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Ask me about swords.

Malik

Auror
Back on topic: MY XIIIa ARRIVES TOMORROW.
This is a really, really big sword. I have a Windlass German Bastard Sword that's 29" of blade, and it's big. The XIIIa's are monsters. This one is 36" of blade with a foot of handle including the wheel pommel; almost exactly the dimensions of my protagonist's sword in Dragon's Trail--which tracks, because I based his sword off of one of Tinker's early XIIIa's.

Two-Hander-1-e1678321416847.jpg


Despite its size, it handles easily with one hand and could be wielded with a shield no problem. This one feels like it floats, but once you get it moving, the kinetic focus makes it apparent just how deadly it is. Here's a pic for scale:

For-Scale-rotated.jpg


I'm definitely having the handle redone; at the very least re-wrapped. The rest of the sword is solidly built and handles well right out of the box.
 
That's just beautiful in its practicallity.

Malik reading yourpost on the sword, I'm wondering how this sword would fare against something with a longer reach. As long as you can keep your opponent away from you, a spear could be a dangerous weapon to face.
 

Jason

Scribe
I enjoyed Malik's post as well.
Re Prince of Spires' observation, I think it can be 'rock, paper, scissors' when comparing weapons.
I armed a feared infantry with the poleaxe in my debut. Any thoughts on that choice?
 

Carolyn

Dreamer
So, I have diagnosed Asperger Syndrome with swords as my special interest. What this essentially means is that I'm obsessed with swords, to the point of them being my default thing to think about, and I have spent years assimilating sword-related trivia.

Since swords are a staple of fantasy fiction, I thought I'd offer my expertise to the benefit of the community. I don't claim to know everything on the subject, but if anyone of you have a question regarding swords I'd be happy to try to answer it. Frankly, if you have a question about swords I can't answer, it's probably something I'll end up researching on my own anyway.

Oh, and I've also had some training as a blacksmith and know the basics of bladesmithing, so I may be able to offer advice in that area as well.
What sort/type of sword would a woman who is 5' 3", with well-developed arms and about 130 pounds be realistically able to wield with some training?
 

Malik

Auror
What sort/type of sword would a woman who is 5' 3", with well-developed arms and about 130 pounds be realistically able to wield with some training?
Literally anything. My wife is 5' and 105 lbs. and can wield my new sword, one of the largest historical swords in widespread use, no problem.

If she was to train formally with it, there would be modifications to some moves because of ground-clearance issues, but the mechanical act of using a sword doesn't require a great deal of strength. Coordination is key. ("Never give a sword to someone who can't dance.")
 

Malik

Auror
That's just beautiful in its practicallity.

Malik reading yourpost on the sword, I'm wondering how this sword would fare against something with a longer reach. As long as you can keep your opponent away from you, a spear could be a dangerous weapon to face.

Rock paper scissors, as above. Once you get inside the spear's range, it becomes a staff. A good spearman can knock you on your ass in close quarters, but also, a good swordsman will be every bit as skilled a wrestler.

A lot of the moves taught to knights that we're seeing in translations of manuals at arms are identical to modern judo throws and catch-wrestling. Put a greatswordsman up against a spearman with equivalent skill in wrestling and it's six-five and pick 'em.

HOWEVER . . . typically, someone using a sword this big would be a knight or skilled professional man-at-arms and have come from money, whereas spearmen were often conscripts--spears being both cheap to make and quick to train. So, the swordsman would very likely have formal training from the best instructors, perhaps all the way back to childhood if they were nobility. It's not a matter of weapon vs. weapon; you're asking about a professional athlete vs. a high school varsity player or sandlot hero. (There's a great YouTube series about a pro soccer player who disguises himself as an old man and destroys people at local pickup matches. That's this.) Even unarmed, that same greatswordsman would probably win against a rank and file spearman. My $.02.

ETA: This X-factor--the training and skills development of a swordsman vs. a rank and file spearman--is often left out of weapon vs. weapon discussions. You have to think about how the person ended up in that position.

Now, if you had two knights with equivalent training--say, one was a palace guard armed with a spear, which was very handy for guards because of stand-off range and its less-than-lethal capability (i.e. knocking someone the **** out)--it's just going to come down to training and weapons knowledge. A knight or professional man-at-arms will be an expert with several different kinds of weapons. If it's a weapon they'll encounter, they'll know how to defend against it, and how to use it. Arm two skilled combatants with whatever you want; whoever makes the fewest mistakes walks away.
 
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A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
What sort/type of sword would a woman who is 5' 3", with well-developed arms and about 130 pounds be realistically able to wield with some training?
Everything Malik said, and also there's weight to consider. A great sword is maybe 10 pounds tops, roughly the same weight as a newborn. If she can carry a baby, she can handle this sword.
 

Malik

Auror
Everything Malik said, and also there's weight to consider. A great sword is maybe 10 pounds tops, roughly the same weight as a newborn. If she can carry a baby, she can handle this sword.
This. My greatsword is maybe 4 lbs. A ten-pound sword would be one of the big Zweihanders, and it would be six feet long with a 3" wide blade. Even then, it might not reach ten pounds.
 

Redfrogcrab

Troubadour
what's a good lightweight but strong sword material? I got a bird race who's primary form of air-to-air combat is melee swooping with swords
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
what's a good lightweight but strong sword material? I got a bird race who's primary form of air-to-air combat is melee swooping with swords

Steel. If you want to go with modern metallurgy, maybe a steel-aluminum-titanium alloy, or you could use a fantasy equivalent, like mithril. Going lightweight would really be done with the shape of the weapon (more handle, less blade). You can also put holes in the blade, which results in more brittle weapons, but then you could adjust the metallurgy to compensate with increased toughness at the cost of lower edge retention.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
Light goes with sharp and aerodynamic, heavier goes with cutting.

I think Titanium is what you want if you dont want to make up a metal or use a fantasy one.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
Lower cutting power would be offset by the force of the wielders' movements, which would be pretty significant if they're birdfolk attacking mid flight.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
If you want to beat sword against sword in mid-air combat, you'll need something of moderate weight (big bird, big blade), a sharpness that is reflective of how to destroy enough of the opponent's protection, be it armor, shield, sword, or magical barrier. For example, an arming sword is wickedly sharp and will turn an opponent into a pot roast given the chance but tends to bend at the edges when hitting metal armor or another metal weapon if it catches a bad angle. A chiseled edge is for smashing bones and breaking armor, but larger and heavier.

So, you have so questions to consider. How big are your bird people? How strong? How much endurance do they have for fighting and flying at the same time?
 
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