How effective were medieval/renaissance town militias?

By the late middle ages, the importance of these games had diminished, to the point that citizens participating in them were mocked for making a show of being warlike without actually being good soldiers. Sources: J.F. Verbuggen, "Arms and the Art of War: The Ghentenaar and Brugeois Militia in 1477–79.". read more

Despite the rise of knightly cavalry in the 11th century, infantry played an important role throughout the Middle Ages on both the battlefield and in sieges. From the 14th century onwards, there was a rise in the prominence of infantry forces, sometimes referred to as an "infantry revolution". read more

The Later Medieval City 1300-1500. London and New York: Longman, 1997 Parishes, quarters and urban militias in the later Middle Ages: "Cities were organized into parishes or civil subdivisions, variously called thirds, quarters, sixths, constabularies or wards, for purposes of administration and defense. read more