Helmets

[martin goddard]

You command the right wing (battle).
Visor up to see what is going on or down and risk being blindsided by enemy units.

Big feather to show where you are and give leadership or a body double to avoid being killed.

Armour. Italian smooth design or German more fluted design?

martin

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Italian or German is simply a style choice, both will do the job admirably. Personally I'd invest in a bodyguard of keen archers looking for the 'sniper' zeroing in on your feather and aiming for your open face!

[Colonel Kilgore]

Visor up; body double with a big feather. German engineering over Italian flair.

Simon

[Wardy64]

Learnt in my first riot, always keep your visor down and shield up.

Dave

[Traffic]

visor up.  Lots of modelling choices with those

[Leman (Andy)]

I like to see both up and down visors on the tabletop - Bloody Barons and Regiment of Foote. Dangerous, but in full armour a breather or clear vision at some point is absolutely necessary.

Bodyguard, definitely some big chaps with polearms; the melee is more dangerous on a BB battlefield.

Double is handy but don't wear a feather - leave that to the future gendarmes. The followers are more likely to be looking to the standard for their leader in the rough and tumble of battle.

[John Watson]

Agree with Andy. The troops rally to the standard. Also each noble will have his own personal flag for identification.
As to body doubles, I would say do it if you are the king or other form of head honcho on the justification that the devious rebels will employ all sorts of knavery to kill the royal personage so best to be on the safe side.If you are the rebels leader then no. You want to show your followers that you are frightened of nothing and no one. But history will probably prove me wrong. I can only think of Agincourt where, I believe, King Henry V employed look alike to confuse the French. "Sacre Bleu! Les Anglais avez quatre roi. N'est pas possible." Or words to that effect.
John