The late 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe were defined by near-constant warfare. National standing armies were unheard of and the ambitions of empires were reliant on the mercenaries they could afford to hire.
The Landsknechts, as well as other troops, made good use of the crossbow, and then latterly the new arquebus black powder weapon, as skirmish screens ahead of the blocks of pikemen or as tactical units in their own right. They were equally useful during sieges.
The figures in this boxed set can be used to represent the Landsknechts raised in Germany or other nations of the period.
This box set contains:
Plastic components to make 30 Landsknechts with either arquebus or crossbow.
Plastic bases.Landsknechts were instigated by the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximillian I, as a reaction to the Swiss Mercenary Pikemen that had dominated battlefields for decades before the Italian Wars (1494-1559).
Over the course of the Italian Wars, however, the Landsknecht tactics adapted far more than the Swiss and the use of firearms in conjunction with the pike would give them the edge, at least tactically.
Maximillian was keen to give the men freedom to wear what they wanted, and this resulted in plumes, slashed sleeves and bright colours. The figures in this boxed set can be used to represent the Landsknechts raised in Germany or the Tyrol as well as early Swiss pike regiments.

Plastic miniatures, supplied unpainted. Some assembly is required.