The muster rolls and armoury records surviving from the 1560 to 1570 period provides detailed information about the armour worn by the Swedish soldiers during the Northern Seven Years War. When mustered the pikemen and halberdiers would be recorded as belonging to one of four categories based on the armour they possesed and paid accordingly.
To be regard as ”Best armed” the soldier had to be equipped with helmet, collar, breastplate with long tassets, backplate and complete arm harness with spaulders, couter and vambrace.
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| German infantry harness from c. 1560 |
The "Well armed" soldier had the same armour as above except for the arms which were only protected by the spaulders attached to the collar. As in the previous case a helmet was worn.
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| A German infantry harness from 1570-1580 |
The "Passably armed" soldier had helmet, breastplate, backplate and collar with spaulders but the breasplate was missing the tassets.
A fourht category were the men listed as wearing ”mutser” or ”mutseharnesk” (also spelled ”mundser”, ”mundseharnesk”), the meaning of the name has been lost but from the armoury records it is clear that this type of harness was made up of breastplate, backplate and collar without either tassets or spaulders. In additon the muster lists show that the men recorded in this category lacked helmets as well.
(I have no photo or drawing showing this level of armour I'm afraid)
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| Mid 16th Century Burgonet |
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| German Morion from 1570 |






