The Way We War - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 01-31-2009, 01:14 PM

Another point to be considered when looking at possible types of weapon - on a medieval battlefield the main concern was taking your opponent out of action - it didn't matter whether or not you killed them, only that they couldn't kill you. So, a quick death in battle was often the exception rather than the rule (hence the 'misericorde' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misericorde_(weapon) carried by warriors to dispatch wounded foes with a quick stab through the eye socket into the brain after the main fighting was over). A heavy weapon like an axe will do that more quickly & effectively than a sword (short or long), particularly if your opponent is wearing armour - an axe or hammer blow would break bones even beneath plate armour, let alone mail.

01-31-2009, 01:14 PM	#11
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Another point to be considered when looking at possible types of weapon - on a medieval battlefield the main concern was taking your opponent out of action - it didn't matter whether or not you killed them, only that they couldn't kill you. So, a quick death in battle was often the exception rather than the rule (hence the 'misericorde' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misericorde_(weapon) carried by warriors to dispatch wounded foes with a quick stab through the eye socket into the brain after the main fighting was over). A heavy weapon like an axe will do that more quickly & effectively than a sword (short or long), particularly if your opponent is wearing armour - an axe or hammer blow would break bones even beneath plate armour, let alone mail. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."