldiers to
climb to the top faster than a single ladder. This meant that when a sie
ge tower
managed to board a section of a wall, the wall was very quickly conquered. A
siege tower, at the top, had several wooden gangplanks. When a tower reached the
wall of a castle, these gangplanks were lowered onto the wall, and then soldiers
stormed across. In addition, siege towers also had archers positioned on the
top, who were assigned to clear the targeted wall segment of all defenders.
Another interesting fact is that specialized siege towers were designed to
breach gatehouses, and these siege towers had very heavy armor, more archers, as
well as a heavy ram in their base. Also, these hea
vy siege towers often had
heavy ballistae or catapults mounted within them. This way, even if the soldiers
failed to conquer the top of the gatehouse, at least the ram would be able to
destroy the gatehouse. The tactic of using heavy siege towers was borne of the
simple problem of attacking gatehouses: when soldiers in normal rams attacked a
gatehouse, they were subjected to withering fire from archers positioned above,
who had a perfect firing angle. Some castles even had cauldrons full of burning
pitch mounted above gatehouses, which would be poured on unfortunate attackers.
Also, castles often mounted large baskets full of very large rocks, which would
be manhandled to the edge of the wall, then dropped on attackers, often crushing
even the heaviest of rams. As a heavy siege tower would suppress the defenders
on top of a gatehouse while simultaneously ramming the gate, the problem was
solved.
}-Naval Weapons-{
}-Ships-{
Ships of the line are the most famous vessels, being the largest
of all warships. They often had nearly 3,000 crewmen manning the ship. The term
"ship-of-the-line" refers to the naval battle tactics of the day, which were
quite simple: have both opposing sides form their largest ships into lines, then
duke it out at point-blank range. As a result, any ship which had enough large
cannons was considered to be eligible for the "line of battle." These ship then
became known as "line-of-battle-ships," later shortened to "ships-of-the-line,"
and eventually, "battle-ships." A single ship-of-the-line cost a fortune to
construct and maintain, and they were a source of immense national pride.
Frigates were the medium-sized ships of the Elizabethan era. They
were used mainly for commerce-raiding, being too small to participate in the
line-of-battle. However, they were able to participate in battles by delivering
messages and orders throughout the fleet, which was hard to do without radios.
Frigates were excellent for commerce raiding, which is the attacking of
commercial ships, such as transports. Commerce raiding is perfect for frigates
because frigates were the largest ship which would not be tied up in the line of
battle. As a result, frigates were generally the largest foe which they would
encounter when roaming the ocean. Also, frigates had the highest ratio of
speed-to-guns, therefore making them "the perfect warship," in that "anything
big enough to hurt them can't catch them, but anything fast enough to catch them
was less powerful."
}-Naval Weapons-{
The term "naval artillery" includes both cannons and normal, one-man ranged weapons. This is due to the fact that most ranged naval weapons are somewhat larger than their land-based counterparts.
The blunderbuss was a gun, slightly larger than a pistol, which
was used for boarding an enemy ship. The blunderbuss was particularly suited for
its environment due to the fact that its bore was enlarged at the tip, therefore
providing the weapon with an even wider spray of ammunition. Blunderbusses, like
shotguns, were loaded with several small bullets. As a result, when fired, they
are able to hit several enemies at once, as well as making a target easier to
hit, even when both ships are rolling in the sea.
Rifles were similar to muskets, except that rifles had a barrel with grooves in it. These caused the bullet to spin while it was fired, therefore increasing accuracy by a large factor. Rifles were, however, more expensive to manufacture than muskets, and were slower to reload. As a result, the musket was the dominant land weapon. However, rifles were more common in naval battles. Expert marksmen, carrying rifles, would ascend into their ship's rigging before a battle. From their elevated position, they were capable of pouring accurate fire into enemy crewmembers. However, they particularly targeted officers, as a ship without officers is easy prey for a ship with officers. A famous example of this is when Britain's genius admiral, Horatio Nelson, was shot dead by a French riflemen in the battle of Trafalgar.
In addition to guns, any good ship had a healthy complement of cannons. These
cannons were generally much larger than cannons on land, and were outfitted with
an advanced recoil-dampening mechanism. This meant that the cannons on ships did
not go flying back as far as cannons on land when they were fired. Cannons were
classified by the weight of the cannonballs they fired. For example, a
"5-pounder" was a cannon which fired a 5-pound cannonball. One major
disadvantage of these guns was their long reload time, as they had to be swabbed
with wet sponges before firing. If a gunner neglected to swab his gun, he stood
the chance of the cannon exploding when hot sparks met new gunpowder.
Cannons most often used simple cannonballs to damage an enemy ship, as cannonballs were made of solid iron, therefore capable of inflicting huge damage to an enemy ship and its crew. However, cannonballs were not the only type of shot used for cannons. There are four main types of cannon ammunition, of which all are used at sea, and two are used on land.
Roundshot was the most common type of ammunition, being solid iron. As a result,
they could go farther than any other type of ammunition, making them useful for
long-range cannon duels. On land, these were used to bowl over large formations
of soldiers at a time. In naval battles, or if land-based cannons were firing on
ships, roundshot was often submersed in fire, therefore heating it red-hot. As a
result, this would ignite enemy ships, which were made of wood. This tactic was
also used against wooden fortresses and cities, for the same reason.
Grapeshot was the most devastating type of ammunition, being several smaller cannonballs which were packed into a canister, then loaded into a cannon. When fired, the small shots broke free and scattered, mowing down men. This was extremely effective on land at close range, where a single cannon could massacre scores of enemy men with a single shot. Its effect in sea battles was limited, as the small shots often simply bounced off of an enemy vessel's hull without damaging its crew.
Chain shot was two regular cannonballs which were attached to
each other by a metal chain. When fired, they would rip through sailors, then,
ideally, wrap around a ship's mast and break it. This was good for battles, as
the masts are the only source of propulsion. If a ship lost its sails, it was
unable to move, or retreat. In addition, as their cannons faced only to one
side, a ship which lost propulsion would certainly lose, as its opponent would
simply sail to a position where it could fire on the mast-less ship, while the
stricken vessel would not be able to return fire.
Pistols were much more common at sea than at land, for pistols were mainly
effective at close-quarters combat, which was very common in sea battles. The
pistols used by naval officers differed from those used by land officers in that
sea pistols generally were much larger, and heavier. This was because the
pistols used at sea were not merely for show, as land officers used them.
Pistols were particularly useful to pirates, who often had over ten pistols on
them at any time. As a result, when one was fired, a pirate could simply pull
out another, and another, etc....
Cutlasses were the most common sword used at sea battles. This
was because the fact that the tip was bent made cutlasses much more easy to
maneuver in the very close quarter fighting which was the most common in naval
battles.
Belaying pins were used on a sailing ship to tie off ropes, but,
when entering
combat, sailors who either lost their weapon or didn't have one in the first
place would grab an unused belaying pin. A belaying pin can be used as a crude
mace, as they are made of the strongest wood, and can be thrown fairly accurately .
Also, they are heavy enough to break an unarmored soldier's bones, and give a
concussion to an armored foe.
}-Armor-{
Chainmail was the most common type of armor, as it offered
excellent protection from swords and slashing attacks. However, it remained
vulnerable to piercing attacks such as arrows and spears. Chainmail is
constructed out of thousands of interlocking chain rings. When struck with a
slashing blow, they rarely broke, but were forced into the wearer's body by the
force of the blow, therefore giving them a bruise. However, chainmail was often
worn under plate armor, therefore making it more powerful.
Leather armor was also common, as it was easier to manufacture
than other armor, and still offered good protection. Leather was very often
studded with metal rivets, therefore enhancing its strength & protection
capabilities. Archers & other mobile units used leather armor, as leather armor
gave good protection, but still did not hamper movement or agility like
platemail.
Plate armor, also known as platemail, was made of multiple layers
of interlocking steel plates. These offered the best protection of the age, as
this armor is capable of deflecting slashing blows with ease, and arrows often
simply bounced off. However, crossbows often shot right through platemail,
although these bolts could be stopped by chainmail. As a result, chainmail was
almost always worn underneath platemail armor by those who could afford it.
The main disadvantages of platemail were its prohibitive cost and back-breaking
weight. This limited them to use by the rich nobility, who could afford these
prize suits. Also, their weight meant that soldiers wearing platemail would find
it difficult to move.
The Roman army could easily attribute much of its phenomenal success to its ingenious armor system. This armor was made out of multiple plates of interlocking iron, bound together with leather straps. This system gave excellent protection to the wearer's chest, and some to their shoulders. However, roman soldiers, or legionnaires, wore little protection for their legs. This was, however, remedied in part by their use of extra-large shields. The Romans called this type of armor "Lorica Segmentata". This type of armor was still used in the Elizabethan period, mostly by mercenaries.
}-Shields-{
A good shield was any warrior's best friend. A shield could provide excellent protection against arrows, axes, spears, hammers, swords, and almost any weapon. Shields were often made out of wood, covered in animal hide, or all metal. All shields can be used to block attacks, and all shields can also be used as weapons, if a soldier uses his shield to shove an enemy to the ground, where they are easy prey.
Kite shields were the particular favorite of the Norman warriors.
A kite shield was usually used for protection against slashing weapons, such as
swords & axes. However, the slightly reduced area of the shield made it
vulnerable to aimed piercing attacks, such as arrows or spears. To make up for
this, the lessened weight of a kite shield made it easier to move in time to
block an attack. One slightly more unusual use for a kite shield was when very
skilled soldiers were able to use its sharpest point as a weapon in itself.
A roundshield was most often made of wood, used particularly by
Gree
k hoplites and Viking warriors. A round shield was even lighter & easier to
use than a kite shield, but offered less protection. Wooden roundshields were
made of a metal hub in the center, connecting multiple sheets of thick, strong
wood. Metal roundshields were generally a single sheet of metal, often with no
hub. Wooden roundshields were very powerful when struck perpendicular to the
direction which their wooden boards were set. If, however, an attacker's weapon
managed to go between the boards, a wooden shield was easily split open. These
shields were still in use in the Elizabethan era, primarily by cavalry troopers.
Tower shields were almost always made of metal, but early ones
were wooden. The tower shield was the most effective against arrows, as it
offers the widest area of protection. The Romans particularly loved tower
shields, as such shields could be easily interlocked to form the Roman
formation, "testudo," meaning
tortoise. In the testudo formation, pictured to the right, roman soldiers, or
hastati, interlocked their tower shields, to both sides & the top. As a result,
the testudo formation was almost impervious to arrows, or any other attack.
Sadly, this formation did not survive into the Elizabethan era, as the
increasing power and distribution of crossbows meant that any advancing
formation could be easily cut to pieces despite their excellent shields.
However, one place where tower shields were particularly popular was in naval
melees, where one ship boarded another ship. At these close ranges, tower
shields could be used to set up an impromptu wall, in order to protect crucial
areas of the ship.
Figure-eight shields were used primarily by the Trojans, and a
"8-shield" offers great protection against swords, but little protection against
arrows. If you look at the shields, the missing chunks in either side were used
to block a sword, then the bearer could counterattack with their own weapon.
However, these shields essentially died out with the Trojans, as 8-shields were
almost never again used for outfitting armies. However, several mercenary groups
from the middle east used these shields during the Elizabethan era.