Pre-Equestrian Era. (A Middle Ages headcanon history) Part 4: Weaponry, Armor, an Tactics of Warfare.

The main type of weapon to be found in the First Tribal Period is the spear, a simple sharp end made of flint or stone set on a wooden handle. Unicorn, Earth pony, and Pegasus tribes all used this weapon. As the discovery of metals such as bronze and iron came about they were used for the heads of these spears making for more durable and deadly weapons. As the transitional period between the First Tribal Period and Rising Middle Ages came the Pegasi were developing the first polearms, unlike common spears the weapons were made with long wooden poles that had a bronze or iron head at the end. The purpose o the long pole of the weapon was to allow a pegasus to fight in melee combat without being forced to go to the ground. More advanced heads were developed for these weapons especially during the Rising Middle Ages, most polearm designs had a single iron and later steel spike protruding from the pole of the weapon while pieces such as axeheads and other spikes were added. Even in the Rising Middle Ages when polearms were the dominant weapon the spear did survive among Pegasus solders who used them as back up weapons as well as Unicorns who used it up until swords became highly common.

As the Rising Middle Ages passed and the High Middle Ages came to be polearms underwent significant development and variation leading to the creation of polearm head design such as mace heads and hammer heads as well as new variations of axeheads. This time was also when Earth Ponies and Unicorns started using very similar pole weapons. Earth Pony Polearms in particular are the most different from pegasus polearms in having thicker poles, which were sometimes reinforced with metal pieces called langets, and for having designs optimized for catching and parrying enemy blows as well as striking in other ways than just thrusting. Certain Unicorn polearms later had langets built into them as well. The tactics of use varied greatly depending on which race used them as well as the manner in which they were held. Pegasi, the pioneers of the polearm, naturally utilized the weapons length to their advantage to allow them to strike their enemies while remaining in flight and far out of reach of any melee attack. This was mainly used against non Pegasus enemies and often involves the wielder flying past an enemy while swinging or stabbing the weapon at them or flying towards an opponent while holding the weapon forward to impale them. Similar tactics are used in Pegasus to Pegasus combat along only with a lot more maneuvering in flight. Unicorns levitated their polearms in their telekinesis and utilized the highly versatile movement the magic offered to their advantage along with the weapon's range. Earth pony polearms were attached to the side of a soldier via a saddle strap as well as other pieces such as rivets to properly secure the weapon to the soldier. Only specialized Earth Pony soldiers known as "Pole Soldiers" or "Pole Runners" and Knights used these weapons as they required specific skills. The main tactic that Pole Soldiers used their weapons in was in the infamous "Impalement Charge" tactic which involved a large formation of Pole Soldiers charging forward to stab an enemy formation using the spikes of their polearms. This tactic made Pole Soldiers particularly feared by the soldiers of Unicorn kingdoms for the high casualties it could cause.

Earth Pony Knights used these weapons similarly only instead of doing so in a formation they would instead gallop around the battlefield and seeking targets before charging at the targets to try to deliver the lethal stab. What made these attacks lethal was how they utilized the strength and weight of the pony in combination with the speed of the charge to deliver a strike of immense armor piercing force. Such attacks have even been documented to have pierced and broken magical shields cast by unicorns. The other pieces on the head of a weapon were used in direct fighting that was within the weapon's reach. Pieces such as axeheads, hammers, or spikes could typically be found aiming horizontal to the ground off each side of the weapon. Some polearms used by Earth Ponies did include a third piece that pointed downward, usually a spike or axehead. The former was used in conjunction with stabs and involved the soldier swinging the weapon via bodily movements and skilled hoofwork in order to try and strike or hook with the other parts of the weapon's head. The downward piece would be reserved for an attack known as the "Overhead Strike" where the soldier rears up on their hind legs and slams the weapon's head down onto the opponent. In general Earth Ponies developed the most complex general polearm martial arts, most of which being used by Knights.

The axe was a major invention of the Earth Pony tribes of the First Tribal Period, its versatility as being a tool capable of being used as a weapon and a tool at the same time. During the Rising Middle Ages it had become a common soldier's weapon for the emerging Earth Pony Kingdoms and was copied in basic design by all other kingdoms in recognition for its usefulness. The simplicity of the axe made it cheap and easy to make resulting in it's popularity as a weapon. The main changes to occur for the weapon in the High Middle Ages were improvements in the shape of the head to improve its chopping and even axeheads designed with a point to allow for stabbing attacks. Even during the High Middle Ages when swords became more popular and common the axe was still widely used by many Earth Ponies on the battlefield. The axe's main advantage over the sword is the greater potential impact and force that a strike from one of capable of delivering due to the fact that most of the weight is at the head, this advantage is likely why many polearms have axeheads on the sides of the weapon's head. A drawback to axes is that they are less nimble than swords due to the very thing that grants the axe its advantage, the location of the weight. A common circumvention of this issue was to hold the weapon closer to the blade to allow faster strikes, this however reduced the impact any swing would deliver and as such was often switched to and from gripping the end of the handle.

Wooden or stone clubs were among the weapons of the First Tribal Era, though not as commonly used as spears their capability in delivering high impact was a known useful trait for combat. Both Unicorns and Earth Ponies of the First Tribal Period utilized this weapon mainly as a weapon for injuring attacking creatures to render them vulnerable to attacks with a spear. Over time stone heads were carved into various designs and put onto wooden shafts to make the first maces. As bronze and iron were discovered and used maces were made of such materials though didn't become common until the Rising Middle Ages when iron mail armor was being developed. The mace would be developed further as steel became the go to material in the mid to late Rising Middle Ages onward. The further development of armor made the mace as well as the later to be introduced warhammer valuable tools for anti armor purposes.
The warhammer was introduced in the mid to late High Middle Ages in response to the introduction of higher quality steel armor such as coats of plates and was likely developed from the blacksmith's hammer. Warhammers typically had one side of the head be a flat, spiked, or meat tenderizer like hammer while having the other be a spike designated for armor piercing.

The sword was a weapon first developed by Earth Ponies during the transitional period from the First Tribal Era to the Rising Middle Ages, originally made of bronze and later iron, unicorns didn't start developing swords until the Rising Middle Ages . The sword saw limited use in the early to mid Rising Middle Ages even after the introduction and production of steel due to the high amount of skill and time needed just to make one sword. In the early High Middle Ages when steel production was by then at an all time high the sword became much more common and soon would undergo very different developments between the Earth Pony and Unicorn kingdoms. Stemming from the First Tribal Era Unicorns naturally favored usage of ranged weapons and were not initially favoring swords, however in the early High Middle ages specialized swords were developed mostly as backup weapons.

The swords developed by unicorns are distinguished by their complete lack of any handle, reflecting how Unicorns used telekinesis and didn't need anything to actually grip on the weapon. Early unicorn swords were simple double pointed blades, which was why Unicorn soldiers more often used the term "Blade" rather than sword. Later types of unicorn swords included metal crossguards in the middle of the weapon to provide better options for parrying. The superior mobility and speed of the sword was quickly learned by Unicorns and thus the sword soon became just as common as bows and polearms. A famous weapon of the Unicorn Kingdoms was a four bladed plus sign shaped weapon commonly known as the "Lethal Star", which was a common Knight weapon. Lethal stars varied in size from smaller ones more commonly carried by infantry to the larger ones whose general width was about as much as a common sword. Common tactics for a Unicorn sword involve levitating the weapon in front and aim the point at one's opponent as to make deflecting and blocking any strikes easier and safer. One technique in counterattacking was to catch the opponent's weapon in the crossguard and move the blade like a lever on the opponent's weapon to strike them, hence the name "Lever Strike". Another technique that is particularly famous is the "Bladed Wheel" were the blade is spun around at high speed in order to be able to deliver a single strike with immense force or deflect an oncoming blow. The bladed wheel was also used to defect and chop arrows shot at the user during fights between Unicorn armies. The Lethal Star blade was a far superior weapon in the telekinetic levitation of a skilled user which was why it was favored by Unicorn Knights, the favoritism and advantages of the weapon made it an eventual standard weapon of the Unicorn Knight.

Earth pony swords quite notably came in greatly wide variation, many different types of swords were developed and used by Earth Ponies. The basic sword was held in a mouth grip with a blade extending from one side, normally the right, and in all but the earliest of swords a secondary blade extending from the other side. Most swords made by Earth Ponies had one blade be the main blade while the other blade as a shorter secondary blade, exceptions did exist frequently in the form of swords with two identical length blades. All swords had a half crossguard on one or both sides of the grip to provide extra options in defense, parrying, and even offense. Along with this guard in later swords was a piece known as the lip guard, a metal piece connected to the grip which curved around where the wielder's lips would be if they were gripping the weapon. The entire assembly of the mouth grip and crossguard was most often referred to as the hilt. Many variations of blade designs existed, starting with the basic sword, a weapon with a great cutting edge and sufficient point for stabbing. The Needlesword, a later design, was a greatly tapered sword specialized for thrusting attacks. Facecurves were swords with blades curved forward toward where the wielder would be facing, hence the name. A Hookcurve was a variant of the Facecurve that was designed with a more defined point that was curved to point where the wielder faced, designed to be optimized for hooking an opponent's weapon or limbs as well as for stabbing with the point. The Falchion was a wide cutting optimized blade designed with a more hefty blade to better chop at enemies. The rarest and arguably most unique blade was the Flamberg, a blade that oscillated in a wavy pattern reminiscent of a flame. A unique and different type of sword existed with a blade attached to the lip guard and extending forward in the direction the wielder faced, commonly referred to as a "facing point sword", these were typically made for stabbing. "Two Mouth Grips" longer swords with longer handles also known as longswords were developed during this time as well and became a very popular weapon among common Earth Pony soldiers, the name derives solely from how the mouth grip was twice the width of a pony's mouth. The purpose of the longer mouth grip was to better balance the longer blade, in general all Earth Pony swords were made to have most of the weight be at the mouth grip so as to make the blades very nimble and feel lightweight in the mouth grip. The largest of the swords to be made by Earth Ponies were the 'Claymores' used by the Kingdom of Trotland.

Earth Pony martial arts with swords of any kinds were highly developed and advanced at the time of the High Middle Ages. The main stance with a typical sword involved the pony standing at an angle or even almost sideways from the opponent with the main blade held towards the opponent, this could however vary with different types of swords. A lot of different techniques with all different kinds of the swords developed by Earth Ponies were developed throughout the High Middle Ages creating some of the most advanced martial arts of the time. Most of these techniques were taught to and learned by the Earth Pony Knights along with their training in polearms.

The Shield was another major part of many an Earth Pony's arsenal, particularly infantry. Typically strapped to the right foreleg, shields were highly effective for infantry thanks to protection from projectiles and melee attacks. They were first developed during the Rising Middle Ages in response to the devastation Unicorn archers caused to Earth Pony armies. Shields became standard for infantry in all Earth Pony kingdoms and never fell completely out of use even in the Falling Middle ages and it's developments in armor.

Earth ponies also frequently, though much more frequently during the Rising Middle Ages, utilized their tails for handling weaponry. One common stance within Earth pony martial arts was standing diagonally from the enemy with a shield strapped on one foreleg along with a sword, spear, mace ,or longer haft axe. One advantage of having a weapon in tail is that it can be handled with a much greater amount of agility than with a mouth gripped or side strapped weapon, the only issue was that the stances were not conducive toward formations especially compared to lines of ponies with saddle strapped polearms. Another issue was that tightly packed fighting would render tail gripped weapon techniques impractical. The usage of tail gripped weapons did survive among earth pony soldiers even after their decline in the High Middle ages, particularly in the form of daggers or small swords used to parry the enemy attacks as well as for some attacks as well. They were used commonly by Earth Pony Knights as secondary weapons to help parry, particularly against the highly versatile attacks of the telekinetically levitated weapons of unicorns. Famously, tail gripped weapons have been used by knights to finish off fallen enemies through stabbing into the eye. Common soldiers did on occasion carry a knife in tail for the same utility as the knights.

Wrestling, grappling, as well as striking with one's hooves had been an integral part of Earth Pony martial arts from their beginnings, even as far back as the First Tribal Period wrestling and punching were used by Earth Ponies along with the weaponry developed. This carried over into the advanced martial arts developed in the late Rising and entire High Middle Ages. The bone snapping highly lethal wrestling techniques made fighting an Earth Pony in close quarters extremely dangerous for ponies of the other two races due to the naturally superior strength of earth ponies. This danger particularly influenced Unicorn martial arts towards keeping distance from the opponent and utilizing one's weapon's reach. Another tactic classified under Earth Pony hoof to hoof is the "Polebird Grounder" a technique that involves dodging, blocking, or parrying a blow from a Pegasus soldier's polearm followed by grabbing the weapon by wrapping one's forelegs or tail around it and pulling it to bring the soldier to the ground if not disarm them. The specifics in executing this technique is to pull the polearm towards the ground in the general direction the pegasus is flying in order to more easily pull the opponent to the ground and possibly cause them injury from the impact. After the Pegasus would be grounded the Earth Pony soldier would move in still holding the polearm and go in to strike them with their current weapon. Similar techniques utilize Earth Pony polearms to strike or even stop an oncoming strike from a Pegasus' polearm. The threat of this tactic led Pegasi to develop their own hoof to hoof fighting styles which primarily utilized speed and quick reaction, along with these special types of hoof gauntlets made with built in blades, hammer, and short maces to assist in close quarters fighting. Such weapons would likely only be granted to middle to higher ranked Pegasus Soldiers. Similar hoof gauntlets featuring metal spikes or knobs built onto the bottom of the hoof gauntlet were produced by Earth Ponies.

Ranged attacks were a primary and integral weapon of Unicorns, particularly due to their inferior physical strength and endurance to earth ponies as well as their inability of flight. The bow and arrow was a development and likely Unicorn invention of the First Tribal Era, it would remain in use from then on to the entire Middle Ages timeline and would be developed into the infamous Unicorn Longbow during the High Middle Ages. The longbow was the Unicorn's primary weapon in battle since in general fighting enemies at as far a distance as possible was considered the best tactic, especially against Earth Ponies. Large formations of Unicorn archers were capable of firing off immense volumes of arrows said to be capable of bringing down armies. Despite these claims the bows and arrows rarely killed ponies instantly, rather instead they typically injured and crippled the movements of enemy soldiers. Such tactics even proved deadly towards Pegasus soldiers in flight due to the high volume of arrows. Means of counteracting archers and or defending against them were particularly developed by Earth Ponies in the forms of two specialized wagon like devices. The first was the shield wagon, a simple two wheeled wagon with an open slot for vision and another open slow for a polearm as shield wagons were mainly used by Pole Soldiers. Another type of wagon was the crossbow wagon, which had a large bow on a stock built onto a small two wheeled wagon. This ranged weapon came into wide use by Earth Ponies during the High Middle Ages beyond it's original anti archer purpose, soon going into used as a conventional Earth Pony ranged weapon. Unicorns adapted the new Earth Pony technology in the form of their own personnel carried crossbows, noticing the superior accuracy and projectile velocity to a long bow. The main drawback that limited the use of the unicorn crossbow was the slower drawing and reloading, making it more of a weapon used by certain specialized soldiers. Despite this the crossbow did remain widely used by Unicorns throughout the High Middle Ages and did receive some development and enhancement along with the Earth Pony Crossbow wagon.

A very important and significant advancement of the Unicorns during the Middle Ages was Unicorn Magic, ever since before the Rising Middle Ages Unicorns had been exploring the capabilities which the horns on their foreheads granted them. As the Rising Middle Ages came certain Unicorns started becoming highly skilled in using their magic and developed a wide variety of spells. These Unicorns would become very powerful and highly regarded within the societies they lived within. Magical arts had become immensely advanced in the High Middle Ages among the Unicorns who explored them, though by no means rare Unicorn mages were far from bring greatly common let alone majority within any kingdom. On the battlefield Mages proved quite formidable with their wide variety of offensive and defensive spells, they also proved tactically advantageous for the spells they could use to directly assist the soldiers in a battlefield, such as healing as well as enchanting arrow storms with elements such as fire. Mages were not the only ones on the battlefield to utilize magical arts. Some Unicorn Knights were also trained in the use of magical skills along with their training in use of swords, polearms, as well as ranged weapons such a bows. Though Knight's magical aptitude was far from that of a mag it culminated very well with their other skills to make Unicorn Knights highly formidable in battle. More common was the Battlemage, first utilized by Unihorn in the early High Middle Ages, who were soldiers armed with polearms and magic. Their skills in magic were far from matching a mage, however they could be trained in far greater numbers, this allowed for large battle lines of versatile units capable of effective close and ranged combat. These along with well trained mages were the main units that granted Unicorn Kingdoms a great advantage in battle. Archers, Mages, and Battlemages could all send hails of projectiles upon enemy battle lines while having a good amount of capability to fight up close should the enemy reach them.

Armor has a very wide history within the Pre-Equestrian Era, original armors that would be produced from the hides of slain creatures and would mostly stay primitive up until the late First Tribal Period where the first linen armor, commonly called "Gambesons" or "Akatins" as well as "Quilt Jackets". These linen and later wool jackets were among the most widely used armor in the Middle Ages, becoming the common soldier's armor thanks to it's low cost. Even after mail armor, armor made up of metal rings joined together, was introduced in the Rising Middle Ages it remained the standard armor for common soldiers in every kingdom and was even worn below mail armor for extra protection. The early Knights as well as the higher rank soldiers of the Pegasus kingdoms made extensive use of mail armor for it's flexibility and excellent damage protection. Mail remained in use for the rest of the middle ages as well as the quilted jacket even after early forms of metal plate based armor was produced in the mid to late High Middle Ages, being worn under such armors for extra protection. Early plate based forms of metal armor consisted of armor with mild steel plates riveted into linen to make for what was commonly called a "Coat of Plates". Linen riveted armor pieces were also developed into separate leg armor that was worn along with coats of plates. In the later High and the Falling Middle ages entire armors of hardened metal plate were developed making for the most high quality armors of the Pre-Equestrian Era. One thing to note is throughout history Pegasus soldiers of all kinds naturally did not wear as heavy of armor as Unicorns and Especially Earth ponies due to the fact that the weight would inhibit and even render inability in flight. Helmets for common soldiers varied to an extent, earth ponies favoring metal hats shaped like a wide brimmed bowl. Unicorns favored helmets designed to protect the horn while leaving it capable of functioning, since covered horns could not do magic. Pegasi utilized very uniquely shaped helmets designed around deflecting blows off to the side. The unicorn and earth pony knights commonly had helmets known as chanfrons, which were made to fit upon the head's shape and deflect blows to the side. Common unicorn soldier helmets were in structure chanfrons though less refined in construction than the ones used by knights. A common weakness of every helmet was the eye holes as they were often large and easy targets for a stab, many helmets tried circumventing this issue in various ways such as having the eye holes instead be slits or even x or eight pointed star openings. Such helmets were used widely however not all knights found preference to them as the visibility of eye holes could grant an advantage in combat. Pegasus helms for all ranks were commonly less on facial protection than protection on other parts of the head, and since visibility was even more valued by pegasi no major methods of facial protection were ever developed.

Here ends the chapter on weapons, armors, and tactics of war. In general weaponry of the Middle Ages was highly developed as was armor over the time frame. Each race had very different weapons and tactics that they utilized each with their own strengths and weaknesses