he Almogavars arrived in Sicily following Peter of Aragon in 1282, and they rapidly earned a fearful reputation for” (“awake the iron!”) and striking their weapons with flints causing sparks in the darkness, which disheartened the less motivated enemy, leading sometimes to immediate surrender. If the enemy stayed to fight, the Catalan infantry would start their assault with a javelin volley, followed by hand-to-hand combat with darts () and falchions. Against enemy cavalry, they often took advantage of broken terrain and moved between the enemy’s ranks aiming at the horse’s belly (the most vulnerable part) or the rider’s spurs.
