"Ha ha!"
Shulot laughed and shook his head slightly. The laughter is full of joyful pride; the shaking of the head is filled with a broad mind. After a while, he looked at Master Craftsman Chalape with approval.
"Charape, this kind of long heavy armor is very good! How much work does a pair of such armor require and how long does it take?"
Hearing this, Chalape smiled and looked at his clan brother. Tilippi scratched his head and said in estimation.
"Your Majesty, the cloth-covered long bronze heavy armor is made of 13 kilograms of cotton and 32 kilograms of bronze. To make the cotton armor, you need to soak the cotton, beat it repeatedly into thin sheets, and then dry it in the sun and then embroider it into two layers of cotton cloth. In this way, the front and back are covered, Hiding the weak nail seams...it takes 2 and 5 days of work, totaling 10 working days. This step is relatively simple, but the sewing is slightly time-consuming and can be completed by a strong woman.
Next, 240 armor pieces need to be made of bronze. The production of armor pieces is quite complicated, including casting, forging, and the right size... It takes 8 and 5 days in total, totaling 40 working days. This step is quite physically demanding and does not require much craftsmanship, so it can be done by a strong craftsman apprentice.
Finally, the nail pieces are arranged in order, embedded in the cotton armor, and fixed with copper nails inside and outside. After proper adjustment, the long body and heavy armor is completed... This step takes 2 to 5 days, totaling 10 working days. At this point, integration and molding requires craftsmanship, and senior craftsmen have to do it themselves! "
"A pair of cloth-covered heavy armor requires 60 man-days..."
Hearing this, Shulot's expression moved slightly and he nodded slowly.
Including the excavation and smelting of copper mines, the planting and collection of cotton, and the consumption of charcoal and material damage during the production process, the manpower and material resources consumed by a pair of heavy armor are staggering, and a steady stream of supplies will be provided in the future. repair and maintenance. In fact, cloth-covered heavy armor has been the easiest and cheapest type of heavy armor in the evolution of armor for thousands of years. Its damage repair and rust-proof maintenance are very simple. In comparison, the production time and maintenance costs of pierced armor and scale armor are several times greater.
In this era, Europe in the late 15th century was entering the fast lane of rapid development of metal craftsmanship. The iron-making wind furnaces in Italian city-states are 4.5-6 meters high and can provide high-quality wrought iron and even ordinary steel on a large scale. The southern states of the HRE are the centers of armor production. They have used water-powered forging hammers on a large scale to fully reduce the manpower consumption in armor making.
Even so, according to the workshop records and armor prices of this era, the forging time of a full-body knight's plate armor still takes 150 man-days, and the price often exceeds that of a small manor. Because on the rough embryo for hydraulic forging, a large number of experienced craftsmen are still required to hammer out the curvature of the plate armor surface and polish the outer layer. The plate breastplate, which is common among infantrymen, takes 50 man-days to manufacture. The main defense provided is the integral steel plate on the chest and back, which is also a classic shape of Spanish conquistadors. The cloth-padded jacket armor that is common among British archers takes 25 working days to make, and is filled with linen or wool. The process is similar to cotton armor.
The above three types, plate armor, plate breastplate, and thick cloth armor, are easy to produce and maintain on a large scale, and are widely popular in the European world, targeting knights, elite soldiers, and ordinary militia respectively. Although traditional chain mail and patent leather armor both have considerable defensive capabilities, their production is extremely cumbersome. Under the same defense, their man-day cost far exceeds that, and the maintenance cost is extremely high. They have been gradually ignored in the era of development and change.
Of course, at the end of the 15th century, Europe was in the ascendant, scientific and technological progress was accumulating, and various productive forces had not yet developed. Compared with the Asian countries with huge populations, there was still a clear gap. By the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, European metal craftsmanship was fully mature, large-scale hydraulic machinery was spread all over the rivers, and civilian plate armor with simplified craftsmanship began to become popular. That was the real era of great colonization and expansion.
By that time, the production cost of a set of civilian plate armor was reduced to 50 working days, and the plate breastplate only took 20 working days. The armor coverage rate of the armies of various countries increased linearly, and from then on it formed a clear advantage over the countries in Asia. With cheap heavy armor, heavy arquebuses, and large artillery, hundreds of Western colonists could establish strongholds and fortresses in various Asian countries to resist sieges by several or even ten times the number of enemy troops.
"After the 17th century, it was the nightmare of non-European travelers and the hell of Native Americans... Fortunately, I still have time!"
Shulot thought about it for a moment and sighed. Then, he looked serious again and looked at the master craftsmen in front of him.
"Charape, Tilipi, although this kind of heavy armor is good, it is a bit too heavy and requires extremely high physical strength of the warriors. Only truly elite warriors can fight wearing heavy armor for a long time. The sample armor I gave you It’s lighter, only more than thirty kilograms. Do you have any imitation products?”
"Of course there is! Your Majesty, look!"
Chalape waved, and a craftsman came forward with a pair of exquisite bronze half-length armor. Then, he personally picked up the armor and presented it to the king.
This pair of cloth-covered armor is shaped like a vest and is extremely gorgeously decorated. Its surface is inlaid with gold particles and silver wire, and together with dense copper nails, it outlines an eagle feather-like pattern. In order to contribute to the king, its inner armor has been specially treated with details, making it more similar to scale armor and does not affect the wearer's flexible movements.
"Your Majesty, this is the fine medium armor specially prepared for you by the two brothers and I, based on the suggestion of the Holy Eagle Warrior Commander! It covers half of the body and is made of 16 jins of bronze and 9 jins of cotton, totaling 25 jins. Each side of the inside The armor pieces are made by our own hands and are strong and dense; on the outer layer, we invite masters to draw and carve the wings of an eagle... Your Majesty, only gods are qualified to wear this kind of armor. Please try it on. !”
Shulot was a little surprised. He took the exquisite medium armor in front of him, inspected it for a moment, and then put it on properly with the help of the warrior commander. There is also a special thin lining sewn inside the armor, which is made of fine short-staple cotton and is quite comfortable to wear.
The cloth-covered armor is shaped like a short-sleeved shirt or a vest, and can only cover half of the body. It also reduces the number of nail plates on the back, weakening the defense of non-vital parts. However, this kind of medium armor only weighs more than 20 kilograms and is not cumbersome. It can be worn in combat for a long time without affecting the movements of strong warriors at all.
Shulot moved his hands and feet, feeling the sense of security brought by the bronze armor on his body, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good, you are interested! Bertard, you are too!"
Chalape bowed his head respectfully, his smile getting brighter. The warrior commander just smiled faintly.
"Tiripi, if these decorations are removed, how many working hours would it take to make an ordinary cloth-covered armor?"
Tiripi clasped his fingers and calculated for a moment.
"Your Majesty, the cloth-covered half-body bronze medium armor weighs about 25 kilograms. Its defense is only slightly inferior to that of heavy armor, but it is still much stronger than leather armor. The number of bronze armor pieces is about half that of heavy armor, and the time for forging and nailing can also be halved. ... Generally speaking, it’s probably a little more than 30 working days.”
Xiulote nodded. He looked at the warrior commander.
"Bertard, how much is the defensive capability of medium armor compared to heavy armor?"
The warrior commander thought for a moment and answered in detail.
"A warrior who is good at fighting can flexibly use defenses at different positions of the body. In large-scale warrior battles, the back and lower limbs are difficult to be attacked by the enemy, and long-lasting physical strength is also very important... In this way, it is approximately Seventy percent of A!”
"70% defense, 50% cost..."
Shulot pondered for a moment and then made a decision!
"Charape, Tiripi, follow the order!"
The two master craftsmen immediately fell to their knees.
"The Royal Army of the Kingdom is about to be organized. Five hundred pairs of heavy armor and two thousand pairs of medium armor are needed! It is September now. If there is sufficient supply of materials, can it be completed before the January festival?"
Chalape made some calculations and then looked confused. Beside him, Tiripi had answered directly.
"Your Majesty, there is definitely not enough time! The festival is held in mid-January, only four months ago. There are only six to seven hundred people in the bronze workshop. Even if most tasks are stopped, they can only make up five hundred workers. And five hundred heavy armors It takes 500 workers and two months, and 2,000 in the first class requires 500 workers and four months...it will take at least half a year to complete!"
Shulot's expression darkened. He has already begun to organize the Kingdom's own army. As a reliable force that is directly under his control, it will gradually become the main promotion channel for senior officers.
The first batch of pro-army troops was limited to 2,500 people. Among them, five hundred jaguar warriors will wear heavy armor and use two-handed war clubs, and the remaining two thousand personal guards will wear medium armor and carry long bows and copper arrows. Among the two thousand personal guards, five hundred came from the previous followers and one thousand came from the elite of the Northern Army, mainly the longbow warriors of the royal family.
There were also 500 people selected from the first batches of Tarasco troops to surrender, and some of the elite children of Prepecha who surrendered were recruited. In the follow-up plan, the number of pro-army soldiers from Prepecha will gradually increase, and meritorious soldiers from various ministries will also be included. On the one hand, this shows that the king treats everyone equally, on the other hand, like the Mongolian Qixue Army, it has the effect of uniting all the kingdom's ministries and acting as an officer reserve camp.
"After the festival, the feudal army will be dispatched. Before that, two thousand five hundred sets of armor must be completed!"
The king issued a clear decree. Then, he thought for a moment and looked at the warrior commander.
"During the Western Expedition, the Legion captured a large number of craftsmen in the city of Ivacchio. There must be a lot of coppersmiths among them?"
"Yes, Your Highness. They are all placed near the garrison of the capital army and serve the armies nearby. The number of coppersmiths should be four to five hundred, mainly making various copper utensils, tools and trade goods. However, in In the city of Ivacchio, they are coppersmiths, not bronze craftsmen.”
"Well, the copper trade in the feudal country can be temporarily slowed down, and the copper mines must also be centralized. They all have a certain technological foundation... Chalape, I will give you three hundred coppersmiths to forge armor plates, from the capital Call in tailors to sew cotton armor for you, and I will give you another two hundred apprentices from the migrated Mexican craftsmen! Whether it is copper, tin or charcoal, I will give it to you first!"
Hearing such favorable conditions, the bitter look on Chalape's face became even more intense. He kowtowed deeply to the ground, waiting for the expected request.
"Before the January Festival, it will take four months to build 2,500 pairs of qualified armors! This is a military order! I will send personal guards to monitor it. Well, are you confident?"
"Your Majesty, I will obey your will. I will work hard to encourage everyone and I will live up to your trust!"
Only then did Shulot smile with satisfaction. He looked ahead. The shaft furnace for smelting bronze was running. The fire was blazing, steaming up smoke and a dark red light. The firelight reflected in the king's eyes, making his pupils become hot. Bronze, steel, metals are the hope of the future!
After a while, the king took a few steps, the armor on his body clanking. He came to a batch of brand-new bronze utensils, with a serious look on his face, stretched out his hand and took out a strange yet familiar farm tool.
The agricultural tool is divided into two parts. The front part is a wooden stick with a copper tip and a foot, which is used to poke holes in the ground, called a hoe. The rear part is a digging tool shaped like a shovel, with a bronze sharp blade, called a hoe. . The grass is connected with wooden wedges, and there is a rope pulled by someone at the front. In this way, Lei is the handle of Lei, and Lei is the crown of Lei. It can break clods of soil and plow furrows.
"Your Majesty is as wise as divine revelation!"
Chalape quickly stood up and followed quickly. At this moment, his face was full of sincere admiration and smile.
"This is the two-person copper plow that I completed with my own hands according to your design!"
