Doug Miller figures

Der Marodeur

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Recruited from the sons of peasant farmers and townsfolk, and occasionally young nobles, the Landsknechts eere mercenary soldiers ho offered their services to the warlords of the Holy Roman Empire. Although linked with the Thirty Years War their high waterrmark was the period 1500—1530. Profusely depicted in many contemporary woodcuts, they were known for their garish ‘slashed’ costume and for a tendency to defect or mutiny if their pay was not forthcoming.

The pay or Sold for regular footsoldiers was 4 guilders (by comparison a craft apprentice would earn between 3 and 3 and a half guilders).Those Landsknechts who were better equipped with two handed swords and, as depicted here, with an arquebus fought either in the front ranks or on the flanks of the infantry squares which were the tactical order of the day.

The figure displays a marauding Landsknecht arquebusier on the march with his spoils of war. Marauders tended to be ill disciplined troops with a tendency to stray from their detachment in search of booty and other worldly attractions