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Words from the Warlord

October A.S. XVII

Recently, while reflecting in the middle of a battle during the Caid vs. Knowne World or Whomever Shows Up On Time War, I gave some thought to war weapons and equipment.

As everyone should know, the sword is the knightly weapon and is the one most commonly used in tournament fighting. Axes and maces are not seen nearly as often in tournaments. The novice fighter and tourney-goer probably thinks of an SCA war as tourney combat or melee magnified many times. Until you have attended a war, you may not realize that many other weapons, seldom seen at a tourney, are used and preferred over the sword in war.

These weapons take all sorts of shapes and sizes and lengths, ranging from the short battle mace to the 9-foot pike. Each weapon has its advantages and disadvantages, and when used at the proper time can be most effective in the slaying of one's friends.

I will discuss briefly several weapons the novice warrior might run into (or vice versa) at a decent war. The subject can be further explored by talking with experienced war fighters, attending the war college at Collegium Nebulorum, Oct 16-17, in Berkeley, taking a trip to Silver Desert (the Alice's Wonderland of war weapons), or by actually going to a war.

We first have what are called mass weapons: the mace, single-handed axe, and war hammer. These are shorter weapons which are primarily used by the front ranks in a close-in situation, most commonly seen in the central combat area where the main bodies of troops meet. Usually, the ranks have come together and everyone is packed in close and are jostling each other trying to get in a blow or blows or blocking them. There is little room to swing a sword to get in a really good blow. Also, when you are nose-to-nose with an opponent, it is almost too close to get a good blow with a sword. Furthermore, with a sword, you need a "slot" to swing through, as you have essentially a long flat plane with a cutting edge which must pass unimpeded from start to point of impact in a fairly straight path, hitting with the cutting edge. In a densely packed throng, an overhead swing with sufficient force to kill is very difficult to accomplish.

The mace solves this by being short. It compensates for the shorter lever arm by concentrating most of the mass at its end, thereby providing the weight and force necessary to deliver a sufficient blow. Also, it has no definite cutting edge, so one can hit on the side of the mace (but not the haft); if it is done hard enough, it will still bring heartwarming results. Since it is much shorter than the sword, it is relatively easier to swing unobstructed in conditions that are often like a brawl in a crowded subway car. Overhead shots are easier to make with this weapon.

The axe is similarly a short weapon, easy to swing in a crowd. Compared to the mace, it has the disadvantage of requiring that the blow land on the cutting edge first, but it has an advantage in that the blade extends several inches from the haft and can reach over shields somewhat better. It can be used to hook shields, pulling them out of position and leaving the opponent exposed to a blow from the next guy, or perhaps a well-placed pike thrust. The war hammer is basically that: a hammer with two striking surfaces, and is used to bang on people's heads.

I have also on occasion seen the short sword used in front line fighting. It has the advantage of requiring a short space to pass through unobstructed as well as having a thrusting point for stabbing. Behind the front ranks of fighters who are packed in tight with their short weapons and large shields, we find an amazing variety of quaint and interesting implements of destruction and friendly mayhem.

There are found the following general categories of weapons: chopping arid hooking weapons, two-handed thrusting weapons, cut-and-thrust weapons, and of course, chop-hook-and-thrust weapons (Silver Desert here we come). They are all used two handed (without a large shield).

The chopping and hooking weapon is the two-handed axe. It is a very big axe and hits very hard as it takes two hands to swing. It is good for reaching over shields, and can also be used to hook an opponent's shield to pull it out of position. Its best use comes when there is someone to protect the axeman as he is helpless when someone with a short weapon and a large shield gets inside his range and takes a fancy to climbing up his nose and battering his sinuses from the inside. Two-handed crushing weapons are the maul and two-handed hammer. The mauls I have seen resemble a very well-fed mace, and are for the same purpose: to flatten your enemy. The two-handed hammer looks oddly like a long large one-handed hammer.

Cut-and-thrust weapons include the glaive, the naginata, and the thrusting greats word. The glaive is something like an iceskate on a pole. It can be swung (in less than 90 degrees of arc) to chop like an axe, or thrust at an exposed shoulder, chest, face, etc. The naginata is basically a two-edged sword on a pole and can be used in the same manner. The thrusting greatsword is a very long sword (up to six feet in length), which can be used at times on the flanks of the action where there is more room to swing.

The only weapon used for thrusting only in the intermediate length category that comes to mind is the spear. It is useful for short and medium range poking.

Then we have the class of weapons which poke, chop, hook, and all sorts of neat stuff. One finds many of the stranger varieties to the east around Reno, looking largely like rattan, gray-taped TV antennas. They include bills, halberds, glaive-guisarmes, and arcane things only muttered while walking (dead) off the field. They basically have some kind of chopping surface, a thrusting point (at least one, often a few), and a perpendicular surface which can be used to hook a shield. These are very useful as they can exploit many different opportunities.

Among this rank, or perhaps a few feet back, one finds the long range stuff. This consists of the pike, a nine-foot (maximum length) pole arm that often comes out of nowhere to put holes in your face. As long as the shield wall holds out, this is a real neat weapon. You find dukes and knights using these a lot (they know better). But when the fighting becomes hand-to-hand and ranks become incoherent, the pikeman needs to be fast on his feet lest he fall prey to the aforementioned fighter with the large shield.

See you at the next war, and don't miss the War College.

-- Thomas Buttesthorn

 



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