ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Brigandine

Okay kiddo, so you know how knights wore big metal suits of armor to protect themselves in battles? Well, sometimes they wanted something a little bit lighter and easier to move in, so they would wear a brigandine instead.

A brigandine is kind of like a big, heavy jacket made out of lots of small pieces of metal that are sewn onto a fabric base. It's kind of like a quilt, but instead of having soft and cozy filling, it has metal plates to protect the person wearing it.

Now, these metal plates are called plates or scales, and they're usually made out of iron or steel. They're all different shapes and sizes and are sewn onto the fabric in a specific pattern to make sure that the person wearing it is protected as much as possible. Some brigandines even had additional spikes or studs on them to make them even more intimidating to enemies.

The great thing about a brigandine is that it's a lot easier to move in than a full suit of armor, so knights could be more nimble and quick on their feet. Plus, it was a lot cheaper to make than a full suit of armor, so it was accessible to more people.

Overall, a brigandine was a pretty cool piece of armor that knights wore to protect themselves in battles. It was like a big metal jacket that was easier to move in than a full suit of armor and was a lot cheaper to make.