![]() Using two hands delivered more power and made the weapon more maneuverable. LongswordĬharacterized by its long grip, the longsword allowed the knight to use it single-handed while on horseback and two-handed when fighting on foot. The machete-like blades fell out of use after about 1300, while the saber-like blade shape remained in use from the early 14th century to the mid-18th century. The medieval knights also used the falchion in a tournament melee, a mock battle between mounted and dismounted knights, to capture or disable competing knights. The English archers often used the falchion on the battlefield. On the other hand, the saber blade shape likely developed under an Eastern European influence, resembling the Sword of Charlemagne in Vienna. ![]() Some scholars suggest that the falchion developed from the old Norse sax, especially the Norwegian long sax, which was popular during the 11th and 12th centuries. However, their blade shape varied over time-some versions were similar to a modern machete, while others to a saber blade. These swords were single-edged and efficient for cutting and were too unbalanced to thrust well. ![]() Other single-handed swords evolved into falchions with heavy blades that swelled toward the point. The relatively large pommels also shifted the weight towards the hilt, making the sword more maneuverable at the cost of reduced weight in the cut. However, some examples already existed in the region, even before the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century.Īrming swords with sharply tapering blades penetrated better when used for thrusting. The early Irish swords were the typical knightly swords, which the Irish likely adopted from the Anglo-Norman knights. Early arming swords had simple straight crossguards, but later swords had quillons, or arms of the crossguard, that curve toward the blade. They follow the cruciform pattern of many medieval swords. Most popular from about 1000 to 1300, the arming swords have a single-handed grip, a long, double-edged blade, and a sharp tip. The sword-and-buckler fighting was common among foot soldiers and its techniques are not uncommon in many medieval manuscripts. Hence, the other hand could use a small buckler shield for parrying. if the guy you're dueling gets killed, you can be tried for murder.Named because the men-of-arms wore them, the arming swords, sometimes called knightly swords, were cut-and-thrust weapons used with one hand. It is worth pointing out that in the post-Rennasance period, dueling arms shifted from arming and broad swords (combining thrust with slash) to rapiers (primarily thrusting with a secondary slash), then to smallswords (exclusively thrusting) preciesly because of that little detail. Broken arms, legs, skulls, ruptured organs, that sorta thing. And if you hit an unpadded or underpadded section, you can inflict quite severe injuries without breaking a single link. From there, the level of protection is dependant upon the quality of the gambezon beneath the mail. All mail does is change slashing damage into bludgeoning damage. Slashing wounds have a much greater chance of delivering an incapacitating injury, especially against mail. They tend to 'icepick' and not slow down a target unless you manage to hit a really, really vital target. Stab wounds with a narrow profile are notoriously poor at incapacitating a target. What is not guaranteed is that he is going to die in time to save your life, which is what is most important in a fight. The Bastard Sword thing, well, you can probably hit hard enough to rattle someone in plate severely, the sword has a reinforced point to get in the gaps well, AND it is long enough to half sword it, which means more power on a thrust, more options, and all kinds of fun.Īnother thing to bear in mind: shock value.Ī stab with an estoc deep into the abdomen, is a fatal wound barring antiseptics or magical healing. Basically, you probably have more viable targets unless the guy is fully kitted out in plate and more viable means of attack. Or depending, you may be able to take out a leg or a knee with a slash. With a long sword/arming sword sort of weapon, you have the point that can do some of the same thing (if not as well), and a good slash against mail may still break a wrist or a collar bone. That being said, you are probably more likely to get a one shot kill off, so to speak (if you are skilled enough to do it), and you are probably more likely to do damage against someone fully kitted out in plate. Which basically means you have to be very accurate and patient under close combat conditions, which is not especially easy. You have to thrust, and you are going to have to find the places in the armor where there is leather or mail and then commit to a thrust. Well.to avoid the "gaming weapon names vrs real weapon names" thing.Īn estoc is sort of the grand daddy of the rapier.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |