Random question of the week

[[ptx]]

Leaders wore the best possible protection, were surrounded by similarly armed/armored elite bodyguard, if they fought, they didn't generally charge in the more suicidal places, their enemies generally sought to capture and ransom them instead... probably some more factors as well.

All that changed with firearms though.

[Nintendo]

Okay, I was there thinking, but how did actual medieval elite knights/commanders and generals survived battles back in medieval era?
Lol take for example in crpg no matter how strong you are, one round you will get hit and killed, not talking about some random flying arrow.
So the big question is how. Luck? Very strong plate armor?

Imagine being in middle of something like this

(click to show/hide)

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Well the picture shows the answer.
As others were fighting and died, while he was posing for the heroic picture.

[Latvian]

back in the days plate armor actualy protected form damage

[Penitent]

Medieval battles involved many more people, and the leaders were on horseback usually.  They could pick and choose where to have their cavalry charge to sway the battle, and not just charge into a hopeless melee.

Also, they were surrounded and accompanied at all times by elite troops meant to protect them.  If the leader was wounded, the bodyguard/retainers would surround him and help him escape.

Also, the goal was not to kill everyone on the enemy side, but to cause panic and route them, making them flee.  So lots of people survived...but the leaders were usually mounted (could flee much easier).  They also had the best arms, armor, and training.

That being said, many royalties did die.  It was much more important (profitable) to try and capture them alive though, and this happened more often.

[Butan]

Okay, so thats one thing, but there were also veteran squads, guys who had huge beards, lots of scars and big muscle, how did they survived? 1h shielders with good formations?

Evolution syndrome : those who have luck/skill/adaptability/win are veterans, and veterans are by definition those who survived. Those who died lacked one of those 4 things at one point or another and that's pretty much it. Dying is random in wars.

[HarunYahya]

Ranged was inaccurate and only fatal at close range , direct shots.
Armor was armor instead of steel sheet. You couldn't deal any damage to plated dudes with swings,you needed to pierce weak spots of the armor.
Still,people were dying actually.
An xbowmy old friend killed Richard the Lionheart for example.

[WITCHCRAFT]

Fight on the front lines. Command from a tent upon the hill. Sit upon the throne within your keep. Work the soil in your secluded little hamlet. Nothing is ever safe. With time, He will always find you. It's only a question of when.

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[Kuujis]

Actually - simple reason, why nobles usually survived was that they were worth more alive than dead. Ransoming was rampart and part of the deal... There were even battles lost, because all army thought that enemies are too weak to even resist so they charged for the nobles, in order to capture them. Then the "peasants" surounded them and the victory became a loss (Agincourt?). Armor was shiny and ornated and gold plated and what not to IDENTIFY a target worth capturing. Protecting the person inside was a perk too, but as the OP noted - in a mess like the depicted battle of grunwald http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grunwald one stab through a joint of armour would be more than enough.  And the irony is, that A LOT of teutonic order leadership WERE killed in the battle, despite their armour 

This reasong for identifying a target worth capturing persisted quite beyond what one would call "age of knights" and even generals/officers fighting with musket troops were wearing these, part as bullet proof wests, part as "capture me, don't kill" insignia.

[BadooN]

Most medieval battles were actually just short skirmishes ending with one or even both sides just retreating.  Also many of paintings are huge exaggerations and often commissioned by their depicted leaders to show everyone that they are courageous/powerful leaders etc.