Pick one Commander and Three Generals to lead in a medieval war!

I guess I'll go with Subotai (aka Subedei), Richard the Lion-Heart, Jalal-ad-Din, and any nameless Swiss Cantonal Captain.

Subotai was arguably the best general of his day, and his Mongol horse-archers were among the most formidable of troops in the Middle Ages. 

Richard the Lion-Heart commanded the very best Western Europe had to offer--heavy cavalry (knights) capable of out-shocking virtually all other nations' heavy cavalry (when deployed properly), and effective infantry in the form of German and Northern Italian crossbowmen protected by infantry spearmen with large shields (pavesari).  Equally significant was Richard's abilty to coordinate these various branches.  The power of the crossbow even intimidated the Mongols, according to Friar Carpini.

Jalal-ad-Din, whose Khwarizmian Turks fought in much the same manner as the Mongols.  Jalal-ad-Din also had gonads of titantium, as he proved when he spurred his horse into the Indus River when he was pursued by the Mongols.  He would therefore be in charge of Medieval spec-ops.

The nameless Swiss Cantonal Captain would be in charge of a crack force of Swiss pikemen and halberdiers.  The effectiveness of the Swiss system spoke for itself, and it enabled commanders of no special ability to win victories.

Oda Nobunaga would have to be C in C. Understood campaigning as much as battlefield command. Was the only general in Japan to see the flaws of the Samurai as a warrior and able to understand how to tactically integrate new technologies.

The centre would be commanded by Edward I (longshanks). First in medieval Europe to see a new method of fightng superior to feudal knights and like Oda turned to peasants to defeat nobles. His hedgehog of longbows and billmen would be rock solid in the cetre. Billmen the original halberdiers could defeat any infantry including dismounted knights and repulse any cavalry charge. The longbow could strike down anything in range.

The cavalry wings would be commanded by Genghis. Not only a great battlefield commander but guerilla leader. He could harass the enemy before and after the battle and at a campaign level play havoc with their communication and supply lines, ensuring all battles are one sided before the arnies take the field.

Jean D'Arc. Not a general, more a flag, but a flag none the less with inspirational qualities. Sometimes poorly lead army with high motivation can defeat a well led but poorly motivated one. With Jean there in her shining gold suit of platemail, white Arabian steed and dozen minders to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or get hurt. I'll have not pnly a well led army but a fantically motivated one.

Blue = Medieval

Orange = Classical

Light Infantry Balacrean Slingers, Thracian Peltasts, Agriannes javelinmen, Roman Spear Auxilia, Roman Auxiliary Slingers, and Cretan & Rhodian Mercenary Archers and Slingers

Heavy Cavalry Companion cavalry, French Paladins, Ottoman sipahis, Elite Ghulams, Teutonic Knights, Russian Boyars, Byzantine Cataphracts (Kataphrakto) & Stratiotai, Ala Singulares, Heteroi & Thessalian cavalry

Light Cavalry Numidian cavalry, Mongol Horse Archers, Polish strzelcy (mounted crossbowmen), turkopoles, and Spanish Hoblars, Mercenary Tarentine cavalry, Paeonian scouts

Archers Chinese Professional Composite Bowmen, Cho Ku Nus, Han Crossbowmen with grid sights, English & Welsh Longbowmen, Scythian foot archers, and Geonese & North Italian Crossbowmen, Pavise Arbalesters

Artillery Roman Ballistas, Chinese Trebuchets and p�ao-shou catapults

Heavy Infantry Guarding the Center Scottish Pikemen, English Billmen, Swiss Halberdiers (Reislaufer), German landsknechts, and African (Libyan) & Macedonian Phalangites

Heavy Infantry Guarding the Flanks Roman Legionaries (Trajan Era), English Men at Arms, and Spanish Sword-and-Buckler men (rodeleros)

Reserve/Special infantry A Select Band of Janissaries, a bodyguard made up of Samurai, and The Sacred Band and a select band of Spartan Hoplites

Field Commanders Edward I Longshanks, Edward the Black Prince, & Richard the Lion-Heart (Left Flank), Epaminondas, Cyrus, Alexander, & Phillip (Center), Jalal-ad-Din, Alp Arlsan, & Sultan Beyazid II (Right Flank), Hannibal (Overall Field Command)

Strategic Commanders Subotai & Genghis Khan, Scipio & Hannibal, Simon de Montfort, Edward IV, Belisarius, Heraclius Fabius c**tator

Political Aides: Demosthenes, Hyperides of Athens, and Gaius Marius & Julius Caesar (excellent at politics and diplomacy, I could depend on these guys to fill in across the board so I�m covered from any pesky lawsuits)

Siege engineers Imperial Cohorts (for engineering purposes), minghan engineers, Persian Engineers, Archimedes (for some uber-sophisticated machinery), Diognetus of Rhodes and Epimachus of Athens (Epimachus built the helepolis for Demetrius, and until the imperial era, the Rhodians, Chinese, and Persians were bar none the most innovative artillery engineers)

Whew! What an army

Depends on the circumstances who I'd have as commander. In a defensive battle, Lu Xun. In an offensive battle Scipio Africanus.

Regardless, the 3 generals are easy. Zhao Yun, Julius Caesar and Zhang Liao.

The commander would lead the vanguard, while Zhao Yun and Julius Caesar taking the flanks. Zhang Liao would take a small force and circle around to the enemy rear for an ambush, throwing the enemy into disarray. Simple, perhaps, but often effective.

I love your topic!!!

Personally, I'd agree with Mangudai.  The command of Genghis Khan, with Subotai, Jebe, and Muquali as subordinate generals, proved  strongly effective.  I would have to agree that picking generals from different nationalities would never be realistic because they would feud against each other.

How about: Commander= Genghis Khan, Generals= Batu, Hulagu, and Kublai.  Works equally well as the combo with Subotai, Jebe, and Muquali.  All in the family.

What about: Commander = Gandoff, Generals = Aragon, Legolas, and Gemini?  Oops, off topic.

 

To be true, then neither is Scipio or Hannibal or Caeser (any) Medieval.

Still, the throne of commander could be given to Aleksander Nevski of Vladimir-Suzdal, and posts of generals to Birger Jarl, Roger de Flor and  Batu-Khan.

@ Poirot: What wee you tlaking aobut in your last sentence?

Nothing... just being... annoyance.