Very interesting article, it would not be cheap in today’s money to replicate 13 suits of armor. I wonder what was done with them after the experiment.
This article gives you better photos of the full armor, and there are several vulnerabilities in the armor, such as the armpits exposed to an arrow, spear or sword should the soldier raise his arm. The elbows, the inner arm, the side of the body and the back of the knees are vulnerable to injury by sword, spear or arrows, rendering the soldiers incapable of fighting. Of course it would be total mayhem in the middle of a battle at close quarters and fending off a sword at close quarters would not be easy.
A sword strike at the right angle of the exposed part of the arm would put an end to the opponent’s fighting ability. And these are highly trained professionals fighting and would be aware of the possible vulnerabilities of the armor. Skill and luck are the key to survival and victory.
