Slitherine

Hi All just after a little advice;

I’m currently putting together a WOTR Yorkist army for FOG, being new to the period I have done a little reading and I have decided to base my army on that of Edward IV at Towton. I plan on building the army in three “battles” each commanded by Edward IV, Warwick, and Fauconberg with a mobile reserve in the form of the Duke of Norfolk.

In each case I will be putting a banner on each command base and one for each Dismounted MAA unit I use (one for each commander) the question I have is what banners to use? I picked up some sheets form the lance and longbow society but I now have two types; a long tailed one and a square one. Which do I put where?

Thanks

JP

I'm putting together my own WOTR army and from the research I've done I think you could probably go with either. I'm sure that the shapes might mean certain things in certain instances but the only correlation I've been able to draw so far is that the more notable nobles tended to go with larger banners. I plan on using square banners to indicate those notables, while using the pennants to indicate lesser nobles and lords.

I believe that the long banners would be the ones to accompany the noble whilst the square ones were used (muliply) within his retinue, etc.

Greetings

'Standards, Badges & Livery Colours of the Wars of the Roses' considers that there were three types of standard:

1. Long, narrow, tapering about 3-4 feet deep and up to 6 yards long (i.e. very large) with rounded or swallow point. Usually depicted being carried mounted - some doubts if used in battle because of bulk when fighting on foot. Bore 2+ devices.

2. Square with a batten along the top (so it did not flap). Usually one large badge or device. Possibly a replacement for 1. above in the field.

3. Smaller swallow tailed probably 2 feet deep and 6 feet long - probably used as a 'company standard'.

Hope this helps.

Regards