5 weapons that fantasy gets wrong

Thanks Brian, great video!

I think the issue though is less with fantasy movies/games etc, more with historical.

In fantasy, weapons are often magically enhanced, so a +2 Axe of Slicing can be thick, an Amulet of strength can make a heavy weapon light as a feather, and various potions and magical abilities can make an attacker much more effective with a weapon that wouldn't be in real life. And this assumes that the person is human, not a gigantic troll or shield-surfing elf. Because that's what fantasy is all about.

This is in contrast to 'realistic' movies/games etc that get weapons, armour and tactics completely wrong.
 
"It's because it's cool."

That guy is enthusiastic.

What I wonder with knives--when you get one in the back, do you go "aaaurgh!" and collapse immediately like in so many movies when a knife is thrown at someone?
 
I saw this guy's videos a few days a go pop-up on youtube and yeah he's got a great attitude.

Informative, easy to understand and clearly very fired up on the subject. It's also really neat listening to his thoughts on why fantasy does certain things because whilst quite a few "they got it wrong" videos/interviews can accept that fantasy "does it cause its cool" they often don't really look much further than that. So its really neat listening to his thoughts on why certain things are the way they are in fantasy and what reason there are for that beyond "it looks cool"
 
KGeo777 said:
"It's because it's cool."

That guy is enthusiastic.

What I wonder with knives--when you get one in the back, do you go "aaaurgh!" and collapse immediately like in so many movies when a knife is thrown at someone?
Click to expand...
It depends how deep it goes and what it hits.
 
KGeo777 said:
What I wonder with knives--when you get one in the back, do you go "aaaurgh!" and collapse immediately like in so many movies when a knife is thrown at someone?
Click to expand...
For some reason, movie knives alway strike vertically, blade at right angles to the ribs; which would make for minimal penetration, as opposed to horizontally slipping between ribs. And then the victim always dies instantly. I think not.
 
KGeo777 said:
"It's because it's cool."

That guy is enthusiastic.

What I wonder with knives--when you get one in the back, do you go "aaaurgh!" and collapse immediately like in so many movies when a knife is thrown at someone?
Click to expand...
And in movies and video games they don't take into account the human skeletal system. If you notice in them, the knife blade it always going vertical when it hits. The rib cage would stop it in most cases. It would still hurt thought.

To be effective, the knife needs to hit with the blade going more in line with the ribs (horizontalish). That way there is a better chance of the blade going between them and doing more lethal damage as the blade has a better chance of going its full length. But this requires a different throwing technique; throwing buy the blade and not the handle and getting the knife to do a half flip on its travel to the target for more forward penetrating impact. (This is how I learned to throw knives, back in the day.) You have more control over the speed of the rotation this was too.
 
THX1138 said:
And in movies and video games they don't take into account the human skeletal system. If you notice in them, the knife blade it always going vertical when it hits. The rib cage would stop it in most cases. It would still hurt thought.

To be effective, the knife needs to hit with the blade going more in line with the ribs (horizontalish). That way there is a better chance of the blade going between them and doing more lethal damage as the blade has a better chance of going its full length. But this requires a different throwing technique; throwing buy the blade and not the handle and getting the knife to do a half flip on its travel to the target for more forward penetrating impact. (This is how I learned to throw knives, back in the day.) You have more control over the speed of the rotation this was too.
Click to expand...
Key plot point of “Twelve Angry Men,”— a real knife fighter would’ve knifed the victim differently.
 
I've always wondered about the knife-throwong thing, every time I see it in a movie.

Not only are you throwing away your weapon, you're giving it to your (potentially) unarmed target.

And if you can get close enough to throw one at your target's back, you're probably close enough to stick it in him and make sure of the job.

It won't work against someone with armour of almost any kind including chainmail. It will struggle even against padded leather. So your would-be target is likely to be unarmed and unarmoured. Then perhaps a knife thrown into the back might hit home, and might mortally wound them. Or it might not. If you're a few feet away, why not just walk up to them and do the job properly.

You have to be able to throw it hard enough and accurately enough that the blade ends up pointing at your target, that it lands in a vital place and that it penetrates deeply enough.

It's a bit like with shuriken, where we often see in games and movies multiple enemies being despatched with a few quick throws. It just wouldn't happen like that. Even with poison tips, nothing is likely to work that quickly, and is probably more hazardous to the attacker cutting themselves.

If you want to use a ranged weapon effectively, it has to be something designed for the job, such as javelin, bow or sling.
 
For years I thought a "hauberk" was a kind of pole-arm, which I'm pretty sure is down to a Dragonlance Chronicles book I read.... (it's actually a coat of chainmail.)
 
I always thought that a phial was a bottle about the size of a decanter, and was somewhat surprised when Frodo tucks the one given to him by Galadriel inside his jacket.
 
I will watch the video, but my biggest thought beforehand is the insane habit of pulling back a bowstring and then holding it for no reason.
 
thaddeus6th said:
I will watch the video, but my biggest thought beforehand is the insane habit of pulling back a bowstring and then holding it for no reason.
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Yep. Instinct shooting/archery and fast release is a necessary with Long Bow and Recurve archers. Compound and Crossbows need not apply.
I shoot a 55lb hunting recurve and can barely hold it back 1sec. But a 160-200lb war Longbow? I think not!
 
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