Who are Free Canton spearmen?

Hepius · Post by **Hepius** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:20 am

Who are the Free Canton medium foot offensive spear on the Later Medieval German list?

Are they the guys who were described in the DBM army lists as Ax(X) peasants who used long spears to vault ditches (or something like that?) I thought they were native Germans or Dutch or some such.

I was talking to someone at Cold Wars and he mentioned that he was disappointed you couldn't take the Hungarian horse archers with the Free Canton medium foot because the list prohibits Hungarians and Swiss being selected together. He thought the Free Canton troops were Swiss.

Could anyone clear this up?

And.... what figures would you use for them? Shieldless spearmen?

Thanks,

Hep

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:46 am

Free Canton chaps are indeed the Ax(X) from the DBM list.

If they were Swiss they'd be called "Swiss" so any restrictions applying to "Swiss" are not relevant to them

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:47 am

To quote "Oath of Fealty" - which has a full Free Canton list.

"Frisia was the largest of the 'autonomous peasant republics' also known as the Free Cantons. Smaller Free Cantons included Dithmarchen and Stedinger, and may or may not have included North Frisia."

Are they the guys who were described in the DBM army lists as Ax(X) peasants who used long spears to vault ditches (or something like that?)

Yes

And.... what figures would you use for them? Shieldless spearmen?

Yes

"The pole spear used by the Free Cantoners was held in both hands, precluding the use of a shield. It had a disk on the butt end (up to 20 cm in diameter) to prevent it sinking into the mud when it was used as a 'vaulting pole' to quickly and safely jump over drainage channels, small bogs or other treacherous terrain features."