Why do I see most people carrying swords?

And if you combine both you get a halbred.

And all of the above mentioned are rarely talked about in felarya.........seriously, I cant think of an instance where an axe, pike, or halberd has been used in a felaryan story....odd

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Plus, a good axe or pike is easier to make than a good sword. Less metal is needed and a good sword is a more elaborate process. The first weapons to be widely used were axes and spears.

that's because humans weren't fighting giant creatures. people used spears and sheilds back then because they were effective against other humans and small creatures.

Reptillian wrote:

no they're not... they rust, chip, break and bend

not if you take care of them properly like most people. breaking is also hard to do, assuming you have a proper full tang battle-ready sword. the most the pred will do is have it fly out of your hand. trust me, I know how to use a sword, i've only had one sword break ever, and that's because the school doesn't have proper sword-care tools.

there are materials that effect how much a sword will bend. steel doesn't bend that easily, nor does it shatter on it's own. the more dense the material, the stronger the weapons.

Because swords have more sex appeal than the mentioned weapons, I'm tempted to hit out at the way katanas have been romanticised in various magnas and animes however that would be like flogging a dead cat.

also, katanas are slashing and cutting weapons, it makes for the most effective sword combat.

longswords are finishing weapons. in medieval europe, swordsmen would hit each other like boxing/wrestling and once their opponent is on the ground, stab them.

i think since kenpo is more flashy sword-fighting-wise, they are more romanced about.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Plus, a good axe or pike is easier to make than a good sword. Less metal is needed and a good sword is a more elaborate process. The first weapons to be widely used were axes and spears.

that's because you weren't fighting giant creatures. people used spears and sheilds back then because they were effective against other humans and small creatures.

Bael, just because it's a sword doesn't meen it is any more effective than an axe or a pike, it's only advantage over the pike is that it can be used in denser terrain more freely, an area where the axe will excel; the sword's advantage over the axe is that the blade extends down the weapon's length. However the pike as more reach, allowing you to keep things at bay, while the axe is heavier and thus has greater impact in its blows. It's a compromise.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

that's because humans weren't fighting giant creatures. people used spears and sheilds back then because they were effective against other humans and small creatures.

If as short as portrayed in most media, the spears wouldn't be an issue. However, pikes can get upward of four meters in length for some of the largest examples. They'd probably break if a Giant Predator jabbed its hand into the mass quickly, but that'd just be worse for the Predator as now it has what amounts to several shoving your hand into many small glass shards (1mm-3mm each) stuck in it and - unlike humans - isn't going to have some tweezer analogy to remove them. It might have its snack of a soldier or three, but its hand is going to be bothering it / nursed for some time unless it has some Fairy friends willing to aid it.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

also, katanas are slashing and cutting weapons, it makes for the most effective sword combat.

Katanas are not any more effective than English Longswords. They're good for what the Japanese had access to, yes, but that doesn't make them any superior. A chief thing to remember is the scarcity of quality metallic ores in Japan, and a comparison between the frequency of metal in their armor as opposed to European.

Actually the best sword for use in combat was the Roman gladius, paired with the tower shield. However I doubt one would face a predator with a gladius as a primary weapon give the choice would they?

Logically the Felaryan natives would adapt their weapons to be more effective against the threats that they face. A sword which can both slash and stab is all fine and dandy however the problem of reach soon becomes apprent. Personally i think the most common weapon would be a glaive; take a six foot shaft and put a sword on one end, giving you a weapon which can both cause deep stab wounds, slash and has some reach. Of course for real tight situations I'd bring along a machete.

CauldronBorn24 wrote:

Actually the best sword for use in combat was the Roman gladius, paired with the tower shield.

its all about how its used and what your trying to kill with it. The katana, European longsword, and gladius were all used by soldiers trained differently to fight different enemies equipped with different weapons. Its a matter of what field each weapon was in and your personal preference.

uber ninja wrote:

CauldronBorn24 wrote:

Actually the best sword for use in combat was the Roman gladius, paired with the tower shield.

its all about how its used and what your trying to kill with it. The katana, European longsword, and gladius were all used by soldiers trained differently to fight different enemies equipped with different weapons. Its a matter of what field each weapon was in and your personal preference.

Exactly, however tactics can only over come design flaws by so much; I edited my post above. As Bael said earlier the weapons we're all talking about were designed to maim and kill other humans, on Felarya I'd think you'd find purpose built weapons designed to tackle the larger creatures.

Now that's an interesting concept - close combat weapons designed on Felarya by Felaryans. I wonder what sort of stuff would have been different?

Axes, at least the basic ones, would be similar. A good hatchet or shot axe is easy to use. What would be useful would be some sort of telescoping or extendable pike, since walking around in the jungle is a bit more difficult and near impossible to keep any semblance of rank and file - thus, the pikes can be whipped out at a moment's notice. Also - that would be a REALLY nasty surprise to extend in a predators throat.

If you could put stinging poisons on the end, that would be even better.

For swords themselves, that one I'd want would just be a machete or a cutlass. Not much use against a predator, but useful all around. Both types were designed to cut through really tough stuff and don't need as much training as longer swords.

If I had to take a vehicle - I'd put lots of nasty spikes all over it. Maybe disguise it to look some some sort of big nasty poisonous bug or something.

Malahite wrote:

"Oh I love to feel them squirm"

Is it bad that I didn't read that in a predator girl voice, but rather the dark eldar homunculus voice from Dawn of War? "My playthings break, so easily"

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Now that's an interesting concept - close combat weapons designed on Felarya by Felaryans. I wonder what sort of stuff would have been different?


If I had to take a vehicle - I'd put lots of nasty spikes all over it. Maybe disguise it to look some some sort of big nasty poisonous bug or something.

Yes! Custom Felaryan weapons is a must. We must think of some designs. And by we, I mean you people who know weapon-y stuff.


Also, does the law of 'bright and colorful equals poisonous' work in Felarya? I don't think so, since most of the giant preds are all kinds of crazy colors, and they aren't poisonous. How is the presence of poison shown then? And why not take a horse? They are in Felarya too y'know. The trees of the animal kingdom I think their entry says. Living mounts are more common for many of the same reasons that primitive weapons are.

Hmm. I'm not sure about the total usefulness of a horse. Like a vehicle, it's hard to take through the jungle and unlike a vehicle it can't just crush smaller shrubbery. Maybe take some of the bigger native mounts. Plus, a horse, being smaller and non-native would be much more likely to be spooked by... pretty much everything.

wow this thread accelerated.

I never stated that the katana was superior to the longsword. it depends on what strategy you use. a katana is ineffective (largely) against plate armor. but the katana is more effective. when it comes to cutting people. but that's people.

armor crushing wise, a mace is most effective. it gives out a lot of puncture wounds.

CauldronBorn24 wrote:

Actually the best sword for use in combat was the Roman gladius, paired with the tower shield. However I doubt one would face a predator with a gladius as a primary weapon give the choice would they?

The gladius has been replaced by the spatha, which is more efficient in term of thrusting. And we can't forget the one which influenced the design of the gladius which forced the Roman army to redesign their armour.


And about katana at 5:50 your world will be shattered (sorry it's in german ask ravanak a translation, but the pictures are very talkative)

To come back to the main topic about sword are more used than than gun, the main issue is due to the difficulty to find bullets. I think it's not possible to find good alternative, I will quote some manga and anime or game:
Beet the Vandel Buster: the main character has a kind of magic gun able to shoot energy blast , the secret the weapon need to to breath as a living being.
In DRAGON QUEST dai no daibōken, from the same authors as Beet, one of the main protagonist use a gun whose bullets which was in reality magic spell she release when she shoots.
Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, the fight between Scar and the state alchemist Basque le Gran, this alchemist was able to transmute canons with the ground.
In Lineage II, the Kamael are able to use gun which use magic energy instead powder.
Blazblue, Noel Vermilion use a magic artefact who can shape in different type of guns.
To come back to Felarya, the akaptor nomad defend themselves against the beast of the past with guns-like weapons.
There are the bow-gun which are good alternative, people who knows the Monster Hunters game knew them. This mix between a crossbow and gun s, they use the same technologies of modern guns except they are crossbow.

The fact to use a sword or another melee weapons doesn't exclude the use of a canon, it works well for Guts and Grunbeld in Berserk

To conclude the fact people use mostly sword instead of gun is not only due to the shortage of ammo but the lack of creativity or laziness of many writers who cannot imagine a correct alternative system to compensate this problem.

about that video, those swords are used for two different purposes. a curved blade like a katana is more effective when it comes to cutting, like the chinese glade sword used with their cavalry. it also comes down to inustrialized katanas, and handmade ones. (which are FAR stronger).

there's also the issue of how he used the katana to strike the sword. but I wont get into that.

but about the gun thing, what you said about natural resources being limited and hard to get to makes a very important point in and of itself that not many people will be able to get a hole of a gun or projectile weapon.

also an interesting tip: a triangular shaped tip of a sword, when pierced into the body, creates an awkward wound that causes people to bleed out. with a gun shot you have to get lucky. of course this also brings up the issue of how effective said weapon is against a predator, which is also a whole other topic.

my point still stands though. if you want to make an effective armor crushing weapon, a mace/morning star/flail

rcs619 wrote:

Reptillian wrote:

alliance wrote:

Im gonna answer the thread. SWORDS ARE TIMELESS WEAPONS

no they're not... they rust, chip, break and bend

But.....but....according to every anime I've ever watched, a good katana can easily cut through tanks and giant mechs! My worldview is now shattered! D:

Claymores are better

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Hmm. I'm not sure about the total usefulness of a horse. Like a vehicle, it's hard to take through the jungle and unlike a vehicle it can't just crush smaller shrubbery. Maybe take some of the bigger native mounts. Plus, a horse, being smaller and non-native would be much more likely to be spooked by... pretty much everything.

Jeeze, can't a guy make a single self referential reference around here? Horses are more quiet than a vehicle. And I may be wrong about this, but almost all plants in Felarya are supersized, so smaller shrubbery is still quite big. And Felarya bred horses would be less spookable. Except by harpies. If you are traveling through harpy territory, a donkey would be a better mount.

Local mounts still need to be discovered and written up. Either using existing fauna or flora, or making new ones. And describing just who uses what as a mount. I doubt anything is universal in Felarya.

Silent_eric wrote:

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Hmm. I'm not sure about the total usefulness of a horse. Like a vehicle, it's hard to take through the jungle and unlike a vehicle it can't just crush smaller shrubbery. Maybe take some of the bigger native mounts. Plus, a horse, being smaller and non-native would be much more likely to be spooked by... pretty much everything.

Jeeze, can't a guy make a single self referential reference around here? Horses are more quiet than a vehicle. And I may be wrong about this, but almost all plants in Felarya are supersized, so smaller shrubbery is still quite big. And Felarya bred horses would be less spookable. Except by harpies. If you are traveling through harpy territory, a donkey would be a better mount.

Local mounts still need to be discovered and written up. Either using existing fauna or flora, or making new ones. And describing just who uses what as a mount. I doubt anything is universal in Felarya.

.....or befriend a centaur

Archmage_Bael wrote:

about that video, those swords are used for two different purposes. a curved blade like a katana is more effective when it comes to cutting, like the chinese glade sword used with their cavalry. it also comes down to inustrialized katanas, and handmade ones. (which are FAR stronger).

Both weapons in the video use the same smith,the same forge and the same steel, and ancient Japanese blacksmith was superior to European blacksmith is not really the case, it's true the japanese blacksmith find the way to make the best steel even that it has been proven some European ones knew this skills but on the other points, no. it still prove the design of the Katana is inferior to the German longsword.

And about cutting is not effective against armoured opponent or strong physical resistance. The effectiveness of the cutting depend on the strenght of user and the thickness of the blade. So good cutting require a lot of strenght and a thick blade to have a better penetration, but we won(t call that cut but chop.

A straight blade is more effective than curved blade against armoured or high resistant target because it doesn't search to cut but to break, the impacts were more destructive and made internal damage that's why the long sword was able to break the other sword because the impact makes an internal crack.

And thrusting attack is better than cutting, because it can slide between the joint if it doesn't pierce armour.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

there's also the issue of how he used the katana to strike the sword. but I wont get into that.

This kind of strike is a basic move which draw the strenght of the swordsman and the advantage given by the gravity which increase the speed and the destructive power of the impact. It's the best trike to test the cutting power of a blade.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

but about the gun thing, what you said about natural resources being limited and hard to get to makes a very important point in and of itself that not many people will be able to get a hole of a gun or projectile weapon.

Felarya is magic rich and different king material, so you can create alternative and effective solutions, they won't be produce in mass like industrialized or high advanced world but they will be numerous and varied. The shortage of resource limit the number but not the variety.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

also an interesting tip: a triangular shaped tip of a sword, when pierced into the body, creates an awkward wound that causes people to bleed out. with a gun shot you have to get lucky. of course this also brings up the issue of how effective said weapon is against a predator, which is also a whole other topic.

Unless you possess the same eye of King Bradley, or a very skilled sniper you won't be able to do that, in close combat you can do more accuracy strike

my point still stands though. if you want to make an effective armor crushing weapon, a mace/morning star/flail[/quote]

Polearms in overall are effective, but even you can't damage the armour since the moment you deliver a powerful impact you can kill the wielder because the armour doesn't adsorb kinetic energy. To crush an armour you have just to find a way to deliver an heavy impact in a small surface and it's ok. Mace fill this role perfectly but they are not the only solution. So even reinforced or enchanted glove can be effective against armoured opponent.

first of all, watch deadliest warrior, season 1. check your sources, take a sword fighting class, and study up a little bit more on medieval weaponry because most of what you say is wrong.

a long sword, nor a katana are useful vs. armor. thats why i said a mace, morning star, or flail is best against armor, a polearm is a medium ranged weapon and easy to block with a sword.

as for the move, a cut (chop works too i guess, whatever you prefer) or a strike downward upon another blade is bad no matter what. folding the steel makes a big difference, as what material you use. if you use damascan steel for the german longsword, and european steel for the katana, you'll have improper results.

your comment about king bradley's eye makes me think you didn't read what I said at all, because it has no correlation. a stab with a triangular tip creates an improper wound that's hard to heal. the katana focuses on cutting and slicing limbs off, the long sword is made to re-open wounds. period.

also, our conversation is getting a bit too long, if you want we can disucss this in pms. but as a sword fighter myself, and someone who has studied a lot on medieval weaponry, I can tell you you're wrong.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

first of all, watch deadliest warrior, season 1. check your sources, take a sword fighting class, and study up a little bit more on medieval weaponry because most of what you say is wrong.

a long sword, nor a katana are useful vs. armor. thats why i said a mace, morning star, or flail is best against armor, a polearm is a medium ranged weapon and easy to block with a sword.

as for the move, a cut (chop works too i guess, whatever you prefer) or a strike downward upon another blade is bad no matter what. folding the steel makes a big difference, as what material you use. if you use damascan steel for the german longsword, and european steel for the katana, you'll have improper results.

your comment about king bradley's eye makes me think you didn't read what I said at all, because it has no correlation. a stab with a triangular tip creates an improper wound that's hard to heal. the katana focuses on cutting and slicing limbs off, the long sword is made to re-open wounds. period.

also, our conversation is getting a bit too long, if you want we can disucss this in pms. but as a sword fighter myself, and someone who has studied a lot on medieval weaponry, I can tell you you're wrong.

I studied different swords and not only European medieval era or Japanese ones, I know what I said when a long sword is more effective against armoured than Katana, because it offers more possibilities of move.

The polearms were mainly used to stop charge of the cavalry of knights and made them fell from the horses. They are ineffective in close ranged and against few mobile target. They are weapon to counter, they are not good for fencing, unless you used the Chinese polearms it's another subject.

Reference of King Bradley was to explain the equivalent in marksmanship need to have the same chance with a gun to shoot someone with the same result and chance than you stab someone with a triangular tip of a blade

You don't understand what I want to say it doesn't matter.

gwadahunter2222 wrote:

I studied different swords and not only European medieval era or Japanese ones, I know what I said when a long sword is more effective against armoured than Katana, because it offers more possibilities of move.

Technically, a katana is easier to swing around than something like a claymore. A katana is a lighter weapon that relies more on precision to do damage (its horrid against an armored enemy, as established). You want to slice a guy open, use a katana.With that said, the claymore is a larger, heavier, and slightly more awkward weapon to use but is able to not only slice through flesh with ease, but could slice off the necks of three men in one swing (watch deadliest warrior, the William Wallis ep.) I want to slice off a dudes arm quickly and brutally, its claymore time.

gwadahunter2222 wrote:

The polearms were mainly used to stop charge of the cavalry of knights and made them fell from the horses. They are ineffective in close ranged and against few mobile target. They are weapon to counter, they are not good for fencing, unless you used the Chinese polearms it's another subject.

Its what has been said about the weapon, no one said they thought about having a sword fight with a few pikes.....

uber ninja wrote:

Technically, a katana is easier to swing around than something like a claymore. A katana is a lighter weapon that relies more on precision to do damage (its horrid against an armored enemy, as established). You want to slice a guy open, use a katana.With that said, the claymore is a larger, heavier, and slightly more awkward weapon to use but is able to not only slice through flesh with ease, but could slice off the necks of three men in one swing (watch deadliest warrior, the William Wallis ep.) I want to slice off a dudes arm quickly and brutally, its claymore time.

To do that you need to have a great physical strenght. That's why this weapons are shown as a sign of virility and power because it favoured the strenght of the owner. When you study blades and swords or many weapons used before the guns in the world you know that. European favoured physical strenght contrary to Japanese and many Asians people who favoured precision and perfection in the execution of the move.

[quote"uber ninja"]Its what has been said about the weapon, no one said they thought about having a sword fight with a few pikes.....[/quote]
Pikes have always been useful against heavier opponent by returning their own weight against them offering the safety of the reach.

gwadahunter...

you're arguing like longswords are the best weapons ever.

each weapon is used for a different purpose, and you have to take that into account, too.