 The attack was led by Hernando Pizarro , the senior Spanish commander in Cusco , with a force of 100 Spaniards ( 30 infantry , 70 cavalry ) and an estimated 30 @,@ 000 native allies . One of his main assets against the Inca armies was the Spanish cavalry because horses provided a considerable advantage in hitting power , maneuverability , speed , and stamina over Inca warriors . All Spaniards wore some kind of armor , the most commonly used types were chain mail shirts and padded cloth armor which were lighter and cheaper than full armor suits ; they were complemented by steel helmets and small iron or wooden shields . The main Spanish offensive weapon was the steel sword , which horsemen supplemented with the lance ; both weapons could easily penetrate the padded armor worn by Inca troops . Firearms , such as arquebuses were rarely used during the Spanish conquest of Peru because they were scarce , hard to use , and despised by horsemen as an <unk> weapon . Spaniards relied heavily on Indian auxiliaries because they provided thousands of warriors as well as support personnel and supplies . These native troops had the same sorts of arms and armor as their Inca counterparts . During the Ollantaytambo campaign , the Pizarro expedition included thousands of auxiliaries , mainly <unk> , <unk> , and <unk> as well as several members of the Inca nobility opposed to Manco Inca . 
