Favorite Youtube Midievil Warfare Channels?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Or bronze age. I am looking for channels that will help the kids and I see real life "D&D era" battles. Preferable it won't just be a macro view of the battle of Tours either.

Maybe even a channel about equipment.

We do recognize D&D is not a historical simulation. It is still interesting to learn about gladiators and the like if you are playing one.

For reference I love watching Drachifinel and Drydock. The kids will tolerate it if they can play Roblox or the Switch and DO actually learn a little.

[Psyren]

I don't watch him much anymore, but I think Shadiversity did a bunch of this stuff. It's also a bit old, but he did a compilation of some of his own favorites if you haven't already seen that.

[Rynjin]

Shadiversity's older stuff is good but he kinda crawled up his own ass a few years back and I stopped watching him. Skallagrim is good for "equipment" content as you put it, and a bit on technique though he's let his HEMA training slip a lot. Robinswords makes interesting content that incorporates a lot of sparring and technique stuff, though I mostly engage with him through Shorts. A more "D&D focused" creator is Blumineck, who produces archery content and has a sort of "D&D Mythbusters" tangent he goes on occasionally where he helps to visualize things like the 5 ft. square, feasibility of firing on the move or into melee, etc.

I don't know a ton of creators that really focus on battles specifically, except in a broad historical sense; not as much a technique sense. Just due to their content being historical in nature the channels Townsends and Tasting History (with Max Miller) will often touch on the generalities of combat, but they are channels with a heavy food focus (Tasting History entirely, Townsends is kind of a 60% food, 40% re-enactment content for 18th century America) and so generally only touch on war through the context of food and logistics.

[GloatingSwine]

Shad was OK when he was talking about castles and architecture, but was very often wrong when he was talking about weapons and their use (because he was white-rooming without any ability to practice or test with other people).

Then he went full Internet.

You never go full Internet.

If you want channels about medieval (and other) equipment, how they were used, and what their capabilities are then:

Matt Easton/Schola Gladiatoria (Mostly swords as he's an antique dealer and HEMA instructor)
Skallagrim (Also swords and equipment, bit more pop culture)
Tod's Workshop (Armour, bows, crossbows)
Jeorg Sprave (Contraptions!)
Paper Cartridges (Antique firearms for when you want to get the arqebus out)

[oudeis]

Forget about Skallagrim and Shadiversity. Skall is a likable guy who makes enjoyable videos, but he is a essentially a dabbler in HEMA/general history, etc. Shad is even moreso, with a generous dose of distasteful attitudes and beliefs thrown in for good measure (cf most of his videos about pop culture topics, particularly modern Star Wars and most recent Disney content).

Start with Matt Easton at Scholagladiatoria. University-trained former archaeologist/historian, antique weapons dealer and now designer, and medieval and military swordfighting instructor with over 20 years experience. He is an expert on medieval warfare, weaponry, and fighting treatises, though much of his content over the past several years has been about what you could call the High British Empire, particulary the swords and swordsman of that era. Perhaps the single best source for information about HEMA* there is and probably the man who coined the term. Follow him and anybody he cites or partners with.
*Historical European Martial Arts, if you didn't know

Tod Cutler is a swordsmith and historian of medieval armor and weaponry with a bent towards experimental archaeology. His videos on arrows vs armor are the gold standard on the topic. He also designed the swords for The Witcher tv series.

For Bronze Age/Classical Era warfare, I've been very impressed by SandRhoman. Their series about the origins of war were amazing. I haven't checked out their videos about medieval war yet, but I'm going to assume they will be similarly authoritative.

Roel Konijnendijk analyzed cinematic depictions of historical war for Insider and the results were hilarious. He isn't given a lot of time to talk, but he manages to drop both nuggets of information and some serious bombs about what we see on screen.

Adorea Olomouc are a group of recreators who ground their work in historical training manuals. This duel in particular is spectacular. I can't comment on The Knight of Hope, but I understand it's similarly good.

I only just started checking out Robinswords, but so far he seems to be pretty solid. Also, while I am a dedicated slob in my personal deportment, I have to say the man has style.


Most of the other channels that I follow on this topic are about individual practice and combat, but I can add them if anyone is interested.


Edit:Ninja'd by GloatingSwine, goddammit!

[Rynjin]

I've heard good things about Scholagladiatoria, though never watched the channel myself directly. He does a lot of crossovers with other creators in the space though, so pretty much no matter who you start watching you'll probably see Matt Easton's face a lot lol.

[Eldan]

Matt Easton makes good stuff, and I trust him to actually know what he's talking about, unlike most of the others in that general sphere of Youtube. And unlike some mentioned here, he's unlikely to make unpleasant political/pop culture points on the side. His style is a lot drier, though.

That also means he doesn't have a "bit" I get tired off, though. Other than everything else, Shad is just... not entertaining anymore after you've seen him make the same jokes 20 times.

[NeptunianOM]

Off the top of my mind, these are the channels I can think of:

• Tod's Workshop
  --- Great for showing you how weapons & armor works, as well as practical testing of the armor/weapons
• Modern History TV
  --- More of a medieval history channel but he does have videos about war. Plus, he looks darn cool riding around on his horse.
• Kings and Generals
  --- A channel devoted to history & battles
• HistoryMarche
  --- A channel devoted to battles
• Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries
  --- A channel that has actual documentaries that were originall aired on TV. Lots of videos that might suit your taste.
• Shadiversity
  --- A channel devoted to medieval warfare topics (for the most part).
• Skallagrim
  --- A channel devoted to HEMA (Historic European Martial Arts), including a strong focus on weapons.

[Talakeal]

Lindybeige was rather good, although I haven’t kept up with him for the last few years.