How to weapons 2; KNOW YOUR MELEE WEAPONS
Imagine this. You're a King back during the medieval times. Suddenly, a swarm of enemies have gathered up outside your Kingdom and will be pillaging within a few months. Being the king you are, you will not let this stand. But you and your noblemen aren't going to fight. NO WAY. That's the duty of the peasants you've just conscripted. You're a wise King though and decide to actually equip your newly formed army with weapons. You'd like them to defeat their foes, after all. WHAT DO YOU EQUIP THEM WITH??
A. Swords
B. Axes
C. Spears/Lances
Did you pick A? Yes? Unfortunately, you're very wrong. I can see why you thought that though. Swords are well known for being the common arm for a soldier back in those days. OR SO YOU THOUGHT. In fact, they're not. Swords were expensive to make and were reserved for nobleman. Not only that, swords took a lot of training to use. Give a newbie a sword and he's just as likely to cut himself and his bros as he is an enemy.
Did you pick B? Yes? Eh, you're getting close. The average peasant already knows how to use an axe so equipping them with that isn't such a bad idea. Except for the fact that the range of an axe sucks and your foe is likely far better with them than you. Plus, axes took time to make so mass producing them is a bit difficult.
Did you pick C? Yes. Good job! Spears, for an exceedingly long time, will be the primary weapon for armies. Why? You don't have to be trained to use them and they're easy to make! You just stand there, poke the back end of your spear in the ground, and watch as your enemy runs right into it. Of course, this is just the basics for peasant armies and a trained person could wield a spear in far more ways but when you're just trying to be a meat shield so the archers and knights could do their job, just being a man holding a spear is enough!
SO LET'S GET THIS ON.
This is a Longsword. When referring to swords, the longsword is what will most commonly be brought up. It's what we like to call a one and a half handed weapon. That means it was light enough to use with one hand but sturdy enough to use with two. The longsword was primarily a hacking and stabbing weapon. It was actually invented when people wanted to combine a spear and an axe into one viable weapon. Funnily enough, you may find some images of knights wielding the sword by the blade and swinging the hilt. This was actually a proper way of using it. The cross guard was often in the shape of a hook and it would be used to latch on to armor joints and either rip off the armor or trip up their foes.
The longsword also has cousins in the broadsword and claymore. These weapons were primarily hacking weapons. They were held with two hands and were heavy enough to cut straight through armor. Back in the day, people were pretty buff but short (You can thank lead poisoning for the height difference) so getting smacked with one of those weapons could really ruin your day. Even if it didn't penetrate your armor, you were going to have broken bones.
This is a Gladius. It was used by Roman soldiers back in the day. It was often combined with a few javelons for throwing and a shield called a Scutum. The gladius could be used for stabbing and slashing but it was often used in a rather brutal manner. Guarding with the shield, a Roman soldier would shove hard, forcing an enemy back a pace or so. He would then reach around the shield with the gladius and give a low thrust or slash across his foe's bowels, spewing guts everywhere. You know that scene in 300 where they did that? Romans were the ones who used that strategy effectively.
Eventually, the gladius and scutum were replaced by the Spatha, the Roman version of a longsword. See above for that.
Thi is obviously a spear. Spears come in three hundred gajillion different forms and I could spend an entire entry talking about just them. They were the primary weapon of infantry for centuries and even were adapted into the gunpowder era as bayonets. Spears could be used against practically anything except against archers. They were simple weapons to use but difficult to master and can even be thrown if in the right hands. I don't think I'll go too much indepth with this one.
Everyone and their mother knows what a Katana is. Made in Japan, it's a rather unique weapon. It's primarily used for slashing attacks. The reason why the blade is curved is to keep the blade in contact with the target longer (the same applies to other curved blades), allowing it to cut deeper. What makes the katana unique is the large amount of fables behind it. The katana was primarily a one hit kill weapon but was rarely ever used. As a matter of fact, katanas accounted for maybe 12% of wounds and casualties in ancient Japan. If you were dueling and clashing blades with one, you were doing something terribly wrong. After about six hits against a hard object, a katana blade was typically rendered blunt and useless. The reasoning behind that is simple.
1. Metal in Japan was very impure. This made the metal used in the blade to be of a lower quality. The forging process had to be unique to make the blade but...
2. ...the forging process was also a problem. Katana blades are fabled to have a thousand folds to hammer out the impurities. With metal, the more folds you have, the more brittle it becomes. Katanas are suspect to the same problems.
So, if you read anywhere that katanas are a great anti-zombie weapon, I hope you enjoy dying rather quickly when your blade dulls out after striking bones a few times.
On the opposite end of a katana is a Kukri. This is a longer knife that was primarily used in Nepal and is still popular today when bushwhacking. Because the blade is curved inwards instead of outwards, it is best used for chopping and stabbing. A huge amount of power can be put into the blade, enabling it to lop off heads easily. Because of the way the blade bent, it makes a stabbing weapon that allows you to use the full force of your wrist and arm. The kukri can also be used as a throwing weapon because of its blade balance. In terms of knives, owning a kukri is your best bet for awesome.
WHAT IS THAT? I bet that's what you're asking. That's a Flamberge. While rarely used, it had a very nice niche in combat. It was used for two different things. Cutting off the tips of spears and pikes and slashing. The wavy blade acts not only like a serrated edge but it also keeps the blade in contact with the target for a much longer time than a regular blade was, allowing for deeper, more penetrating slashes. Very rarely was it used as a stabbing weapon and for a good reason. It was difficult to remove the blade after stabbing the target. You would think the curves would weaken the blade but this is not true. It suffers from none of the obvious detriments other than it's very, very hard to forge.
BATTLE AXE. SHIELD BREAKAN', LANCE DESTROYAN', LIMB CUTTAN'. Made famous by the Vikings, battle axes have also been used for centuries because people just naturally know how to use axes. Plus they're powerful but not all that accurate. But they still make up for that with POWER. Even a glancing blow can cause a grievous injury.
It bashes, it smashes, it's a Mace. Maces were used against those pesky guys who had thick armor. Sure, that armor might be able to stop a blade but blunt force will carry through and break bones. Very simple weapons to use but they wore out the arm quickly because of the one sided weight. It's also a myth that soldiers fo the clergy used maces as weapons to prevent the spilling of blood. This is blatantly false. Soldiers of the clergy rarely fought, and when they did, they were equipped with the fanciest of longswords.
Sister weapons to the mace is the flail and morning star. These had weighted balls at the end of a chain to allow for more force behind each hit. You could literally knock off a helmeted head with one of those. Their downfall is the windup time needed to start swinging the weapon.
These are not effective weapons. Using these in battle will cause you to die very quickly. Or you'll kill your opponent with the hilarity of the situation. Don't let fictional works fool you. I'm pretty sure that's the moral of these posts. You can find the one on guns here but it needs to be updated with some info. Next time, we'll be discussing bows and arrows.
A. Swords
B. Axes
C. Spears/Lances
Did you pick A? Yes? Unfortunately, you're very wrong. I can see why you thought that though. Swords are well known for being the common arm for a soldier back in those days. OR SO YOU THOUGHT. In fact, they're not. Swords were expensive to make and were reserved for nobleman. Not only that, swords took a lot of training to use. Give a newbie a sword and he's just as likely to cut himself and his bros as he is an enemy.
Did you pick B? Yes? Eh, you're getting close. The average peasant already knows how to use an axe so equipping them with that isn't such a bad idea. Except for the fact that the range of an axe sucks and your foe is likely far better with them than you. Plus, axes took time to make so mass producing them is a bit difficult.
Did you pick C? Yes. Good job! Spears, for an exceedingly long time, will be the primary weapon for armies. Why? You don't have to be trained to use them and they're easy to make! You just stand there, poke the back end of your spear in the ground, and watch as your enemy runs right into it. Of course, this is just the basics for peasant armies and a trained person could wield a spear in far more ways but when you're just trying to be a meat shield so the archers and knights could do their job, just being a man holding a spear is enough!
SO LET'S GET THIS ON.
This is a Longsword. When referring to swords, the longsword is what will most commonly be brought up. It's what we like to call a one and a half handed weapon. That means it was light enough to use with one hand but sturdy enough to use with two. The longsword was primarily a hacking and stabbing weapon. It was actually invented when people wanted to combine a spear and an axe into one viable weapon. Funnily enough, you may find some images of knights wielding the sword by the blade and swinging the hilt. This was actually a proper way of using it. The cross guard was often in the shape of a hook and it would be used to latch on to armor joints and either rip off the armor or trip up their foes.
The longsword also has cousins in the broadsword and claymore. These weapons were primarily hacking weapons. They were held with two hands and were heavy enough to cut straight through armor. Back in the day, people were pretty buff but short (You can thank lead poisoning for the height difference) so getting smacked with one of those weapons could really ruin your day. Even if it didn't penetrate your armor, you were going to have broken bones.
This is a Gladius. It was used by Roman soldiers back in the day. It was often combined with a few javelons for throwing and a shield called a Scutum. The gladius could be used for stabbing and slashing but it was often used in a rather brutal manner. Guarding with the shield, a Roman soldier would shove hard, forcing an enemy back a pace or so. He would then reach around the shield with the gladius and give a low thrust or slash across his foe's bowels, spewing guts everywhere. You know that scene in 300 where they did that? Romans were the ones who used that strategy effectively.
Eventually, the gladius and scutum were replaced by the Spatha, the Roman version of a longsword. See above for that.
Thi is obviously a spear. Spears come in three hundred gajillion different forms and I could spend an entire entry talking about just them. They were the primary weapon of infantry for centuries and even were adapted into the gunpowder era as bayonets. Spears could be used against practically anything except against archers. They were simple weapons to use but difficult to master and can even be thrown if in the right hands. I don't think I'll go too much indepth with this one.
Everyone and their mother knows what a Katana is. Made in Japan, it's a rather unique weapon. It's primarily used for slashing attacks. The reason why the blade is curved is to keep the blade in contact with the target longer (the same applies to other curved blades), allowing it to cut deeper. What makes the katana unique is the large amount of fables behind it. The katana was primarily a one hit kill weapon but was rarely ever used. As a matter of fact, katanas accounted for maybe 12% of wounds and casualties in ancient Japan. If you were dueling and clashing blades with one, you were doing something terribly wrong. After about six hits against a hard object, a katana blade was typically rendered blunt and useless. The reasoning behind that is simple.
1. Metal in Japan was very impure. This made the metal used in the blade to be of a lower quality. The forging process had to be unique to make the blade but...
2. ...the forging process was also a problem. Katana blades are fabled to have a thousand folds to hammer out the impurities. With metal, the more folds you have, the more brittle it becomes. Katanas are suspect to the same problems.
So, if you read anywhere that katanas are a great anti-zombie weapon, I hope you enjoy dying rather quickly when your blade dulls out after striking bones a few times.
On the opposite end of a katana is a Kukri. This is a longer knife that was primarily used in Nepal and is still popular today when bushwhacking. Because the blade is curved inwards instead of outwards, it is best used for chopping and stabbing. A huge amount of power can be put into the blade, enabling it to lop off heads easily. Because of the way the blade bent, it makes a stabbing weapon that allows you to use the full force of your wrist and arm. The kukri can also be used as a throwing weapon because of its blade balance. In terms of knives, owning a kukri is your best bet for awesome.
WHAT IS THAT? I bet that's what you're asking. That's a Flamberge. While rarely used, it had a very nice niche in combat. It was used for two different things. Cutting off the tips of spears and pikes and slashing. The wavy blade acts not only like a serrated edge but it also keeps the blade in contact with the target for a much longer time than a regular blade was, allowing for deeper, more penetrating slashes. Very rarely was it used as a stabbing weapon and for a good reason. It was difficult to remove the blade after stabbing the target. You would think the curves would weaken the blade but this is not true. It suffers from none of the obvious detriments other than it's very, very hard to forge.
BATTLE AXE. SHIELD BREAKAN', LANCE DESTROYAN', LIMB CUTTAN'. Made famous by the Vikings, battle axes have also been used for centuries because people just naturally know how to use axes. Plus they're powerful but not all that accurate. But they still make up for that with POWER. Even a glancing blow can cause a grievous injury.
It bashes, it smashes, it's a Mace. Maces were used against those pesky guys who had thick armor. Sure, that armor might be able to stop a blade but blunt force will carry through and break bones. Very simple weapons to use but they wore out the arm quickly because of the one sided weight. It's also a myth that soldiers fo the clergy used maces as weapons to prevent the spilling of blood. This is blatantly false. Soldiers of the clergy rarely fought, and when they did, they were equipped with the fanciest of longswords.
Sister weapons to the mace is the flail and morning star. These had weighted balls at the end of a chain to allow for more force behind each hit. You could literally knock off a helmeted head with one of those. Their downfall is the windup time needed to start swinging the weapon.
These are not effective weapons. Using these in battle will cause you to die very quickly. Or you'll kill your opponent with the hilarity of the situation. Don't let fictional works fool you. I'm pretty sure that's the moral of these posts. You can find the one on guns here but it needs to be updated with some info. Next time, we'll be discussing bows and arrows.