Weapons!

[Daq Bekkar]

Daq might end up fighting with a dagger or a small knife.

[Devon]

I think the post potent weapons are ranged...Longbows, shortbows, X-bows, I think anyone that can kill without have ever been seen or heard, wins. Hmm...I feel a sharpshooter coming.

[Sir Karsimir]

Most of my knowledge is close combat, so I can't teach people how to use ranged weapons. I can outline some varieties of bows and crossbows, but I would need something more specific to work with.

Daggers however, are delightful. Here is what I can find at the moment.

Dagger Combat:

First of all, erase any beliefs about the dagger being a concealed weapon. They range from 10 inches to 2 feet long - where a dagger ends and a short sword begins is a vague area. Stick a dagger in someone and the point will come out the back of them.

Instead, the dagger is made for the joys of killing people in a tight press. No light weapon for light darting attacks, those are fencing swords. A dagger kills in close up wrestling or unnoticed thrusts under the enemy shield.

Read some of my tips about half-pike and dagger that Julen posted.

Here are some nice dagger techniques. http://www.st-max.org/FechtWeb/dagger.htm

Instead of being concealed, daggers are simply less threatening than other weapons. As a gesture of good faith, people leave their weapons at the door in some places, proving that they do not plan to kill anyone. In return, the place allows them to keep a dagger so the people are not totally unarmed, demonstrating no ambush is planned. Poisoned daggers worked on that principle.

Another piece on dagger combat. http://www.truefork.org/DragonPreservat ... dagger.pdf

Enjoy!

[Valz Malar]

What do you have on polearms? I know there is a big difference between the various types and lengths of polearms; do you have any ideas of how they are used in combat?

[Xyon_of_Calhoun]

This is Railtus. He knows everything. I hereby rename him "Master of shiny pointy things and indeed all manner of protective gear, yea verily, even studded leather, which did never exist. eth."

[Sir Karsimir]

What do you have on polearms? I know there is a big difference between the various types and lengths of polearms; do you have any ideas of how they are used in combat?

Ish. Unfortunately, I can't tell you that much.

As you say, there is a big difference. Really, everything on page 1 on how to use a spear applies to many of the polearms like ranseurs or spetums or the like.

Spear-based polearms depended on reach, large-headed polearms like voulges and lucterne hammers were used for angular momentum - which is the fancy term for a longer weapon hits harder. Generally, the purpose of massive striking power was to breach armour.

Hooks on the backs of polearms were very common, since these allowed limited grappling.

To my knowledge, much of the reason there is so little on how to use polearms is because longer weapons are more difficult to control. Too long and too difficult to control and then skill starts becoming less important.

Eg:

Pikes were often used in "hedgehog" formations, particularly by troops such as rebel peasants and militias who had not received a great deal of training in tactical maneuvers with the weapon. In these, the troops simply stood and held their pikes out in the direction of the enemy, sometimes standing in great circles or squares with the men facing out in all directions so that the enemy was confronted by many pikeheads wherever he turned, and could not attack the formation from the sides or rear.

Better-trained troops were capable of using the pike in an aggressive attack, each rank of pikemen being specially trained to hold their pikes so they presented four or five layers of spearheads pointing forwards towards the enemy.


For the rest, I will have to do some work on Dane-Axes and see if that helps you with swinging polearms.

[Sir Karsimir]

Some new info on the pollaxe.

Basic guards and stances.

http://www.westdragonshire.org/Pollaxe.htm

Some techniques.

http://www.schlachtschule.org/pollaxe/pollaxe1.html

http://www.schlachtschule.org/pollaxe/pollaxe13.html

http://www.schlachtschule.org/pollaxe/pollaxe26.html

[Xyon_of_Calhoun]

See? TOLD you he knows everything.

[Valz Malar]

Awesome...who would have thought that the "business end" of the polearm is the less used weapon. Good thing I never tried to fight with one or I probably would have a hole in my face right now. eh.

thanks for finding the info for me!

[Jenica Sabiny]

Miss you Valz Hope everything's going well for ya. I was really glad to see you post. It means you still wuv us!

[Xyon_of_Calhoun]

Nobody ever leaves...



Nobody.

[Valz Malar]

It's true.

I lurk



lurk lurk lurk




I just quit one job so now I have to find another one...."silly boy, you can't have only one job"...but then I might be able to get back here for again

In the meantime....


lurk lurk lurk

[Jenica Sabiny]

Ignorant female alert!!11!!11!1

So every day I send out an e-mail featuring a fun website to my co-workers. Today the website was for movie nitpickers:

http://www.nitpickers.com/

Fun as the site is, I was a little startled when I saw this one:

http://www.nitpickers.com/movies/nitpick.cgi?np=16095

Specifically:

"The idea of fresh blood adhering upon the polished steel surface of a blade is more myth that reality. Especially when said sword is swung violently 'round, which causes liquid blood to slough off the smooth surface. If the sword was nicked and marred from combat, then you'd expect blood to adhere in the minute grooves, though."

Is...is that true?! There's about a billion movies/TV shows that have a scene where someone has just been horribly stabbed and there is NO BLOOD or very little blood on the blade. I always thought it was them being lazy/trying to tone down the violence, but is there a basis in reality for that?

[Sir Karsimir]

Ignorant female alert!!11!!11!1

...

"The idea of fresh blood adhering upon the polished steel surface of a blade is more myth that reality. Especially when said sword is swung violently 'round, which causes liquid blood to slough off the smooth surface. If the sword was nicked and marred from combat, then you'd expect blood to adhere in the minute grooves, though."

Is...is that true?! There's about a billion movies/TV shows that have a scene where someone has just been horribly stabbed and there is NO BLOOD or very little blood on the blade. I always thought it was them being lazy/trying to tone down the violence, but is there a basis in reality for that?

Moderate basis.

An experiment for you. Go fill the sink with water, and thrust a steel object in and then pull it out the water. How significantly wet is it? Fresh blood will be much the same, only becoming sticky as it dries and clots. So most of the blood runs off the blade when it is pulled out of the wound.

However, swords are seldom kept constantly polished, they receive some protection from the scabbard, and the regular upkeep and care from practice reduces the need for polishing. Keep it in reasonable shelter and you wont need to polish it much. Polish is a travellers convenience.

One important note. Swords need cleaning after you stick them in someone (I'll leave you to wonder how I know that). This is very important. Sheath a sword before cleaning it, and you get traces of flesh and blood which rots in the scabbard - leading to a nasty infection if you ever nick yourself with the blade. A Persian Emperor died of exactly this.

Some people might consider poisoning their swords by sheathing them in gore from previous battles. I find the practice counterproductive - if you are attacking someone with a sword, the entire purpose is they don't live long enough to develop an infection.

Cleaning out a mucky scabbard is a nightmare. EASIEST CASE is a wood casing, in which case tie some sedges or wet grass to a limber switch to scrub the inside before running clean water in and out, then leaving to dry. Keep the sword somewhere else - it'll rust if you put it back in the scabbard. WITH LUCK, the scabbard will smell clean the next day. If not, you take apart the scabbard.

[Devon]

The man knows his stuff.
Rail did you ever take martial arts where swords were involved?
If your lucky enough to find a traditional study you will learn much about weapons and the practicality in which they went from tools to weapons. Depends on your point of view if you think hunting consists of tools or weapons. Food-tools, Sport-weapons.
Just my opinion.