Forged in Time - Medieval Lore, Handmade Swords, Handmade Knives, Bladesmithing

* Author’s Note:  This is an excerpt from “The Willensstark Handbook” which is issued to all 15th mercenary reenactors in my company.

Tactics For Billmen And The Use of Their Weapon

"If your voulge fails you and the enemy quickly moves in on you, drop the voulge and draw upon him your side arm."

Billmen are a bristling wall of lethal metal and were used on both infantry and cavalry, and were often the predominant force at the battle.  A field of billmen worked as one unit, and their role on the battlefield was rather simplistic.  In staggered-line formation with the first two rows presenting their arms in ready position and the rows further back holding them upward, the field slowly and methodically advanced towards an enemy line that by then had usually been softened by archers .  They advance holding their polearms firmly, without trusting, and clear a path through the foe.  If a man from the front line falls, a man from the second line fills his spot.  A vacancy in the second line is filled by a man from the third, and so on until the back row.  The formation is kept as tight and straight as possible.  For most billmen of the fifteenth century, this short summary would probably capture very accurately what they do.

Willensstark, being a very small company, is a believer in preparation for the worst.  Lacking hundred of billmen in strength to form the field, the possibility that the field may be broken is seriously considered.  For this reason, Willensstark billmen are not only to fight as a single unit but also as an individual.  Out of formation the billman has many more options for his attacks and defenses.

In individual combat the most important general rule for wielding a polearm is that it is a distance weapon and so never let the enemy get close to you, and don’t get too close to your fellow mercenaries. If used correctly the voulge that Willensstark uses can be a powerful weapon, used poorly it can be a catastrophe.  Use short cuts, thrusts, and deflections.  Don’t raise it high or swing broadly to gain momentum for the strike.  Doing so causes lack of weapon control and easily open you the advance and attack of enemies. Deflect enemy blows with the broad flats of the blade or the spear point.

Attacks and defenses use a basic ten point system on the target.  The circle indicates a thrusting action, the lines slashes.  Notice #9 is a slash rather than thrust. Though it is an intimidating move to thrust towards an opponent’s face, it is generally considered to be too easily deflected upwards which makes a dangerous opening and hampers quick retaliation.  Note also that there is no upcut, but rather a low horizontal slash.  A straight upward slash is awkward to perform with most long-hafted weapons, and so a low slash with the grip of the polearm held high replaces it.  The grip is held high to provide a stronger defense and quicker retaliation should the blade be forced down.

If your voulge fails you and the enemy quickly moves in on you, drop the voulge and draw upon him your side arm.  All billmen should carry some sidearm in case this scenario occurs.  For billmen, daggers and short swords are recommended.  Longer swords can hamper moving in formation, and short hafted weapons (like axes, maces, and flails) lack defensive ability when used without a shield.  Shields were not typically carried by billmen, unlike their predecessors the spearmen.  Spears were light enough to use single-handed and so shields suited the style of predominant use.  Voulges and other similar polearms were heavy and required both hands to use, shields just got in the way.