How Thick Was Knight Armor? An Evolutionary Guide
As an avid gamer and medievalist analyzing armor realism across titles, a key question I investigate is:how thick was knight armor? Records show plate armor averaged 1-3mm steel, but varied by section from 1-4mm up to even 42mm in frontal plates of Ford-class WWII battleships!
We‘ll analyze armor‘s increasing thickness across eras–driven by deadlier weapons. Like games buffing boss damage then boosting player armor, actual warriors either penetrated armor or developed heavier suits in response!
Mail: Linked Steel Rings
Before plate‘s 14th century rise, chainmail reigned since ~300BCE. Knights wore various mail types, including:
- Hauberks: Knee-length shirts of mail rings. Similar to basic starting "Leather Jerkin" armor in RPGs.
- Camails: Shoulder drapes connecting to helms, like attached cloth models in Chivalry 2.
- Chausses: Mail leggings covering thighs.
Mail rings interconnected in patterns allowing movement without gaps. Rings were:
- 12-18 gauge: 1.2 to 2.6mm diameter wire
- Butted: Touching tips
- Riveted: Overlapping with rivet for strength
Upgrades moved towards smaller gauges and riveted rings. Half-spherical rings increased protection like the layered scales of Monster Hunter‘s Rathian armor!
Mail proved ample against contemporary blades. Swords struggled targeting gaps or generating enough force. Verdict: Impenetrable to most medieval melee.
But arrows and bolts dealt piercing blows. And mail rings spreading impact complicated healing grievous punctures like Skyrim‘s iron armor!
Plate: Forged Steel Sections
Plate armor entered Europe in the 1300s, with specialized plates guarding vital areas. Blunt trauma or mail alone struggled against 14th century arms like couched lances, longbows, and poleaxes.
Independent plates offered superior protection but restricted movement initially. Like swapping Dark Souls‘ fast rolling thief set for towering Stone or Iron armor.
(Image: Knight in 15th century Milan plate armor suit via Rijksmuseum)
Smithing and articulation advanced for full harnesses by 1400s Italy. Plates thickened at weapon contact points but slimmed in overlap zones. Expert shaping enabled impressive mobility that many games overlook!
By the 1500s, field armor like German harnisch reached maturity:
- Breast & Backplates: 3-4mm fronts tapering down to 1-2mm sides/backs
- Pauldrons, Vambraces: 2-3mm arms/shoulders
- Greaves, Sabatons: 2-3mm legs/feet
- Helms: 1-2mm for visibility
- Mail Skirts/Gussets: Ringed joints for flexibility
Closed helms were more protective but open Italian sallet styles boosted vision, hearing, and agility. Balancing armor coverage versus awareness continues in modern FPS builds!
Armor varied based on metals available regionally. Most common was everyday mild steel of nail or barrel thickness. Some harnesses mixed softer iron for flexible zones. Max recorded carbon content (~0.75%) equaled 1060 steel today–at the Minecraft Diamond tier for hardness!
Alongside personal plate suits, armor reached meters thick on ships. Average warship belt armor measured 100-300mm amidships! And the broadsiding super-dreadnaught HMS Inflexible (1876) boasted massive 280mm turret faces. Talk about damage sponges!
Firearms: Armor‘s Endgame
(Image: 16th Century pistol and 14th Century armor via Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Like the era of castle sieges ending with advent of cannons, firearms eventually outmatched armorers. Musketballs dented but couldn‘t breach quality plate. So posters claiming "a 9mm would go through medieval armor" lack historic accuracy!
By the 1700s, dense iron shot at shorter ranges could crack or partially penetrate armor weakened by rust, dents or time as manufacturing shifted from bespoke master crafting to mass production. Before claiming nerfs, consider lifestyle factors that equipment durability depends on!
(Table: Armor Thickness Through History)
| Era | Type | Thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | Muscled Cuirass | 2mm Bronze | Ancestor of plate |
| Medieval | Mail Hauberk | 12-18 ga rings | More flexibility than protection |
| Medieval | Plate Armor | 1-4mm Steel | Thicker at impact points |
| 16th Century | Breastplate | 10mm Iron | Stopped bullets at 40 yds |
| WW2 | HMS Inflexible | 280mm armor | Heaviest battleship plate |
I‘d love for more games to represent arrows sticking in plate without penetration and early guns denting but bouncing off quality harnesses. Of course player expectations differ in fantasy genres. Magic and giant weapons necessitate beefier armor like Monster Hunter!
Through centuries, weapons and armor uniquely advanced in parallel. Blades led to mail, arrows to helms and plate, bullets to finally making armor impractical.
This arms race culminates in today‘s scales: from concealed body armor stopping handguns up to impenetrable exo-suits and meters thick vehicle composites rated against missiles!
What new levels await in both games and the real world? As damage outputs climb, defenses respond accordingly. That back and forth interplay powers progression from leather skins to reflective energy shields someday!
In the meantime with armor thickness ranging so widely in history, I advise game developers allow similarly diverse customization. Let our playstyle and preferences dictate picking sleek ninja garb or bulky juggernaut gear rather than forcing binary light/heavy categories.
I welcome any fellow history buffs to hit me up to further analyze how armor and weapons counterbalanced through past battle eras!
