This is a common misconception. The idea of the ill-armed peasant levy is largely something that was relegated to the small-scale intrafeudal wars of the period. Most of those called to arms in large-scale wars would have been either middle-class farmers required to have a minimum quality of equipment by law, or else been mercenaries or part-time mercenaries who had a reasonable standard of training and equipment.
By the 1400s-1500s, munitions plate was in fashion for foot soldiers, and even poorer soldiers would have been more likely to been in a brigandine than mail. Mail during the period of full plate was more expensive than a breastplate - European metallurgy had at that point progressed to the point where forging a plate of metal was less resource and labor-intensive than interlocking thousands of individual chain links.
This is a common misconception. The idea of the ill-armed peasant levy is largely something that was relegated to the small-scale intrafeudal wars of the period. Most of those called to arms in large-scale wars would have been either middle-class farmers required to have a minimum quality of equipment by law, or else been mercenaries or part-time mercenaries who had a reasonable standard of training and equipment.
The most common drip would’ve still been ring or chainmail. Not full plate. Maybe some richer folks had a chest plate.
By the 1400s-1500s, munitions plate was in fashion for foot soldiers, and even poorer soldiers would have been more likely to been in a brigandine than mail. Mail during the period of full plate was more expensive than a breastplate - European metallurgy had at that point progressed to the point where forging a plate of metal was less resource and labor-intensive than interlocking thousands of individual chain links.
And a helmet! A good skullcap with a brim was like a shield for your head, even if it didn’t cover up your entire face.
Nothing wrong with a good gambeson.