A Guide to the Components of 15th Century Plate Armor

Probably the most popular type of armor in fiction, plate has existed in one form or another for thousands of years. From the early brass plates of the Roman legions to modern Titanium ballistic armor, this simplest of armors has a long and distinguished history. But the armor that comes to mind most readily is that of the 15th century. The full plate of knights dominated the battlefield for hundreds of years until armor-defeating weapons became too common to ignore.

Starting from the top, we have the armet, the stereotypical knights helm. Moveable parts allowed for a helm that entirely encased the head, the first kind of it's era to do so while still being light and compact enough to be practical. Attached to the armet would be a gorget, a steel collar designed to protect the neck and the uppermost part of the torso.

Under Amour

Several pieces worked together to protect the torso. The torso itself was protected by breastplate, often a combination of a cuirass to protect the breast and a plackart to protect the lower torso. Pauldrons were also coming into fashion in this era, replacing the smaller spaulders for shoulder protection, and unlike the spaulders they extended to protect the armpits.

For the arms, we again have several pieces working together to provide protection while maintaining mobility. Part of the pauldrons extended downward to protect the upper arm. At the elbow, we have the couter, a piece that was evolving to become more articulated as technology advanced. Vambraces would protect the forearms, and gauntlets the hands and part of the forearm.

Finally, for the legs and feet we start with tassets, plates attached to the bottom of the breastplate and extending over the upper legs. Cuisse protect the thighs from attacks that might avoid the tassets. An articulated poleyn would protect the knee. For the lower legs, greaves would protect both the front and the back, and sabatons would finally cover the feet.

Other than these primary pieces, there were often a variety of filler pieces to cover gaps and weak points in the armor; mail to cover places unprotected by plate, known as gousset. Round plates known as rondels, to protect joints and other gaps. Bands known as lame to protect points needing articulation such as the thighs, shoulders, and waist.

All these parts worked together to turn knights into unstoppable juggernauts on the field of battle. Hopefully now you'll appreciate the thought and care that creating such armor took...and the difficulty of knowing how to put it on!

A Guide to the Components of 15th Century Plate Armor

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