[Bennison N]

Hi all.

I need some help... I intend to make up a kit to participate in some matches and tourneys (hopefully), and I would like to find out if there is any historical precedence for the combination of weapons I so hoped to use.

Is there any Medieval examples of a warrior using a Falchion and Halberd together? What approximate time are we looking at here? It has to be Medieval, as the tournament I really have my eye on is Medieval. I'm on the list for the team, but will try out for next year or the one after that, so I can get the new skills up first.

The reason I ask... And I know I'm going to have to be careful, or get it in the neck for even saying this... But these weapons most closely resemble, in appearance (watch the wording here, Bennison... ), the Chinese weapons I feel most adept with. I feel I know how these rough types of designs work best, and hope to incorporate this into my play. I am aware that there are cultural differences in use, but there really is only so many ways the body will move, so I reckon I can make it work, and rather quickly, all going to plan.

If I know there is a time where this combination may have been common, or even at all, I can then use that to make up the rest of the kit, and maintain historical accuracy... Something I've never really tried before...

So I'd like to thanks anybody who can assist in advance! Have a great day!

[Sam Gordon Campbell]

I don't have any references to hand, but I'd say using a halberd (or other similar polearms) and falchion (or other similar "chopper") together (as in halberd as a primary, falchion as a back up) is fine. For a time frame, I'd say late 14th to late 15th century.
I'd imagine a dao is like a falchion, and a... Well I don't know what Chinese polearm is similar to a halberd but I'd imagine that, as you have pointed out, some techniques would be very similar in their use.
This wouldn't happen to be for BoTN would it?

[Bennison N]

Well, as a matter of fact...

I saw your name there on the team page, Sam! I'm really keen, but want to make sure I'd actually help before I try out and go for it. I've never fought in plate armour before (I'm going to have to get some, first of all), or even in a group, so I'll work on that as well. I'll join in for 2013, i think.

Late 14th/Early 15th seems just about perfect to me. Those are some of my favourite all-time armour styles too.

I thought the same... A Dao and a Falchion have really similar designs... And I imagine a lot of techniques in common. For the halberd or similar polearm... Well, photos really say it better than I can. The two Halberds are really a better match than the Guisarme and Guan Dao, but I think you could use one in place of the other.

[Timo Nieminen]

There are dao and there are dao. Some dao are like a falchion (one sits in my living room right now). Some dao are like (usually shortish) cavalry sabres, and a sabre or cavalry backsword would be a fine subsitute. As for a ji-halberd, yes, late halberds are similar. These halberds seem to be rather attenuated things compared to the older ones that saw extensive battlefield use.

How medieval are you after? They seem to be on the early side of things on BoTN, not so much Renaissance stuff. Given that they're very Northern, why not go Swedish and use a sword-staff? Double-edged pudao or quandao or zhanmadao, depending on the details. You could even go Viking, with a single-edged sword and a Viking "halberd". Given that we don't know exactly what a Viking "halberd" is, there is potentially a lot of design freedom, depending on the rules.

[Wayne Stacy]

Don't know if this helps but the only thing I can think of for Medieval use of
a falchion or chopper like sword and use of a halberd, would be the early 13th cent.
King Louis IX time period. The Godernak (sometimes called, and I'm probably spelling this wrong,
Maciejowoski Chopper) could be your falcion and they did use the halberd or similiar
polearms.

[Gottfried P. Doerler]

i think this combination is totally realistic.
french infantry seargents in the middle of the 100 years war carried them, i recall a picture at the related osprey title.
they just wouldnt have called the sword a falchion but more a "baudelaire" in french (the same as "malchus" in german, after the servant whose ear peter chopped off during the arrest of jesus).

[Bennison N]

Thanks for your help, you guys!

It looks, though, like the Halberd/Baudelaire idea will have to wait.

I'm going to go in for the 1-on-1 tourney at Battle of the Nations, and it is set up as follows:

Round 1) 90 seconds of Hand-and-a-half Sword.
Round 2) 3 rounds of first-to-3 with Sword and Buckler.
Round 3) 3 rounds of first-to-3 with Sword and Shield.

The weapon sizes and weights are very regulated indeed. Also, the rules seem to be made specifically to counter me! Haha! No grabbing weapons, no punches or kicks (not sure about with Buckler), no wrestling or clinching, no attacks after disarmament. Even the banned body sites seem to be the ones I'd go for in a tight match.

But we don't do these things because they're easy, right?

Thanks again, you guys!