Swiss halberdier, taking a break from killing Austrian nobles
The Swiss were arguably the most famous warriors of Medieval Europe, so much so that they changed warfare forever. Whilst renowned for the pike blocks they would later adopt, they made their independence and fought many of their fiercest battles armed primarily with the halberd, a fearsome weapon with which they were quite adept. Supporting these men in their heavy columns were crossbowmen and, right from the start, pikemen, although originally not in numbers to field independent combat columns.
Every effort has been made to provide Early Swiss models with the correct weapon shapes and dress. Halberds have the right blades and the daggers are the unique "schweizerdolch." Our basic packs represent the Swiss from the beginning of their campaigns of independence and conquest until the sallet became more popular, and Swiss halberd design evolved, in the early 15th century. The most common headgear was the "war hat," a wide brimmed open faced helmet, as well as simple metal caps, and starting in the mid-14th century, the bascinet, which had a vaguely bullet-like shape.
So join the Swiss on their amazing early victories, when, to quote an Austrian source, they "hacked their enemies into many small pieces!"
UPDATE FEBRUARY 7, 2021: this range has been remade, other than the pikemen. The pikemen and the crossbowmen are still available. The remainder of the codes are all new sculpts.
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