Combat Events

The Tourney

This was a mock battle on horseback. Teams fought first with lances and then swords, wearing field armour with extra reinforcing plates. Sometimes the tourney was replaced by an assault on a specially built mock castle, which one team attacked while the other defended.

Foot Combat

This was a contest fought on foot with a variety of weapons - often just between two men, but sometimes between groups.

The Joust

The joust was a contest between two knights on horseback, armed with lances. By the late 15th century, there were several forms of joust, all highly dangerous.

In the 'Joust of War', the intention was to knock the opponent off his horse, using a solid lance with a pointed head, and in the 'Joust of Peace' the knights tried to shatter their lances on their opponents' armour.

For all forms of joust, points were awarded according to how and where the lance struck an opponent. The 'Joust of Peace' is the one we demonstrate in the Tiltyard at the Royal Armouries.