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The famous Polish Winged Hussars were not medieval “huscarls” but early-modern heavy cavalry, active roughly from the late 1500s to the mid-1700s. They became the shock troops of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and some of the most feared horsemen in Europe. Unlike armored knights weighed down by plate, Winged Hussars rode fast, powerful horses and wore relatively light hussar armor: a cuirass, open helmet, and sometimes mail sleeves. Their trademark was the skrzydła—wooden frames with rows o

What does a Cavalryman do? Cavalry’s role from mediaeval times was to rapidly move over long distances in lieu of infantry. This role changed as horse tactics showed that organized troops on horseback could outperform and overcome disorganized foot soldiers. The Heavy Cavalry (Heavy Horse) of the Napoleonic Era was able to overwhelm enemy infantry in cavalry charges with their large horses and armour whereas the Light Cavalry (Light Horse) was used for scouting and skirmishes. During WW1, the st