quest1on

this is waaaaaaaay more handy. (: Does this thing have separate cover for each priming pan? (By the way, I'm pretty sure you saw it yesterday on Reddit).

While we're talking about less popular firearms, there's something from Polish military history I'd like to show you: This thing is called półhak (literally "half-hook"). It's a pistol-sized gun made by sewing off harquebus. Yes, it's the first historical Lupara. Here's a couple more pictures

Karl Kopinski's art is really great, here's another of his MtG pieces from different expansion: I like this helmet design, something like high gothic salad/chapel de fer. This is another view of it:

In one of original Witcher short stories there was a band of dragon hunters who had different suits of armour (and horse armour) for fighting different kinds of beasts: the firebreathing ones, acid-spitting ones and such. But they also used two-handed swords on horsback while gripping their briddles with teeth, so... yeah, I would probably prefer genetically modified super monster slayer.

That's the reason why in one of those threads people discussed pulling a small balista or falconet on a cart around in case of dragons, trolls and other mofos that look like a moving castle.

Two questions: does halberd fall in the pollaxe or in the spear category? And, why pikes? They're not useful outside a formation, and a band of six is hardly a formation.

Yeah, Innistrad had this fine Great Revolution vibe, even though there were big pauldrons with spikes.

How about this female warrior? (Keeping up with the MtG theme of my recent posts): Although I don't get why she holds a rapier and saber scabbard.

True enough, but if you have enough fabric draped from your shoulders to go parasailing, you've overdone it. I mean, I'm not even that much into this particular design. Elspeth was just the first on my mind to ilustrate the heavy feet problem.

That much flapping cloth anytime would serve as a shroud for anyone foolish enough to wear it. I certainly enjoy capes and cloaks, but that's a bit much. Maybe it's a defensive strategy, called "where is my body actually located? *smirk*" Maybe it's only for use on really windy battlefields. Instead of finding the high ground, you find the up-wind ground, and your opponent has to deal with tangles and billows of cloth in his face. *shrug* People actually used their cloaks as fencing implements (weapon catching tool, extra padding for the off hand or just a distraction). There's even scene of a duel with the use of a skirt in that manner in the original Wiedźmin (the Witcher) short stories.

I recently realised some issue I have with fantasy armours, even the better looking ones. Let me ilustrate it first: So, why do designers keep making the characters look like they're wearing Etnies skate shoes? I understand that wide feet and ankles give the character more visual stability, but it's just moronic - every example of fencing manual states that you shouldn't have the feeling of the ground on which you're steping obstructed. Modern reenactors and fencers say that your fencing shoes should be light and delicate. So, just, why?

Its is an Ottoman "Chichak" helmet ZIschagges were adopted by Hungarians (and Poles) due to the fact that they fought against the Ottoman Turks. The patern on this example looks islamic, though.

Out of real-world weapon styles, I liked the Innistrad style from MtG:

They used to do bludgeon people with pistol grips after shooting at them, but it could hurt the lock, so it wasn't standard procedure. No sweet wheellock gun-kata for us.

I checked out your deviantart profile, and especially like (and think they are relevant in this topic) your Nilfgaard pieces, even thought I always imagined the witcher's world on technological development level/warfare style of 14th/15th century, so in the ever-present in Polish mentality Grunwald era.

Another piece by Angel Garcia Pinto from battle of St. Quentin series, this one showing herreruelo shooting some halebardier.

You forgot "slashing letters into the clothing of antagonistic forces, for dramatic effect, just before making your exit." I'm pretty sure he used smallsword.

Yup, a highly evolved battle tactic perfected by Philip II and expanded upon by his son, Alexander the Great, who made effective use of cavalry in conjunction with the phalanx, flanking and containing the enemy. The Macedonian sarissa (spear) was about 6 meters (20 feet) long. In the picture you can see the 'business end' of the spears from the first few ranks in front of the formation. A would be defender would need to get past four ranks of them to even have a chance of getting to the people in the front rank who were presenting them with a wall of shields. It required lots of drilling to get the group to move as a unit. It's interesting that armies still train in group movement (that is, marching in step) even though rifles etc. make such tight formations a lot less necessary than it was in the old days. The thing I like the most about them is that just like renaissance pikemen had halbardiers/doppelsoldners mixed between them and on the flanks, phalangites had support of more traditional hoplites basically guarding them from attack from any other direction than the one they pointed sarissas.

If you don't mind, I would go back for a little bit to antiquity. Look at this This are Macedonian phalangites and Cretan archer, two of known to me kinds of soldiers that used both a two-handed weapon and a shield straped to the forearm/hung from the shoulder. I think this is quite neat and would make interesting feature in the game.

I suppose you should check this video on the rapier vs sabre discussion. Generally, his videos are great.

Without delving into the other aspects, I'd say that it's the mix of the western armour with eastern attire - which looks rather unique! I'm not an expert, mind you, but from what I've read it would seem that a rapier is a far more lethal dueling weapon; using a saber against one is actually putting yourself at a severe disadvantage. Oh and I'll definitely be looking to add some more examples of the Commonwealth designs! The only western-style (plate) armour is worn by hussars, the rest, like Cossacs (light cavalry) or hajduks (infantry) wore no armour or like pancerni (medium cavalry) wore mail with karwasze (oriental style arm bracers) and misiurkas (helmet/aventail hybrid, also oriental) while using, for example, composite bows. Something like this

As a descendant of those mohawk-sporting guys, I never actually see the west part in them. It's actually a little bit infuriating for me that after 5 centuries of being part of European universitas we became turban-less Turks and that finally brought our downfall (not to be misunderstood, the oriental style looks great on originally oriental people.)

I think we should open another thread about in-game facehair styles inspired by real-world ones.

Those pics actually come mostly from Polish totalwar forum. As for the musketeers, Capaldi's costume does look bitching, and so does Porthos's sword (them schiavonnas, mhmm), but generaly, it's the same old "lether all the way" style of movies/tv. Come on, they have to break in rash like once a week.

Had to cut indented post in half, here's the rest: Scythians, Parthians, generally people using acinaceses (acinacii?), I've been in love with this sword recently And one lonely Phrygian with rad axe and helmet.