Matt J wrote: |
Tom: "sword+ buckler is commonplace as backup arms for people of working class soldiery needs who do not have full plate to facilitate a 2h sword as an effective primary or secondary arm." Full plate facilitates a 2h sword? To what extent? How bad is a 2h sword without full plate? Why, how. lol, I'd really appreciate an explanation, or at the least, point me in the direction to learn what you know. I am a huge fan of 2 handed swords, and I'm assuming you are not referring to a longsword, but a true 2 hander. I've learned a little about the 2 handers, in real life. I've learned that they are very long (6ft) but that they are not thick or wide, like giant swords, they are thin. I know the Claymore is super wide, and I think it's heavier and a tad shorter, generally. From what I've read, the claymore seems very similar to the "zweihander" but looking at them, I feel like they'd actually be quite different, so I'm not sure. I read that the zweihander actually performs more similarly to a poleweapon than a sword, which is interesting. I've read that they were commonly used to cleave off spear and pike tips, though I've also read that this was less likely, and it was more likely that they batted the tips aside and moved in for their own thrusts. It seems, to me, that the largest weakness to a greatsword is the same as its greatest strength, it's length. If you were too close to an enemy, I don't think you'd be able to strike effectively, nor thrust at all. Half-swording (or simply backing up, right?) should solve this issue. That, plus the fact that it's huge and you can cleave people's heads off, is about the extent of my knowledge lol. |
the easiest way to relay it if you don't have a buckler floating around is to hold a paper plate at arms length and look in the mirror of how much of your body it covers. I your armor extends to nothing more than a Padded Jack and a steel cap style helmet that little circle of wood/metal protects quite a bit of your body when utilized properly.
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An arming sword and a buckler are also more convenient on foot than a true two handed longsword on your hip; a hand and a half cut and thrust arming sword with a ~34" blade like an Albion Burgundian can be used with one or two hands, with or without a buckler, and doesn't get in the way when you're wielding a Bill or similar 15'+ polearm.
In a half or full harness of transitional period/white harness armor you don't need to rely on a shield for defense. You aren't just running in as a brawler, not caring about blows hitting you but anything errant that gets through your efforts with your cutdown lance/poleaxe/longsword isn't going to do much when a piece of plate is in the way. A buckler is kind of superfluous compared to the added power, dexterity, and speed of using a two handed weapon without having to worry about intercepting every thrust coming your way.
From personal experience it is a pain in the *ss after a few hours just walking around with my HT longsword, but my VA Bristol (fishtail pommel hand and a half sword, 26" blade) with a buckler is no problem even when running around and using other toys.
I reiterate that swords were the sidearm of the medieval world. In a wartime scenario or "questing" you'd want your players/enemies to be using them as such. A noble paladin with his longsword is going to have a bad time fighting several BBEGs who are coming at him full bore with poleaxes. Now a cramped dungeon crawl with a 7ft high ceiling and stone walls 3ft in each direction... are surprisingly also dominated by thrusting polearms. 2-3 guys with poleaxes up front and full armor could stop many times thier number in enemy mobs as thier support characters do the bulk of the slaughter from relative safety. if you look at the inventories of 15th century english households poleaxes and crossbows were the go to home defense weapons for fortified manors.
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Slaughter swords like you are talking about from the renaissance period were pretty much used as sword shaped polearms in formation.
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