A cuirass with specific type of shape featuring vertical central ridge, called the tapul, which split the middle of the breast plate like sloped armor on a tank. This type was very good protection from both missiles and lance strikes. This type has been tempered and proofed.
A thicker iron cuirass. Very heavy to wear, usually only worn by cavalry.
This is a simple helmet (see Iron Helmet), worn with a heavy gambeson. This heavy gambeson is typically a quilted coat made of 10-30 layers of linen and stuffed with horse hair or felt. The thickness varied on each part of the body, more exposed areas being thicker with more layers, and there may be holes or slits in the armpits to enable movement. Sometimes there was an outer layer of doeskin to make it waterproof, and pitch is also known to be applied for the same reason in at least some areas. Fancier gambesons could be made of better linen or even silk in fewer (8-15) layers. (DR 4 armor check -2, speed 30, cost 50 SP)
The first row (with the high value) represents the protective values of the Helmet, with DR 2, the second value represents the protective value of the Gambeson. See Armor Table Key, Layered armors for more about how this works.
This is a suit of armor made of pieces of heavy leather similar to saddle leather, and softer leather similar to a leather jacket. Torso and lower limb protection is in the form of harder leather, beneath which a leather coat is worn. This type of armor was not frequently used in Europe but does appear in Central and East Asian steppes where leather was relatively cheap and iron relatively scarce, Mongol light cavalry troops apparently sometimes wore leather armor of this type.
The first row with the high DR represents the protective quality of the helmet, the second row represents the protective quality of the leather armor alone. See Armor Table Key, Layered armors for more about how this works.
Lamellar was by far the most common form of leather armor. This was the most ubiquitous and arguably the most effective form of leather armor used historically. Fairly flexible and relatively good protection. Plus it floats.
The first row represents the protective quality of the Helmet or the lamellar brigandine over the gambeson, the second row represents the protective quality of the gambeson alone. See Armor Table Key, Layered armors for more about how this works.
This is a type of mail armor coat made of thinner gauge wire, significantly lighter and less bulky than ordinary mail, but also less effective protection.
This is simply a brigandine vest (see Brigandine Doublet) worn over a heavy gambeson (see Gambeson and Helm), and a full helmet. This is medium weight, reasonably light armor which provides good coverage and pretty good overall protection.
The first row represents the protective quality of the helmet or the brigandine and the gambeson, the second row represents the protective quality of the gambeson alone. See Armor Table Key, Layered armors for more about how this works.
Aka plated mail, banded mail, yushman, behterets, bachtarets. This is a type of armor of integrated mail and small metal plates, used in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and in Central and South Asia. It closely overlaps with the similar yushman armor. Another common term for it is ‘mail and plate’ armor. The extra plates may have been added to the mail due to the relatively poor quality of iron in most of these areas compared to Central European iron (South Asia being a notable exception to this). There are various forms of Bakharets (see Bakharets in the Glossary)
In the armor table, the first row represents the protective quality of the helmet or the bakharets, the second row represents the protective quality of the Mail alone. This mail is slightly weaker than Western or Central European mail.
A haubergeon or habergeon is a mail shirt similar to a byrnie with incrementally (maybe 10-15%) more coverage: sleeves come mid- way down the upper arms, and the shirt itself passes to the mid-thigh level. This version includes a light aketon or padded jack.
Essentially a bigger version of a haubergeon, this is a knee length mail coat with sleeves at least to the elbows. Usually slit along the sides or front and back in order to allow the rider to sit in a saddle. This includes a light gambeson.
