I'd made the conclusion as a kid that the crossed axes are guards like town guards and that the Crusaders with the lion crest were the actual soldiers - men-at-arms and knights.
I definitely always took it like the crossed axe guys were either some lower house loyal to the Crusaders or they were provincials/ guards of some sort but not necessarily that everyone with a Lion is NOBLE. I think the Lion just means they're soldiers directly raised by the Crusaders. Lego has always used the term knights to generally refer to groups of human soldiers, probably just because they didn't wanna use the word Soldier and figured Knight was a good enough term to refer to a medieval soldier/ warrior
This was a very fun video! I grew up in the 80's and Castle lego was one of my favorites. Back then there was very little back story to any kind of lego set, which I liked. Make up your own story. As to reality, I am convinced that lego designers based their outfits on the varied appearance of soldiers that lacked true uniforms in the middle ages. You can see the difference if you compare with Lego pirates theme soldiers for instance, they are literally much more uniform. The designers got instructions to make the medieval soldiers varied and interesting, that's why you can find almost any combination of equipment, colours and heraldry (logos) in all of the sets. I will present one other set that was not presented in this video as an example: 6016 Knight's Arsenal. It is a simple cart transporting some axes (I have this set :-), but it has a soldier with plate armour chest sitting on the cart! This chest piece is almost exclusively used for Knights normally, but used here for variety.
As a kid I treated my Crusaders and Black Falcons alike as a single faction and had them fight brick monsters and my non-Lego toys. I also figured the crossed axe knights were the strongest knights because axes are powerful!
@@MrWoman_III Polearms in general tended to be cheaper than swords, so in a battlefield situation where you have room to move, swing, and a good line of adjacent allies a wall of pikes and pollaxes is better than a wall of shortswords. I just happen to also think axes look cooler than swords most of the time, so while I like swords as a game developer I tend to give a little bit of a realistic boost to the usability of smaller battle axes and larger polearm axes as well as an unrealistic boost to my other favorite weapon class, boomerangs/throwing clubs.
The theory is neat. Though I think the ranks would be more like: Levies (crossed axes) Men at arms/ sergents (mideavil rank not modern)/ professionel troops(the ones with the lion crest) Knights or nobles (chest plate)
It could be, but breastplates, while a somewhat expensive piece of equipment, was still afforded by professional troops, and the Lion Knight's castle shows that the people wearing a lions insignia are knights, so who knows? But definitely there's a rank difference for sure
Back in the 80s you could order service packs and the cross axe minifig you could order a whole bunch. This is like PAB but in the late 80s. I was only a little kid back then so my memory might not be that accurate but I remember my brother who is 8 yrs older than me ordered a bunch of spare castle minifig accessories like weapons, headgear, shields etc. and there also a bunch of cross axe figs!
Verry interesting idea, perhaps this cross is meant to resemble the regular army while the lion crest is used by those knighted by royalty. If that is true than we can assume the crossed axe crest is used by those drafted in times of war or are those yet to be knighted by the king. Definitely some food for thought here.
Loved the video! Fantastic stuff, though I think you may have missed one of the most compelling sets proving this whole theory, 6049 Viking Voyager. Look who gets the grunt labor of rowing the boat;)
I honestly had it in my notes when I was investigating this, but I straight up forgot to include it! But yes, you're correct, it's one of the most compelling arguments for this theory!
In my own head cannon (which I admit is incorrect) is the cross-axed Minifigures are the "Crusaders" and were separate from the "Lion Knights," who were the Minifigures with the lion insignia.
Great work! I always saw the crossed axes as the sentries and grunts of the Lion Knights for the same reasons you mentioned above. The sets themselves have their own worldbuilding and imply ranks within the faction
Yeah! There's rumors that the medieval marketplace minifigs that look like lion knights don't have printing because they will be crossed axes in their torso, if that's the case then the theory on them being runts or sentries is more than viable!!
I'd initially thought they were mercenaries. Levies makes MUCH more sense, especially with their presence in all the sets I overlooked. I stopped collecting Lego in the early 80's for quite a while and missed most of that run. Great video!
I just got my first 10 crossed axe knights and with the new lion knightlegs they still hold up today. I'll use them as the guard unit for my Lion Knight Kings holiday home
i was just planning to start working on a video army building my classic crusaders, this video is very insightful and will probably change how i make my army
No idea what the thought was originally. Crossed axes suggests to me a guard unit - I am reallyglad we finally have shields for them. I'd consider the crossed axes to be a separate unit entirely from the Lions - but they seem to be allied.
random comment, i love how this minifig you made makes me instantly get excited about a new video of yours. its cool that can recognize that minifig is Ghiojo!
It should be mentioned that the fantasy era drawbridge defense set and the kingdoms kings castle include two crossed axes as ornament, although I doubt that has any relation with this
8:43 So, if the crossed axes are town guards/militia, then what are the half red/white guys included in Knights Procession (who have the heraldry of the shield on left)?
Given that the faction was originally called "Crusaders", my bet would be that the axes are a religious symbol worn by militia whereas the lion is the emblem of the Kingdom of not!Jerusalem. Black Falcons in turn would be the equivalent of Knights Templar or the Teutonic Order.
Well- I have a theory, but it's a bit of a long shot and by no means founded: If my theory is correct, then the market village could include cross axes torsos, in the images we've seen of it, it seems like the torsos of the prototypes aren't printed, even though by the time the prototype was made the lion knight torsos would've been printed, so who knows? Maybe we will get them!
Even when playing with the Lion Knights for years as a kid in the 80s that distinction of the crests didn´t really occur to me, but it seems somehow logical. Concerning the 10305 castle, apart from the obvious simplification and reduction made for a (admittedly expensive) play set I also think that the castle isn´t meant to be a fortification for a royal court or something like that. It looks and fits more like the castle for a regional leader like a count or reeve. That would on the other hand contradict the notion of all the soldiers being actual knights. Nevertheless, I like the idea of some consistency being behind the details and not just randomly scattering equipment, weaponry and heraldic symbols around.
The side of the box does mention that they "Serve the Lady with Great Honor", so it could be! The Lion torsos I imagine are either professional soldiers, knights or something in between, like a core army/guard for nobles, but I'd have to investigate more on that matter.
Personally, I think of the crossed axes are the Crusaders, who you know... go crusading. Whereas the Lion Knights are employed by the kingdom. It's not too different from your theory since just about anyone, even commoners, could go on crusades. Not so much as a different faction, but a different role.
I'd made the conclusion as a kid that the crossed axes are guards like town guards and that the Crusaders with the lion crest were the actual soldiers - men-at-arms and knights.
This has always been my theory too.
I definitely always took it like the crossed axe guys were either some lower house loyal to the Crusaders or they were provincials/ guards of some sort but not necessarily that everyone with a Lion is NOBLE. I think the Lion just means they're soldiers directly raised by the Crusaders. Lego has always used the term knights to generally refer to groups of human soldiers, probably just because they didn't wanna use the word Soldier and figured Knight was a good enough term to refer to a medieval soldier/ warrior
This was a very fun video! I grew up in the 80's and Castle lego was one of my favorites. Back then there was very little back story to any kind of lego set, which I liked. Make up your own story.
As to reality, I am convinced that lego designers based their outfits on the varied appearance of soldiers that lacked true uniforms in the middle ages. You can see the difference if you compare with Lego pirates theme soldiers for instance, they are literally much more uniform. The designers got instructions to make the medieval soldiers varied and interesting, that's why you can find almost any combination of equipment, colours and heraldry (logos) in all of the sets.
I will present one other set that was not presented in this video as an example: 6016 Knight's Arsenal. It is a simple cart transporting some axes (I have this set :-), but it has a soldier with plate armour chest sitting on the cart! This chest piece is almost exclusively used for Knights normally, but used here for variety.
As a kid I treated my Crusaders and Black Falcons alike as a single faction and had them fight brick monsters and my non-Lego toys. I also figured the crossed axe knights were the strongest knights because axes are powerful!
You were not wrong about axes being powerful because most of the time an axe was better than a sword
@@MrWoman_III Polearms in general tended to be cheaper than swords, so in a battlefield situation where you have room to move, swing, and a good line of adjacent allies a wall of pikes and pollaxes is better than a wall of shortswords.
I just happen to also think axes look cooler than swords most of the time, so while I like swords as a game developer I tend to give a little bit of a realistic boost to the usability of smaller battle axes and larger polearm axes as well as an unrealistic boost to my other favorite weapon class, boomerangs/throwing clubs.
The theory is neat.
Though I think the ranks would be more like:
Levies (crossed axes)
Men at arms/ sergents (mideavil rank not modern)/ professionel troops(the ones with the lion crest)
Knights or nobles (chest plate)
It could be, but breastplates, while a somewhat expensive piece of equipment, was still afforded by professional troops, and the Lion Knight's castle shows that the people wearing a lions insignia are knights, so who knows? But definitely there's a rank difference for sure
Back in the 80s you could order service packs and the cross axe minifig you could order a whole bunch. This is like PAB but in the late 80s. I was only a little kid back then so my memory might not be that accurate but I remember my brother who is 8 yrs older than me ordered a bunch of spare castle minifig accessories like weapons, headgear, shields etc. and there also a bunch of cross axe figs!
This video goes hard, looking forward to the ones to come
You could make a ten-season long series out of the Lego castle lore. And because so many factions are involved, it wouldn't get old!
Verry interesting idea, perhaps this cross is meant to resemble the regular army while the lion crest is used by those knighted by royalty. If that is true than we can assume the crossed axe crest is used by those drafted in times of war or are those yet to be knighted by the king. Definitely some food for thought here.
Loved the video! Fantastic stuff, though I think you may have missed one of the most compelling sets proving this whole theory, 6049 Viking Voyager. Look who gets the grunt labor of rowing the boat;)
I honestly had it in my notes when I was investigating this, but I straight up forgot to include it! But yes, you're correct, it's one of the most compelling arguments for this theory!
In my own head cannon (which I admit is incorrect) is the cross-axed Minifigures are the "Crusaders" and were separate from the "Lion Knights," who were the Minifigures with the lion insignia.
Great work! I always saw the crossed axes as the sentries and grunts of the Lion Knights for the same reasons you mentioned above. The sets themselves have their own worldbuilding and imply ranks within the faction
Yeah! There's rumors that the medieval marketplace minifigs that look like lion knights don't have printing because they will be crossed axes in their torso, if that's the case then the theory on them being runts or sentries is more than viable!!
I'd initially thought they were mercenaries. Levies makes MUCH more sense, especially with their presence in all the sets I overlooked. I stopped collecting Lego in the early 80's for quite a while and missed most of that run. Great video!
i love ur channel great video😊
I just got my first 10 crossed axe knights and with the new lion knightlegs they still hold up today. I'll use them as the guard unit for my Lion Knight Kings holiday home
i was just planning to start working on a video army building my classic crusaders, this video is very insightful and will probably change how i make my army
Glad to hear that! I'm always happy to see what people come up with!
@@ghiojo hopefully it’ll be on my channel soon
No idea what the thought was originally.
Crossed axes suggests to me a guard unit - I am reallyglad we finally have shields for them. I'd consider the crossed axes to be a separate unit entirely from the Lions - but they seem to be allied.
Yeah I associate that particular lego axe in general with "Guardsmen"
Always thought them as the local militia
This is actually a great theory! This man should have more subs.
claerly:
The double axe is normal troopers - the lion ones are knights
random comment, i love how this minifig you made makes me instantly get excited about a new video of yours. its cool that can recognize that minifig is Ghiojo!
Thank you! I honestly love how Oliver turned out, it's simple yet effective!
Very nice. Thanks
It should be mentioned that the fantasy era drawbridge defense set and the kingdoms kings castle include two crossed axes as ornament, although I doubt that has any relation with this
8:43 So, if the crossed axes are town guards/militia, then what are the half red/white guys included in Knights Procession (who have the heraldry of the shield on left)?
Given that the faction was originally called "Crusaders", my bet would be that the axes are a religious symbol worn by militia whereas the lion is the emblem of the Kingdom of not!Jerusalem. Black Falcons in turn would be the equivalent of Knights Templar or the Teutonic Order.
great video.
not worthy of wearing the lion on their chest, yet worthy of dieing for it xD welcome to the middle ages! great video!
Wish they'd release an updated cross axe torso
Well- I have a theory, but it's a bit of a long shot and by no means founded: If my theory is correct, then the market village could include cross axes torsos, in the images we've seen of it, it seems like the torsos of the prototypes aren't printed, even though by the time the prototype was made the lion knight torsos would've been printed, so who knows? Maybe we will get them!
@@ghiojo that'd be cool
Even when playing with the Lion Knights for years as a kid in the 80s that distinction of the crests didn´t really occur to me, but it seems somehow logical. Concerning the 10305 castle, apart from the obvious simplification and reduction made for a (admittedly expensive) play set I also think that the castle isn´t meant to be a fortification for a royal court or something like that. It looks and fits more like the castle for a regional leader like a count or reeve. That would on the other hand contradict the notion of all the soldiers being actual knights. Nevertheless, I like the idea of some consistency being behind the details and not just randomly scattering equipment, weaponry and heraldic symbols around.
The side of the box does mention that they "Serve the Lady with Great Honor", so it could be! The Lion torsos I imagine are either professional soldiers, knights or something in between, like a core army/guard for nobles, but I'd have to investigate more on that matter.
Cool
Very good theory !
Thanks! I believe it holds up quite decently to be honest
Personally, I think of the crossed axes are the Crusaders, who you know... go crusading. Whereas the Lion Knights are employed by the kingdom. It's not too different from your theory since just about anyone, even commoners, could go on crusades. Not so much as a different faction, but a different role.