[Gabriele C.]

[Werner Stiegler]

[Sean Flynt]

"Praxen"! There's yet another new term to throw into the mix with "Messer," "Bauernwehr," and "Hauswehr". I can't keep these things sorted properly. You Germans/Austrians and your knives are like Eskimos and snow.

By coincidence, MRL's Deal of the Day is one of these broad German hunting knives: http://www.museumreplicas.com/p-558-hunting-trousse.aspx

[Walter S]

[James Arlen Gillaspie]

Concussive blows are not something that has been mentioned much, and is a serious problem when facing something like a bear or lion. A good sized bear (or monster!) can swat like a bus. Plate is best against concussion. Mail, not so good. It's best when being flung around like a ragdoll, too, which movie and TV monsters are particularly fond of doing to the hero.

[Werner Stiegler]

[Walter S]

[Christopher VaughnStrever]

I have not taken the time to read the other replies except a few blupbs here and there...

My personal take on that drawing... Awsome! I like I think the clothing looks great, along with the mix of plate and a slight amount of maile. Even with the lack of armor in some key places; the functionality still aplies. Just as in any situation of a person suited in armor... They learn how to use the armor in their fighting style. If your upper thigh is exposed... don't put your upper leg out there to get hacked off, allow your defense to construct around those types of things.

Yea. I personally love the look and feel aof that drawing. I get a sense of both historical and a fantasy feel.

One last thing is that I have a full suit of armor and I have been tweaking the whole suit since I bought the first piece and even now I am still tweaking and making adjustments. I have a list of things I need to tweak. If you make it for yourself, just remember that through making many adjustments here and there it may not completly and fully function just right. You just have to keep working at it as with everything else.

I hope you the best in your endeavors and would love to see this concept come to life.

[Werner Stiegler]

[Bryce Felperin]

[Nathan Quarantillo]

If you ask me, I'd go for the very lightly armoured. If were going after monsters here, and we've misplaced our horses, then I'd think that some long-distance trekking would be in order.
and as Bryce has mentioned, armour is noisy. If it's not your maille links, it's your tassets clanging against your cuisses., or your besagues against your spaulders.
To cut down on noise and weight, id try to keep it into as few pieces as possible, that cover the most area. and maille is not fun to run in, even if it's just a coif.

I'd recommend a brig for the body, and ditch the surcoat (a tight brig would give a very womanly figure) and have long pauldrons and single piece copps (simpler and probably more likely to require no maintenance in the field.)
It's what i plan on getting for my eventual late 15th cent kit. It's a very distinctive, but historical look. add vambraces and you have a full arm harness.
I'd have the brig long, almost to the knees (in a split skirt of course) and some Mid eastern style greaves w/ the attached knee piece that resembles ancient Greek greaves.
Add a sallet, (the sexiest of helms) and a maille standard (subtle neck protection) and you have almost full armour thats light and is for the mostpart NOT clanking.

As for weapons, I'd actually reccomend a pollaxe. some examples are only about 5-6 ft. (managable, but still got range) and can be beautifully decorated, and would separate your girl from the slew of metal bikini-clad zweihander imitation wielders out there. as for a backup, id go w/ longsword (it's just a sexy weapon) and a messer (never know when it's time for some serious chopping). and of course the dagger. rondel. (think monster brain spiker.

[Nathan Johnson]

[Nathan Johnson]

there are some exceptions to what I just posted of corse: 14thC greaves and knees but this is before full plate, Knees worn alone by infantry and greaves worn alone in Italy in the late 15thC

If you want armour to look feminine just use gothic armour, people are so used to seeing armour that looks like American football padding they always think the hourglass shape of the torso is made for girls anyway,
If you want armour with only some bits of plate and a surcoat go with a 14thC design
try looking at pictures of late burgundian soldiers for a good mix of brigandine and plate as others have suggested.
most of it will look feminine to modern eyes as is

[Dan Howard]

[Sander Marechal]

[quote="Walter S"]

[Luka Borscak]

[quote="Sander Marechal"]

[Dan Howard]

She was undercover as Dernhelm. As soon as her helmet comes off and her hair flows free, the witchking suddenly forgets how to fight and gets stabbed in the face. Hollywood reality has rules with predictable results

[Werner Stiegler]

Hollywood and the Middle East agree: Women's hair has witching powers.

[Eric Allen]

For fantasy armor, I think the outfit depicted in the drawing looks fine, and even a step above most of the fantasy fare out there.

But as for the concept:
If I were a hunter (of monsters or anything else), I would consider having to rely on my armor and/or weapon to save my life means something went horribly, horribly wrong. If I am going to be a successful hunter, I'm not going to be getting into a climatic clash with my mark. I'm going to use everything else at my disposal--traps, misdirection, bait, pointy sticks, and my intimate knowledge of the critter's behavior to stack the deck so heavily in my favor, the killing stroke is more of an execution than a fight. I'm going to rely on my brains, not my brawn.
Think about it this way: does a deer hunter go out and wrestle a deer to the ground? No, they stalk it, lure it, and ambush it with the intent of dispatching it quickly and without fuss. Same goes for more dangerous animals. Boar are famous fighters, but if I let it get close enough to do harm to me, it means I screwed up.
Remember that, throughout our history, humans have successfully hunted even dangerous animals like bears and lions with nothing but a spear.

Armor, in that case, is superfluous. If I do my job right, I shouldn't even need it. If I do wear it, I'm going to want something lightweight, low maintenance, suitably durable, and comfortable enough for trekking long distances in the brush in. I'd say a quilted gambeson (or aketon or whatever you want to call it) and maybe some gauntlets. Or even just a sturdy leather vest or apron if I'm not worried about concussive blows. If the monster I'm fighting requires certain precautions (e.g. spits venom, hides under rocks and like to bite ankles, shoot eye-lasers), then I'll add those protections on an as-need basis.
Ultimately, my kit would consist of camping and expedition gear, my monster-dispatcher (e.g. a boar spear), a utilitarian blade like a messer or hatchet, and a variety of smaller knives and tools, as well as any pre-made traps, nets, or mechanisms I might need. And, depending, on the creature, maybe a shield.

[Walter S]