[Runequest] Armor Question in RQ3

[Sven Lugar]

Doing google searches of images as well as text would lead to common 
sense clarifications of your questions & help you understand the 
replies. I've tried to provide examples that you can look up. I remember 
the days when we had to actually go to libraries & crack a book open to 
do research, LOL!

Legionaries wearing the Lorica segmentata would basicly be in a form of 
plate (in my personal rating - having made & worn them and comparing it 
to the classic Coat of plates which is rated as plate in RQ) covering 
the Chest & Abdomen areas. As to the molded cuirass of the Roman General 
it was Cuir Bouilli because it was impossible to manufacture that level 
of complex curves & decoration in a heavy metal plate at that time. They 
could arguably do it in very light metal similar to gold leaf. Even if 
they cast it it would be decorative only due to brittleness. (Coor-boo-lee)

The classic Greek armour is the Linothorax which was (this is still 
debated since we have no surviving examples) of either hardened leather 
(cuir bouilli) or hardened & laquered Linen - hence lino = linen, thorax 
= torso) Rate it as Cuir Bouilli.

Here is how I divided it.
A padded cloth or leather coif is the lowest form of protection +1  - 
think poor peasant
Soft leather skull cap on top of the padded cloth coif +2
Hardened leather skull cap (leather secret), or leather phrygian helmet 
over cloth padded coif +3
Spangenhelm, conical helm, metal secret, or Viking helm with no lower 
protection beyond a cloth coif +4 - think common Viking or Norman or Saxon
Norman conical helmet with camaille or over a chainmail coif  with face 
covering = chainmaile body armour +5 -think late heavy Norman or Viking 
Nobility, or Roundhead, or Polish Winged Hussar or Roman of the period 
you're asking about
early Close helm, barrel helm, open bascinet +6 - think Crecy or Greek 
(or later periods) Barbutte
Close faced bascinet,  closed barbutte, tilting helm, etc +7 - think 
Agincourt, or later

I hope that helps, best of luck.
Sven

royce at efn.org wrote:
> Hi, All,
>    Some dumb, lazy armor questions.  I'm looking at some Classical armor,
> and am curious about how to rate it in terms of RQ3 armor categories. 
> So that I can assign weights, costs & armor points.
>    I frequently see legionaries wearing armor that is composed of wide
> stripes of metal.  What RQ3 category is that?
>    I often see some Roman general wearing a molded (i.e., fake manly
> muscles) breastplate.  Is that usually cuir bouilli?  Or is it
> sometimes a metal cuirass?  If the former, why not metal armor?  If the
> latter, would we call it "plate" for its RQ3 armor type?  (And how do I
> pronounce "cuir bouilli"?)
>    What kind of armor did the Greek heavy infantry wear in the days of
> Socrates, Xenophon, and Alexander the Pretty Great?  And how would we
> rate it?
>
>    Finally, my dumbest question, which is NOT limited to classical armor. 
> How do I rate metal helmets?  I mean, if I rate 'em as "plate", they
> get awfully spendy, right?  And there are such wide differences in
> coverage, from a true knight's total coverage to a simple metal cap. 
> Any guidelines?
>
>    Answers & opinions & clarifications to my own confusions are warmly
> welcome.
>    Sincerely,
> Asher
>
>
>
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