Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-26890432-20170729181907/@comment-25101690-20170729212047

Historically? Machiavelli (and I) would disagree. Well trained militia is the heart of any successful feudal/medieval army. Following feudal standards, the regular plate armoured soldiers would be (lesser) nobles or elite troops. A standing army is only needed for guards to keep order, while actual battles should be fought by militia.

"There is not found more perilous men, then those, whiche make the warre as their arte: bicause in such case, a king is inforsed either alwaies to make warre, or to paie them alwaies, or else to bee in perill, that they take not from him his kingdome. To make warre alwaies, it is not possible: to paie them alwaies it can not be: see that of necessitie, he runneth in peril to lese the state."

- Machiavelli, The Art of War (Whitehorne's translation of 1560)