Historical Overview Section
The Catalan Company or the Great Catalan Company (Catalan: Gran Companyia Catalana, Latin: Exercitus francorum, Societatis exercitus catalanorum, Societatis cathalanorum, Magna Societas Catalanorum) was a company of mercenaries led by Roger de Flor in the early 14th century and hired by the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos to combat the increasing power of the Anatolian beyliks. It was formed by almogavar veterans of the War of the Sicilian Vespers, who had remained unemployed after the signing in 1302 of the Peace of Caltabellotta between the Crown of Aragon and the French dynasty of the Angevins.
Their textbook infantry came about when the military demands of the Reconquista stimulated the formation of the elite light infantry known as the Almughavars during the 13th century. These troops were used by the Crown of Aragon for other imperial ventures in the Mediterranean, particularly the War of the Sicilian Vespers. They were typically organized in companies (societates) of 20 to 50 men, under a chief of recognized military skill. The signing of the Peace of Caltabellotta in 1302 terminated that struggle in Sicily, leaving the Almughavars without immediate employment. James II of Aragon and his brother Frederick III of Sicily saw the threat this posed to civil order. While Frederick would have liked to retain some of them for the defense of Sicily, they could not, by custom, be forced to do so. Instead, many of the almogavars were recruited into a "company of companies", led by the Italian mercenary Roger de Flor, to be paid in Byzantine service.
Using the army in ADLG
- Under the ADLG v4 FAQ, definition of Medium spearmen Impact (page 13), Almughavars counts their Impact ability only when they fight foot units. Against mounted units they count only combat factors of medium spearmen.
- Fitting the Crossbowmen in can give you some reach against mounted opponents, who will otherwise stand off the Almughavars
Useful Links
User-contributed links about this army. Add links in this format:
- name of link description of link
as an example
- Sumer & Akkad Army usage statistics from the ADLG ranking site
Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army
200 Points from Worlds 2022 (Game 1)
4 Elite Almughavars
2 Almughavars
Brilliant General
==
2 Hvy Kn Impact Elite
2 LH Javelin Elite
2 HCv IMpact
2 HCv Impact Elite
CinC Brilliant
==
6 LH Javelin Elite
Ordinary General
Worlds 2022 (Game 6)
4 Elite Almughavars
2 LI Javelin Elite
1 XBow Pavise
1 LF Bow
1 Knight Impact Elite
Brilliant General
==
3 Elite Almughavars
2 LI Javelin Elite
1 XBow Pavise
2 LF Bow
1 Knight Impact Elite
Brilliant General
==
4 LH Bow
2 HCv Impact Elite
Ordinary General
- 3 of these
- 4 of these
- etc
- etc