Close Hemet for a Cuirassier
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During the seventeenth century, widespread use of firearms and artillery transformed military strategy. In numbers and tactical importance, infantry armed with muskets superseded the fully armored cavalry that had dominated European battlefields for centuries. In response, armor developed into different forms: lighter armor designed for mobility and heavier armor intended to be bulletproof. Alongside firearms, swords remained principal weapons, and were often elaborately decorated as signs of wealth, rank, and social status.
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