Peasant Bowmen

Peasant Bowmen

Peasant Bowmen are the Bretonnian serfs drafted for war by their lords, just like Men-at-arms.^[1]

Peasants are not of course required to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat and may shoot enemies such as Goblins as they would vermin threatning their fields. ^[3a]

Weapons and Equipment

They are armed and uniformed from the castle armoury ^[3a] but most longbows are prized family heirlooms. ^[4a]

Unlike Men-at-arms Bowmen have trained with a longbow, which allows them to provide ranged support for the army. While the nobles allow it because they consider peasants to lack honour, they still do not provide any equipment for them, forcing Bowmen to make do with whatever they brought to the battlefield, making even light armour a prized rarity in their ranks.^[1][4a]

This, and the fact that they have not trained for close combat, would make Bowmen easy prey for almost any enemy. To counter that, they use the so-called archer stakes to even out the odds. Should the stakes fail, it could be taken for granted that they will run, hoping to never see another battle. The most important factor preventing them is their own lords, whose very presence can inspire/intimidate them into holding their ground.^[1]

• 3rd Edition: Rapscallion: Bow, Hand Weapon. May have Shield. May have Musician, Standard Bearer. ^[5a]
• 5th Edition: Longbow, Sword, may have Light Armour. ^[3a]
• 6th Edition: Defensive Stakes, Hand Weapon, Longbow. May have Braziers, Light Armour. May have Musician, Standard Bearer, Villein. ^[3a]

Gallery

• 

  Rapscallion

• 
• 
• 
• 

  Archer wearing the heraldry of his liege lord Gastille – the Red Hand of Brionne

Miniatures

• 

  Peasant Bowman

• 

  A line of Peasant Bowmen, supported by their stakes.^[1]

• 

  Peasant Bowmen

Quotes

Thou shalt give unto thine glorious Liege the taxes that he requires. Thous shalt labour all but feast days, And no more than a tenth-share shall you keep for kith and kin.Rejoice! For a Knight of Bretonnia provides your shield. ~ The Peasant's Duty. [2] [3c]

Notes

6th Edition states that the Bowmen are not armed by their lords.^[4a]

Sources.

• 1: GW Website Peasant Bowmen
• 2: Peasant Knight (Anthology)
• 3: Warhammer Armies: Bretonnia (5th Edition)
  • 3a: Bretonnian Chivalry, pg. 36
  • 3b: Bretonnian Army List, pg. 65
  • 3c: Vows of Bretonnia
• 4: Warhammer Armies: Bretonnia (6th Edition)
  • 4a: Peasant Bowmen, pg. 53-54
  • 4b: Marshalling the Host, pg. 69
• 5: Warhammer Armies (3rd Edition)
  • 5a: Army List: Bretonnia, pg. 65