Boring question #72: Which ancient weapon would you want to use? see details?
Which ancient weapon would you want to use? You have the choice of a standard broad sword, morning star, mace, crossbow, lance or a pollaxe? You can use the same weapon for each of the following combat theaters. The following combat theaters is where you would use your weapon of choice:
• Muddy bog like field where your feet sinks ankle-deep in mud and footing is slow and slippery.
• Sandy beach with dunes, where your footing is labored and slides on the sand.
• Fishers and arroyos of jagged craggily rock where you have a tight fit and close fighting.
• High desert, flat hard soil, mostly pebbly ground under foot. Mostly wide open with straight sightlines.
• Dense forest where plants hand in the sightline, and become tangle obstacles. There are many trees and brush to deal with.
Fighting in each of those combat theaters, which weapon would to use, and why that weapon for that terrain?
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Muddy bog; a crossbow. It’s the least heaviest thing, so I peg shit off quickly and get the hell outta there.
Sandy dunes; well again the crossbow makes sense. But I’d rather have the poleaxe, because it being pretty heavy, I could use that to my advantage as I surf down hills, and use its weight to make me go faster, and therefore skillfully bury it in the head of my foes on impact. Exploiting gravity!
Fishers and arroyos…I don’t know what the hell that is, but going from the description…again, the crossbow. I don’t want to move too much if the footing is all jagged, and if it’s tight spaced, easier for me to peg someone off. The mace would be good, if I suck with the crossbow.
High desert; go mental with the morning star. Been dying to use that sucker for one of those scenarios.
Forest; the sword, so I could also use it to chop up unwanted obstacles.
Urban setting; a fuckin’ chainsaw. :)
Cool question. Ziss some kinda psychology test?
Jeez @Hypocrisy_Central This question is what my junior quals would have been if I had majored in Clinical Ancient Weapons and Fighting Techniques. I am going with the pollaxe in all described circumstances because none of the scenarios you describe ensure sure-footedness and I want a good solid weapon. I would prefer the Morning Star but I don’t want to be swinging that thing around if I am not solid on my feet, the rocks, the gravel, the mud, even the brush underfoot might interfere with my steadiness. And, the pollaxe can be gripped further down the handle for closer combat. The crossbow isn’t too handy in close combat.
I’m with the broadsword for everything for the same reason given above me.
@lillycoyote I am going with the pollaxe in all described circumstances because none of the scenarios you describe ensure sure-footedness and I want a good solid weapon. I am thinking the high desert has the best footing, with the most space to get jiggy with it.
@lillycoyote I still think you’ll get messed up in the close quarter crag situation.
I’m sorry, my weapon of choice would be the mallet (I just love to hear metal squishing against flesh and bone). I know! I know you didn’t include the mallet but that’s part of my philosophy, “speak softly and carry a BIGGG stick”..
A compressed-air rifle. One of the more popular varieties was nearly semi-automatic: twenty balls in a tube that you could drop successively into the chamber. The first 10–15 had about as much oomph as a musket.
Of those provided, I’d probably go with the pollaxe. I like having some distance, and while crossbows are good for that, they’re also slow to reload. I guess that in the case of the high desert, I’d go with a crossbow but switch to the pollaxe when the enemy got within range.
What are these hypothetical enemies wearing? Armed with?
@Nullo What are these hypothetical enemies wearing? Armed with? Your adversaries will have a complement of the weapons stated, lances, morning stars, but 70% will have your usual broad sword and pollaxe, with the other 30% broken up with maces, morning stars, crossbows, etc.
I used a sword, a morning star, a mace, a lance and a poleaxe. But I didn’t found a good crossbow to fire. I wish I can find a good and reliable one.
But if I were to take upon a battle I’d go for a sword and a somewhat large shield [and of course a bow for until I get close enough to be able to use the sword.]
The image is only descriptive
@Hibernate The sorts of places that sell hunting rifles may also sell bows and crossbows. Do be warned that crossbows are considered firearms by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
@Hypocrisy_Central What kind of armor are they wearing?
Also, I change my vote to the longbow. Higher rate of fire, and it can punch through plate armor!
@Nullo crossbows are not considered firearms by the ATF.
@Hypocrisy_Central crossbows and morningstars are considered ancient?
Anyway, I would go with a spear or a crossbow in the first scenario, though a crossbow would be hard to reload considering the ground isn’t exactly conducive to holding the bow down with your foot (a method by which most early crossbows were reloaded).
I would use a spear for the second scenario because of the range.
I would use a flail (your image of a “morning star” is incorrect. Weapons with balls and chains were referred to as flails, even with the spiked ball end. A true morningstar is basically a spiked ball on a mace with no chain) or a morning star because of its utility at very close ranges. The flail would be useful for swinging around sharp corners.
In the desert, I would go with a crossbow or spear because of the range.
I’d go with a sword in the forest because of its close range versatility.
Bitches don’t know about my arquebus
@Nullo good for me that I don’t live in the US so I could care less about ATF :P
@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard I believe Nullo to be true. You can kill a man with a bow/crossbow quite often so it has to be at least a dangerous weapon, or at least mention to be handeled with care.
Though everywhere I went the crossbows weren’t that good to be used. Oh and I don’t want a new version. I thought we were supposed to use ancient weapons. [I did not use modern version for the sword/morning star/flail/broadaxe etc etc ]
@Hibernate doesn’t matter. The ATF does not consider crossbows to be firearms. Therefore, Nullo is incorrect despite the lethality of crossbows. And lucky you for not having the ATF to deal with, though wherever you live, the laws are undoubtedly more Draconian.
@Nullo maybe. I don’t know about local regulations, but crossbows are definitely not considered firearms by the ATF.
Not really. You can buy a crossbow [modern one] from a store and nobody’s gonna say anything that it can be lethal or not. The same goes for swords / bows / shields etc. And as far it goes crimes are not always punished by blood, or at least the small ones.
Armoured like that, but on foot? Or are they on the horse as well?
@Hypocrisy_Central if you want something a good solid weapon go with a big battleaxe or a huge hammer. Even if it’s blocked it does enough damage to either throw them on the ground or just crash the armor. Though you need a lot of strenght to wield once of these and after a while you get tired. This is why you need people near you so you guys can take turns while swinging the weapons :P
@Schroedes13 Everyone is on foot, the lazy ones are back with the women LOL LOL
Good good. Then I’ll stick with my sword.
I’m just going to trump all that shit & pick Genghis Khan.
Fucking broad sword for everything.
I’m great with swords.
I’m pretty damn good with traditional archery equipment. But I do love my barong, too.
@KatetheGreat Sorry, Kate. I already have all the broadswords….go find your own :P!
I challenge you to a unarmored sword fight! Winner takes all! ;)
Yes. And I own 13 of them.
Status:
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[X] Told
Shit…....I’ve only ever played with sticks that in my mind were swords….....uuuummmm how about you use your swords and I’ll use this broadsword?
@Fiddle hahaha, I feel that I should know that.
@schroedes you’ll still get your ass kicked by a girl ;)
@KatetheGreat I’m hoping on sheer strength to get me out of this jam. You can block, but your arms are gonna get pretty sore, pretty quickly. I’m hoping so anyways.
Hoping, being the key word. :)
@KatetheGreat Ps. I’ll have you know that last Saturday while some colleagues and I were playing basketbal, there was a kendo session going on in the other half of the gym. I watched them for a few minutes and I think I learned a ton. :P
You see, I’ve been practicing for years. Never underestimate the power of a woman.
I never underestimate my opponents. Although I have yet to see your full, physical appearance, so at this point, I’ll use gender role types! :P
I’m a large, grizzly Amazon woman. Fear me!
You don’t know what you are getting yourself into, @Schroedes13, trust me.
Fiddle is a very smart man ;)
@Schroedes13 I dunno, you are putting me in a precarious position by asking that. I think I’ve already sworn allegiance to Kate by communing with her off-site, and being your second in a duel of gentle(wo)men just wouldn’t be appropriate, I think.
damn…...I’m effed! No second, fighting a woman who owns swords, and the only training I have is 17 years off baseball which could translate into one hell of a horizontal cut, but that’s it…..:(
It’ll be okay, honey. I’ll make your death quick and easy ;) it won’t hurt that bad.
ok Fiddle, don’t tell Kate, but here’s my strategy. I’m just gonna get her drunk and try and woo her! It’s so crazy, it just might work!
Hey now, broseidon, I’ve already claimed Kate for my sexytime purposes. Though I don’t think she’d mind if we shared.
@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard Ok Broseph Stalin, that’s fine. I’ll just woo her enough to get her to swoon and then I’ll be on my merry way and you can do what you will with her! :P Everyone wins!
Whoaaa brotatochips, I don’t go down that easily!
but damn, the kid has strategy. He knows my weakness!
I’ll bring some scotch to the battle and it’ll be over!
Scotch? Pfft. Let’s kick back so moonshine. I want to be able enjoy my drunkeness.
I’ve never tried moonshine!
I lead a hard life, you know! :P
I can tell. One’s life is not complete until you down a Mason jar full of moonshine.
If I ever make it down to the south, I’ll find you and Fiddle and we’ll polish off a ceramic vessel full of it!
Mix in some firearm action and guitar collab, and it’d be perfect.
@KatetheGreat Oh Americans and their guns. I’m up for the jam session though.
@Schroedes13 brotip: Kate is Russian. And Canadians are gun nuts too.
Russians with guns are worse. Call me a yank again and you’ll find out ;)
@KatetheGreat Can’t be that much worse than a Russian with a sword?
you see, with swords, I’d hurt you with one clean slice. With a gun, I can shoot you in many different places skillfully with a lot less effort and time. And it’d be slightly more torturous. ;)
IMO, I don’t see the difference in inflicting torturous sword or gun wounds. I like my body mostly unscathed as it is now :P
point is, don’t call me a yank, bropotamus.
@KatetheGreat Let him have the broadswords, you can use a pollaxe better in the forest. You can slice vegetation out of your way, and use the spike end to stab through thickets his sword can’t go through, not to mention poke at him from a distance his sword is not that effective. Plus when you are in the crags and arroyos he will have a harder time getting a clean swing while you will still be able to thrust an attack at him ;-P
ps. there are big trees in a forest…..try hacking through those….
@Schroedes13 I say just address me as a regular bro. I swear, I act like a man more than I do a woman sometimes.
@Hypocrisy_Central But I want a broadsword :( I’ll just go Joan of Arc on his ass.
• Muddy bog like field where your feet sinks ankle-deep in mud and footing is slow and slippery.
– Crossbow. Use of a crossbow isn’t impaired much at all by mud, open field allows clear shots, and mud means opponents will be slow-moving if they attempt to dodge or to get close.
• Sandy beach with dunes, where your footing is labored and slides on the sand.
– Crossbow. Same reason, though not as good due to cover afforded by dunes. Would want to stay in areas which have good fields of fire.
• Fishers and arroyos of jagged craggily rock where you have a tight fit and close fighting.
– (Fissures?) Sword or mace. No good clear shots to use crossbow, and tight spaces would impair a flail or polearm.
• High desert, flat hard soil, mostly pebbly ground under foot. Mostly wide open with straight sightlines.
– Crossbow, for open shots at enemies before they can get close. Second choice would be a one-handed weapon that allows the use of a large shield, in case opponents have missile weapons.
• Dense forest where plants hand in the sightline, and become tangle obstacles. There are many trees and brush to deal with.
– Sword or mace. Same reason as for in fissures, and also out of personal preference.
By the way, the morning star actually refers to a spiked mace. In games though, morning star tends to mean the weapon you pictured, which is a mace and chain.
@Zaku Sokath. His eyes uncovered! If you are not a Trekkie, don’t worry if you don’t understand it. Thank you for actually reading it and understanding it to answer it completely. I’d give you 3 dozen lurve just for that, but sadly I don’t.
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