They used
chainmail or
bechter armour to protect the upper body,
vambrace sometimes with
gauntlets,
secretes (rarely
lobster-tailed pot helmets),
buckler shields,
sabre,
composite bow,
pistols, and
carbine. Earlier companies would sometimes be equipped with a
horseman's pick,
mace, or
lance. During the rule of king
John III Sobieski, lances became compulsory. During the
Middle Ages, under the rule of
Mieszko I and
Bolesław I the Brave, the name
pancerni applied to the members of the duke's retinue. They were the wealthiest warriors in the Polish army, and as such, they could afford to wear sophisticated armour, most commonly chainmail. Their weapons included
arming swords,
axes,
spears,
shields, and strait
bows. {{Gallery ==See also==