The mounted knights formed the heavy cavalry; we might think of
them as armored divisions. Battles in the open field lasted a single day
and if possible were fought in good weather. Tactics were simple; the
knights in squadrons (usually of ten) charged with lances set, followed
by hand-to-hand combat. Knights required a team of squires and servants
to assist them in arming and to care for armor and weapons. They
also needed a stable of horses—the huge specially trained war horses
known as the destriers, but also riding horses and pack animals. The goal
of a warrior was not to kill but to capture and hold his enemy for ransom
and to acquire the enemy’s valuable armor, horses, and other loot.
Military men made their living by capturing and ransoming prisoners
and looting the battlefield and countryside. Capture, not killing, paid
off.
World History
