5 weapons that fantasy gets wrong

[paranoid marvin]

There was no need to hold back and wait, nor to aim. You pulled back, loosed and picked up your next arrow until either you were ordered to stop, you were overrun by the enemy or you ran out.

It was like the machine-gun of the Middle Ages, and it was very effectively used by the English, until armour and crossbows improved and archery started to go out of fashion.

"If you want to train a longbowman, start with his grandfather," is apparently what Edward III said. If you want to train a crossbowman, give a peasant a crossbow in the morning, let him shoot at some bales of hay for a couple of hours, and by lunchtime you have a crossbowman.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Also the lighting of arrows. Unless your intention is to set alight buildings within a fortified area, you would not use them. Not only is it a real faff to use tarred arrows and attempt to light them whilst trying to loose them without setting fire to yourself, you give your opponent an opportunity to see and try to dodge them.

Also the main way for an archer to resupply his stock of arrows was to pluck them from the ground/dead bodies after the battle. Not so easy if the arrows have become ash.

 

[Foxbat]

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.

The phial (or vial for the more modern term) similar to the one I used to use at work (the picture is 30mm, I used 20mm)

 

[Foxbat]

And on the subject of archery, these guys and gals are amazing

 

[Bowler1]

Enjoyed that very much, but clearly missed the most important weapon used, and that's the trusty pitchfork. Farming in the morning, fighting in the afternoon and always to hand, if you're a farmer. Take that marauder, and don't come back.

 

[Cthulhu.Science]

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.

But you aren't using a legendary Ginzu knife that goes through tin cans, tomatoes and rib cages all like butter.

 

[THX1138]

But you aren't using a legendary Ginzu knife that goes through tin cans, tomatoes and rib cages all like butter.

No, a warble blade from Mech Wars!

 

[JunkMonkey]

There was no need to hold back and wait, nor to aim. You pulled back, loosed and picked up your next arrow until either you were ordered to stop, you were overrun by the enemy or you ran out.

It was like the machine-gun of the Middle Ages, and it was very effectively used by the English, until armour and crossbows improved and archery started to go out of fashion.

"If you want to train a longbowman, start with his grandfather," is apparently what Edward III said. If you want to train a crossbowman, give a peasant a crossbow in the morning, let him shoot at some bales of hay for a couple of hours, and by lunchtime you have a crossbowman.

Another trick the English used against the French was to loose the first couple of volleys with lighter arrows that didn't travel as far - so falling short of the French lines and leading the enemy to think it was safe to move forward just beyond where they were landing. The preferred weapon of the French, the crossbow had a shorter range and they needed to be nearer. Once they had been lured forward heavier, longer ranged arrows would be loosed.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Only peasants would fight with pitchforks, so Bowler would fit right in.

As anaside, I was always curious of Pigsy fighting with a rake. Did the Japanese fight with rakes, or rake-like weapons?

 

[JunkMonkey]

Only peasants would fight with pitchforks, so Bowler would fit right in.

As anaside, I was always curious of Pigsy fighting with a rake. Did the Japanese fight with rakes, or rake-like weapons?

The whole Monkey story is Chinese, though the TV show was made in Japan, so maybe the Chinese did? I used to have an old copy of The Journey to the West and the Pig character carried a rake in that.

 

[Bowler1]

Needs must I guess. We don't all roam about with battle axes (the best explanation of the five weapons for me) to hand and use anything with sharp bits on.

And I'm happy fighting with the workers of the day, peasants, politariat and the white van man who are the salt of the earth and potential cannon fodder, but where the action and fun happens too - if you live.

 

[THX1138]

As anaside, I was always curious of Pigsy fighting with a rake.

In the Chinese culture (Pre-Cultural Revelation) and in other Asian cultures for the most part, the peasants used hoe's, axes, rakes, grain flails and walking staff. These where pretty much what they had to defend themselves with against riders or if sent to war in their as-is state, (No training given).

In China, in areas where there were Sholin monasteries, the monks used the same tools as well but turned the using of the individual tool into a form of meditation and physical training. The training then became the basses for a fighting style based off of that farming tool; both with the tool and emptyhanded as well. They then would teach some of these skills to the local peasants in order to give them an edge in combat.

Sholin's where not the only ones to do this, others did too. But Sholin's are the most noted for doing so.

Garden tools. They're not just for vegies anymore.

 

[Fiberglass Cyborg]

An unexpected deep-dive into unusual polearms and spears via Lego.

 

[paranoid marvin]

As far as polearms are concerned, there will have been a large variety. Partly because many would previously have been agricultural tools 'enhanced' by a smithy to make them more suitable for combat.

Obviously at the top end of the scale, you would have expensive weapons crafted expertly, but at the bottom, the peasant may have a couple of extra spikes/blades/hooks welded to his bill or scythe.

 

[Cthulhu.Science]

The whole Monkey story is Chinese, though the TV show was made in Japan, so maybe the Chinese did? I used to have an old copy of The Journey to the West and the Pig character carried a rake in that.

So many monkey gods in Asia:
Sarugami in Japan
Hanuman (Indian Hindu) whose story goes back at least to the 5th century legend of Ramayana
Sun Wukong (Chinese Buddhist) of the Ming Dynasty (ce 1388-1644). Interestingly, the story of Sun Wukong is called "Into the West" in which this monkey god travels to India for religious texts.

Also in Japan, the famous Momotarō (Peach Boy) has a couple buddies, one of which is a monkey.

So many great monkey stories!

 

[Bowler1]

A weapon that's missed/missing from history I'd argue is the humble sling (see King David in the bible) that archeological digs rarely find, as it's biodegradable. A weapon for the masses, easily made, very effective and efficient I'd say. Used by the Romans and still in use today, see online videos (I'm on my phone so have not attached a video clip) that show how effective a sling is in the right hands. But... as most people can get to grips with a sling easily, it's a good weapon for chucking stones at enemy formations with lot's of ammunition usually close to hand. Lightweight, very portable, easily made and repaired, costs next to nothing to make, I think the sling has lost its place in history because it's hard to find compared to metal swords etc.

So in a battle, you'll find me with a trusted pitchfork, but only after I've pelted you with my sling from a good safe distance. The best way to fight, where I'm safely out of reach.

 

[Bowler1]