Italian Wars French Pikemen

Can of worms here.

How did the French pike dress?  The answer is... like everyone else.  Styles merged quickly in the Italian wars as regional clothing was quickly replaced as it wore out.  You bought or had your new duds made in Italy... where you were fighting.  Thus everyone very quickly looked the same.  The same folks were making all the clothes!

To be less silly... I used a mixture of Landsknecht costume and late Medieval for my French (25mm)  (The new Perry late medieval plastics would be great mixed with a few later Swiss types- they weren't out when I built these armies).  This was on the basis that I wanted to do battles fairly early in the war.  So, tight fitting hose, armor with just the beginnings of slashed jerkins (mixture of Foundry (Perry) late medievals).  My Swiss are the next level up with more frilly costume (1499ish... mainly Old Glory).  My Landsknects are full blown slash... no big pants... they were later (Old Glory and Foundry).

The reality is that everyone looked about the same by 1515-even the Spanish.

(Great early war Spanish by Redoubt!!!! based on Charles V's invasion of North Africa.)

A militia rating would probably be fine.  In DBR, they are Pike Inferior.

For French crossbowman, I would rate them as standard 4Xbow or as Ps.  I use mainly 4Xbow... as the frontages don't work with large numbers of Ps.

Joe Collins