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Favorite Medieval Weaponry?

    • 152 posts
    October 20, 2013 3:19 AM EDT

    I think I'm going to roll with Ponty's choices. They pretty much hit my favorites on the head. 

    • 38 posts
    October 20, 2013 3:30 AM EDT
    I like bows and spears, but a katana is my clear favorite, I once read these are extremely sharp, capable of cutting a man diagonally in half
    • 3 posts
    October 20, 2013 4:04 AM EDT

    That is my second favorite weapon, right after Zweihänder ^^ and don't tell me it's the same, it isn't ^^ many people dont now the difference between, Zweihänder, Claymore and Bastardsword. I know you guys do, otherwise you wouldn't write here. But still, just wanted do mention ist :P

    • 61 posts
    October 20, 2013 5:48 AM EDT

    Someone picked my favorite, the glaive, so I'll choose my second favorite, the katar. Pretty cool looking punching dagger.

    • 966 posts
    October 20, 2013 5:57 AM EDT

    Hellburners were medieval versions of today’s weapons of mass destruction. An explosive take on the concept of fireships — old wooden scows set on fire and steered toward enemy ships to cause panic and fusion — hellburners were packed to the gunwales with gunpowder charges ignited by a delayed fuse mechanism.  Because their decks were set on fire when they were set on course, enemy sailors would believe they were conventional fireships and attempt to extinguish the fires. They were made painfully aware of the deception when the hellburners exploded violently. These floating bombs were used to great effect during the Eighty Years’ War between the Dutch Rebels and the Habsburgs.

    No matter how big the enemy warship was, this would destroy it instantly.

    • 708 posts
    October 20, 2013 6:28 AM EDT

    Dayum! Sounds pretty cool! Reminds me of one of the early black powder used in Korea I believe, they showed it on Mythbusters a while back - basically a rocket-propelled arrow launcher with a couple of hundred tubes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQhSXA3AKh4

    • 966 posts
    October 20, 2013 6:40 AM EDT

    That's badass!

    I believe similar weapons were used by the Mongol Hordes at some point. In the 17th century or so there were weapons quite like it as well, sometimes it was even mounted on ships.

  • October 20, 2013 6:56 AM EDT

    There's a mod for those weapons in Skyrim, and they look fantastic on it.

  • October 20, 2013 7:01 AM EDT

    Glaive & Halberds are just badass, always been my favourite type of weapons.

    Always imagined this kinda ninja fighting style with them.

    • 708 posts
    October 20, 2013 7:06 AM EDT

    Not too sure about halberds and glaives specifically, though I know the Japanese naginata was more or less used like that.

    It's more or less a katana on a stick.

  • October 20, 2013 7:13 AM EDT

    Looks pretty neat

    • 127 posts
    October 20, 2013 7:16 AM EDT

    Tachi!

    It's kind of a giant katana.

    • 966 posts
    October 20, 2013 7:51 AM EDT

    Katana's are overrated.

    • 1483 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:01 AM EDT
    No, they are not... :P
    • 708 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:06 AM EDT

    I think the katana itself is a bit overrated (though still an excellently designed and forged weapon), but we need to remember that it was used in the hands of the Japanese Samurai, one of history's best fighters.

    • 966 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:10 AM EDT

    They were made for unarmoured enemies. If used against a semi-profesional army, it would be worthless. Not to mention it required more training than a long bow, and most damage came from a pulling motion.

    It was made for fighting peasant armies (or rebellions) in Asia who don't wear (heavier) armour.

    • 966 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:18 AM EDT

    I wish we had magic swords... Ah well, at least we have Damascus Steel.

    • 1483 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:29 AM EDT
    Katana is very effective against lightly armored or unarmored enemies. These were the enemies Japan faced - if they met heavy armored opponents we'd know how it would fare. The katana was the best weapon of it's time, Japan even eported around 200000 to the Ming dinasty at some point.
    • 1483 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:41 AM EDT

    I wish we had magic... 

    • 127 posts
    October 20, 2013 8:50 AM EDT

    No, they're not.

    -

  • October 20, 2013 9:37 AM EDT
    Can someone explain to me what Damascus swords actually are? In simple words, please :P
  • October 20, 2013 9:37 AM EDT
    That video isn't credible. The guy used the long sword incorrectly, he needed to use the half-sword technique. Also the breastplate was kind of shit :P
    • 708 posts
    October 20, 2013 9:41 AM EDT

    I've seen that video before, it's a pretty stupid comparison, particularly the bit where he hits the ice block with the longsword. The part of the blade he hits it with isn't even sharpened and the point of impact for the katana was much further up the blade, giving it more force. At the bit with the cuirass, he strikes lower with the sword than he does with the katana - a point where armor of that design is usually thicker. And he wasn't half-swording with it, which is the reason the lower part of the blade isn't sharp!

    One of the other 'myths' I've heard about the katana is that it can hack right through chainmail - this is simply false.

    I don't think either of the weapons are particularly better than the other, I just think katanas are talked up a little *too* much.

    • 1483 posts
    October 20, 2013 9:42 AM EDT

    I agree on that part, that they are "overused" not "overrated"  

  • October 20, 2013 9:47 AM EDT
    "A katana can cut through a tank! No, really! I saw it on the internet somewhere!"