Dark Warrior Armour

You look upon your leading officer as he makes his way down the line of your fellow soldiers. Your fate and the fate of your entire unit is dependent on this veteran’s word, and you find yourself relieved not to shoulder such a heavy burden.

“We must fight!” your officer shouts for all to hear. You adjust your Dark Warrior Armour, double checking the buckles as you listen to him continue. “For our homes and for our families, we will fight until we can fight no more!” With a resounding cheer, your fellow soldiers ready themselves for the charge. You withdraw your weapon, eager and afraid all at once.

The battle has begun.

DETAILS

This armour set includes Epic Armoury’s Dark Warrior Breastplate, Backplate, Tassets, Shoulder Plates, Arm Protection, and Leg Protection, in order to fully gear your costume needs at a lower cost. Each piece is made from galvanized mild steel with rolled edges and top-grain leather straps and fittings, and is treated with Epic Armoury’s Epic Dark Metal coat, which gives the armour a rugged, antique finish. Built to withstand the abuse of a LARP or reenactment while keeping the user safe and comfortable, this armour will last a long time with regular leather and metal armour care.

Available in sizes Small, Medium and Large.

Breastplate

A simple low-fantasy piece of armour protecting the front of the torso and abdomen. The plate rests at the hips and has a V-shaped flange--or sword turner--that deflects blows from the weak spot where torso and leg armour fit together. Sculpted to fit the body and add structural strength to the steel.

Backplate

A low-fantasy piece of armour that matches Epic Armoury’s Dark Warrior and Dark Drake Breastplates, protecting the back and spine. Sculpted to fit the body and add structural strength to the steel. At the lower rim, the plate has a small flange to deflect blows away from the lower part of the body.

Tassets

Tassets designed to protect the thigh and groin. The style is late medieval with rolled edged metal plates overlapping each other. Two sets of steel plates hang from the hips to cover the outer thighs. A third set of slimmer plates cover the groin area and provide some protection to the inner thighs. The set comes with a leather belt with suspenders to keep the piece in place.

Shoulderplates

A set of two shoulder guards with spaulders, pauldrons and besagues. The spaulders have five ridged metal plates--or lames--overlaying one another to provide laminate protection of the upper arms. Besauges (small round convex metal shields) tied onto the spaulders with leather cords add further protection to the armpits. The shoulderplates are fastened with leather straps around the biceps and at the shoulder blade, attaching to a breastplate.

Arm Protection

A set of metal vambraces designed to protect the forearms from harm. Rounded at the edges and decorated with steel rivets, these vambraces are designed to sit comfortably over the forearm, reaching from the elbow and narrowing at the wrists. Secure this armour with a top-grain leather strap below the elbow and another above the wrist.

Leg Protection

A set of demi-greaves designed to protect the shins. Rounded at the edges and decorated with shiny steel rivets, these demi-greaves are designed to sit comfortably over the shins while leaving room for poleyns to cover the kneecaps. They reach from below the knee and narrow around the ankles, secured with a top-grain leather straps below the knee and another above the ankles.

HISTORY

• Historically designed with sculpted ridges and overlapping plates to provide reinforced protection and to deflect attacks on a chaotic battlefield
• Plate armour became more popular as firearm technology became more prevalent during the 13th century

• Made from 1mm/19 gauge thick mild steel
• Rolled edges with no sharp edges
• Straps and fittings made from top-grain leather
• Hand made, welded pieces for maximum durability
• Epic Armoury Dark oxidization resistant coating

Epic Armoury Dark products are specially treated to resist rust, but should still be treated with oil and kept in dry storage. All our metal armours contain leather parts that need regular maintenance using leather-care products to keep the leather from drying out.

Cleaning

If your armour does get wet, it is important that you dry it thoroughly as soon as possible.

After handling, wearing, or after six months of storage or display, all metal should be wiped with a clean cloth. Lightly oil the clean surface with a quality machine or mineral oil. Alternatively, you can apply a coating of wax to the entire surface of exposed metal. Allow the wax to dry for a couple of hours and then buff it lightly with a soft cloth.

Rust-Prevention and Removal

Store your armour is a dry place and check it every couple of months for signs of rust. If any is found, remove it by gently rubbing the affected spot with a mildly abrasive pad dipped in paste wax, oil, or water-displacing liquid.

Leather Straps and Fittings

Clean by removing dirt with a hard brush, then gently rub on leather soap with a clean, damp cloth until the leather appears clean. Remove soap with a separate damp cloth to wipe away any soap residue and then use a dry cloth to wipe away any remaining water from the leather.

You should always condition leather after cleaning, since the soap will have removed some of its natural oils. Treat the leather with mink oil, olive oil, or beeswax polish with a clean cloth, gently rubbing a small amount of oil or polish in circles into the leather. Allow the leather to soak in the oil before wiping the leather with a final clean cloth to remove any excess residue.