Armour & weapon designs - a plea (part III).

[LadyCrimson]

How well do horses actually see through eye coverings like that, I wonder?

[Lephys]

How well do horses actually see through eye coverings like that, I wonder?

Dunno... looks like that one's Spidey Sense is going off, though.

[Stiler]

 

I suppose, but that's kind of an unwieldy swinging motion. I believe most blows are delivered from an overhand or parallel swinging motion and that's why scale type armors overlap from top to bottom, like the scales of a fish.

True, true. I just figured maybe there was some "Actually... the way the scales were designed, it would even be pretty difficult to bypass them with even an UPWARD swing, even if you could effectively land such a blow in the heat of combat" tidbit someone had to toss in, heh. I am ignorant and seek knowledge.

 

Of course, once you get something like that, you've got that "It's pretty unlikely that anyone's going to try and swing UPWARD at me" thing going on. So, if you're the one person who focuses on perfecting upward-directed maneuvers for that very reason, you'd probably have the element of surprise. Still less feasible than regular combat techniques, I'm sure, no matter how much you focus on it. I've just got an unhealthy interest in "that's just crazy enough to work, and no one will expect it" maneuvers. 8P

 

 

Actually depending on the stances it was not uncommon at all for people to swing upward.

 

Of the five  cornerstones of basic longsword stances there is the "tail" stance, where you hold the sword downward , pointing behind you (hence the name) or the fool stance, where you hold the sword in front pointing to the ground.

 

From both of these two stances an upward blow is quite easy and natural to pull off.

 

 

That makes me wonder if stances will play a role in PE. That's another things that most movies/games seem to ignore, stances when using a sword was one of key things that affected combat, the stnace you use determined moves you could make , counters, positing, etc, stances were a key part of sword combat.

[Karranthain]

And more lamellar (a little bit outside of PE's timeline though) :

 

 

(Now that's stylish!)

 

[Merlkir]

Lamellar is pretty effective actually, if made properly. The suit the lady's wearing seems a bit loose and the lamels are quite big. The cataphract guy (rider) wears a much better reproduction.

 

(I've seen a few lamellar cuirasses being used in reenactment and they didn't seem to catch blows)

[Jarmo]

Ooh, ooh, forgot to underline.

Being effective against nasty pointy arrows was supposedly a very neat thing in the.. .umm .. eastern front,

where everybody was into archery in a big way. All armies full of archers and mounted archers.

 

And Woldans second picture somewhat answers Lephys's question.

You'll have to stab almost directly down to go between the scales and then twist to do damage,

but then there's mail underneath. Most likely padded armor below that. Tough nut to crack.

 

We'll probably wont get to do layered armor in PE?

 

Most likely there'll be ready suits, which works fine enough. But I've always wanted to do that stuff, breastplate with mail shirt underneath. 

Mail shirt, but do you want padded armor beneath that? Encumbrance vs. protection. 

[JFSOCC]

How well do horses actually see through eye coverings like that, I wonder?

horses have blinders on them all the time, it makes them listen better if they don't know they're going into danger.

[Lephys]

horses have blinders on them all the time, it makes them listen better if they don't know they're going into danger.

I always thought "blinders" were mainly just instruments used to block peripheral vision. Basically, so the horse could only see where it was going, and wouldn't worry about looking around or being spooked by its periphery. Were blinders used to, in essence, "blind" the horse's entire field of vision? 'Cause, those spiderweb eye covers seem like they'd be difficult to see through, period.

[LadyCrimson]

Were blinders used to, in essence, "blind" the horse's entire field of vision? 'Cause, those spiderweb eye covers seem like they'd be difficult to see through, period.

Yeah, that was kinda my thought/wondering.

 

I know about horse-blinders, but they're usually a lot different (well, modern ones anyway). More like two flaps that block side vision.

 

 

Those big spiderweb, metal coverings of the pic look like they'd interfere with forward vision (metal stripes would run across vision) somewhat, as well as not really blocking side vision very well. Then again, there are horizontal slat type anti-glare glasses and such, so perhaps while they interfere some, it's not that bad. And I'm certainly no expert on horses. Just seemed curious.

[Diagoras]

I'm really digging all the lamellar and banded armor.

[Karranthain]

I'm really digging all the lamellar and banded armor.

 

Look no further than the Eastern Roman Empire :

 

 

 

 

Shame it's all a bit anachronistic though. Some of the designs could be, however, utilised for the more primitive cultures.

Edited June 13, 2013 by Karranthain

[Merlkir]

PE still has barbarians running about in fur undies, I think this level of anachronism is perfectly fine. :D

[Lephys]

PE still has barbarians running about in fur undies, I think this level of anachronism is perfectly fine. :D

I don't think there was EVER an era during which fur undies weren't an available technology. 8P

[Woldan]

Look no further than the Eastern Roman Empire :

 

That armor and the helmet is badass. I LOVE it. 

Edited June 13, 2013 by Woldan

[Lephys]

I'm not making fun of it, 'cause I do love it, honest... but...

 

I couldn't help noticing he looks kind of like a crayon. 8P

[Woldan]

I'm not making fun of it, 'cause I do love it, honest... but...

 

I couldn't help noticing he looks kind of like a crayon. 8P

Fun you say? I loved crayons when I was a kid, and whats better than being a huge walking metal and leather crayon of death and destruction? My childhood dream come true!  

Edited June 13, 2013 by Woldan

[Karranthain]

PE still has barbarians running about in fur undies, I think this level of anachronism is perfectly fine. :D

 

Fair enough - in that case I'd want to see designs based on what that rider on the right looks like :

 

 

Lamellar armour, intricately ornamented helmet with an aventail and a gold encrusted saber. Stylish, but not overdone.

[Diagoras]

That's all amazing, Karranthain. I'm playing a Stainless Steel Medieval 2 Total War game as Venice, but that just makes me want to restart as Early Era Byzantines.

[centurionofprix]

The schiavona, my favourite.

 

 

More:

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2013 by centurionofprix

[Lephys]

^ +3 DC to disarm attempts. 8P

[centurionofprix]

Longsword fencing from the Goliath manuscript.

 

 

More:

 

 

 

 

[centurionofprix]

Dürer's "The Knight, Death and the Devil".

 

 

And related bits:

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2013 by centurionofprix

[Greensleeve]

Those schiavonas are absolutely gorgeous. The detail work on the pommel, the lovely shape of the basket. Lovely weapons.

[Sarex]

Personally I don't mind fantasy armor, but I don't like it when it's over the top.

 

Some examples(good):

[Lephys]

That first one (purple armor)'s a little iffy.

 

It's not the lack of coverage that bugs me, really, so much as it is the fact that the armor appears to be some form of plate/platelike armor. I can see someone being more lightly armored (coverage-wise) AND wearing actual lighter armor, itself, for the sake of mobility, etc. But it's hard to think you'd go through the trouble of wearing heavy plate armor on only 40% of your body like that (not even the most vital parts).