III/79 EARLY RUSSIAN 1054 AD - 1246 AD

This list covers the period from the break-up of the Kievan Rus state (see III/48) into competing principalities until the Mongol conquest of Russia. Druzhina were the prince’s or boyars’ personal troops, in helmet and thigh-length mail or lamellar hauberk, with kite or heater-shaped or small round shield, light lance and sword or mace-and-chain, mounted on unarmoured chestnut, bay, grey and black horses. Under nomad influence, they came to be used as a reserve striking force of charging lancers; with horse archers deployed either on their flanks, or in front to provoke enemy to commit prematurely. Kazaks or svoi pogyane “our own pagans” were former nomads (mostly Pecheneg) now settled within the borders and fighting as horse archers, but in scale, mail, lamellar, leather or textile corslets. Infantry formed behind or on the wings. Polk were town militia (mostly armoured spearmen) and Smerdy were peasants of woodland villages, in unbleached linen or wool. Frequent Cuman allies (I1I/80) were called “Polovtsy”. References: Armies of Feudal Europe 1. Heath, The Year of the Horsetails R.F. Tapsell (novel).

III/79 — Early Russian Army 1054 AD - 1246 AD

List: 1 x General (3Kn), 4 x druzhina (3Kn), 2 x Kazaks (LH), 2 x polk (Sp), 1 x smerdy (Sp) or woodsmen (3Ax) or German knights (3Kn/4Bd), 1 x archers (Ps or 3Bw), 1 x ill-armed smerdy (7Hd) or archers (Ps)
Terrain: Forest
Aggression: 0
Enemies:
Allies: III/63a or III/63b or III/68a or III/68b or III/80