Plate armour

Plate armour is protective clothing made from shaped, rigid metal plates. In Europe, it developed into articulated suits that covered much of the body while allowing movement.

Articulated armour: Armour whose rigid plates are joined to permit movement at the body's joints. Articulated joints let a full suit protect limbs without locking them in place.
Roman lorica segmentata: A Roman body armour made from overlapping iron bands attached to leather straps. Its rigid bands offer an earlier, distinct approach to enclosing the torso with metal.
Field armour: Armour intended for military use in the field. Its design prioritized practical protection and movement outside the tournament.
Longbow: A powerful bow, especially associated with medieval English warfare. Powerful bows tested the protection offered by plate and other armour.
Almain rivet: A German-style torso armour, typically comprising a breastplate and backplate joined by sliding rivets. Its sliding rivets show how torso plates could expand and contract with movement.
Mail armour: Armour made from interlinked metal rings. Mail remained widely used alongside plates and protected flexible areas beneath them.
Jousting armour: Armour designed for the mounted tournament sport of jousting. Specialized tournament protection could be heavier and less mobile than field harness.
Crossbow: A ranged weapon that launches a bolt using a bow mounted on a stock. Crossbows prompted concern about armour's resistance to penetrating missiles.
Gorget: A piece of armour protecting the neck and upper chest. It closed the vulnerable gap between helmet and torso armour.
Transitional armour: Late medieval armour combining mail with plates that increasingly covered the body. It marks the gradual shift from mail-dominated protection to full plate harness.

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