Swords in space

[DaveChase]

Originally posted by Parmasson:
Come on now guys, just cut to the chase!

Ouch, oww, ahh, owo , ouch.


Ok you can stop now.

Dave

 

[aramis]

Yes, I fence rapier in the SCA. I've been Oerthan Princess' Champion once, Escort once.

I also have fought SCA Heavy.

I've done cut and thrust broadsword with a local "Scots Recrudescence Guild", a live steel semi-choreographed group.

Chain, most brig, most scale and some lamellar are in fact not Rigid for purposes of impact weapons, including most western swords... You can in fact break the ribs of a recently dispatched (that morning) pig in chain and gambeson quite easily... we did this to Dinner (the pig's name, and what he was killed to become), and we also hit the other side with blades against naked flesh. The sharp sword DID NOT CUT THE FLESH. It did shatter the ribs about as well as the "combat edge" sword.... the sharp one did make a faint line, though in the skin. And chipped, too.

The mailed side was simply broken. The naked side was shattered rib, and fragments driven into the lungs... and the skin not defeated.

I don't have any GOOD references on schlaeger. But I do have one.... I prefer my Hanwei practical rapier (a rebated rapier). I also have a live steel Hanwei Papenheimer... I can't find my stone to sharp the tip. But the two hanwei's handle nigh on identically. And I know that percussive cuts were period use, and how to do them, and don't trust myself to simulate them on my friends.

And I've nicked myself good a couple of times on nicks in a "rebate" blade, both rapier and boradsword. (I've a scots backsword, too... It can and will kill without being sharpened, and the edge is 0.5-1mm ... I've had to use it against feral dogs in self defense.)

{SCA Mode}To the Dream! To The West! Oertha Forever!{/SCA Mode}

 

[Liam Devlin]

Glad to see we've kept skirting the edge of the razor wits about this hack n slash topic meself.

 

[aramis]

Lets shave those comments foil later, sir....
{GD&R}

 

[Liam Devlin]

Ah, My riposte has been skewred harmlessly aside!
me doffs hat and bows, sweeping plume to th ground

I am cleaned and spitted upon thy keener wit! Alas..

falls off stage. Exeunt!

 

[Pickles]

Ah, c'mon, cut it out, you guys ...

 

[Liam Devlin]

/me looks put from the pit upon the stage where Bromgrev standeth, beneath my ridiculous hat and plume with one eye.

Shhh! This bitter tang of defeat has run me thru to the hilt!

Hat falls over face again. Exeunt!

 

[aramis]

We found his foible with that point, methinks...

 

[Liam Devlin]

grins

Well said milord! Ye be not a man of mickle might nor of so base a mettle to flay the thrust of jest aside but parry lightly.

Exeunt, finis.

 

[aramis]

Adieu, Mon Ami! And remember, the best parry be a riposte, for that which is parried doth guide the return, swift and sure, turning threat to folly and folly to pain.

But we molinet upon this subject too long without good meausre...

 

[Chaos]

It´s been a while since I last read such cutting edge puns...

 

[signless]

One of my players designed something cool last year...something he called a "limpet-spear".
Take a two-meter length of plasteel...rubberized grips on one end...and on the other, the bizness.
The bizness consisted of a removable magnetic - or sticky - tube, containing a motorized drill bit. Slap the bizness end against an enemy, release it, and run away. Regardless of whether the bit would penetrate the armor quickly or not - the enemy would have to decide if they wanted to fiddle around with getting the damn thing off their suit, and leave themselves open for attack...or if they would just ignore it...until the drill started to bite.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

I designed the Utility Pole for Dr. Gwerf, A Vargr Academic in Pulp Hunters, it consists of three, threaded, meter-long plasteel tubes, each rigged with non-slip handles towards the ends. One part also has a strong eyeloop for attaching cable or rope to it. It also has interchangeable heads, including:

A rock/Ice hammer
A Grappling hook
An Axe
A shovel
A Blade
An Awl-like pick.

It makes a good club, a good spear, and an awesome adventuring tool.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

A TL-15 10' pole

 

[Maladominus]

Where may I look up stats or usage of vibro-blades.... I take it THAT's the closest Traveller will ever get to light sabers.

Does one of the old supplements have this weapon included?

 

[parmasson]

I do not recall vibro-blades in the consolidated equipment list. Any idea on stats?
How about...
Nothing: +5
Jack: +4
Mesh: +3
Cloth: +2
Combat: +1
Wound: 4D

 

[Maladominus]

Hmm..... I thought I had seen a reference to some type of energy-blade (or vibro-blade) in one of the Traveller sources. Maybe it was a third party unofficial source.

 

[Straybow]

Originally posted by Manax Darkhstarr:
In my universe besides dueling & the usual reasons for having swords, I came up with the help of some of my more techno friends a pseudo-techno reason for slashing (cutlass, katanna, glaive, etc.) weapons to be effective against high-tech armour. The hypothesis is as follows: though high tech battledress (powered/unpowered) are resistant to impacts, straight on cuts, energy weapons, projectiles, say they can be vunerable to curved slashing melee weapons that slash against a target with a drawing attack that pulls most of the blade through the initial hit point. In this way the blade actually abrades the armour in a attack the armour is least resistant to. Chainsaws style weapons could also benefit in this manner.

No, I don't think a humanoid can draw cut with enough pressure on the contact to "abrade through" rigid armor of any kind except maybe cuir boulli.

The draw cut is effective only if the initial impact is sufficient to penetrate the armor. Then the draw cut (with pressure to keep the armor against the body) will slice the flesh and turn a minor cut into a more serious flesh wound. The draw cut is used on an unarmored target because after driving a blow into large muscles or bone the tissue clamps the blade and attempting to withdraw the blade by any other means is less likely to succeed.

Originally posted by Aramis:
Oh, and a recent show on discovery or science chanel (forget which) showed that, yes, indeed, a sharp knife held still is no better at penetrating skin than a dull one... until a draw is made. Certain SCA demos have proven similar.

Precisely.

Chain, most brig, most scale and some lamellar are in fact not Rigid for purposes of impact weapons, including most western swords... You can in fact break the ribs of a recently dispatched (that morning) pig in chain and gambeson quite easily... we did this to Dinner (the pig's name, and what he was killed to become), and we also hit the other side with blades against naked flesh. The sharp sword DID NOT CUT THE FLESH. It did shatter the ribs about as well as the "combat edge" sword.... the sharp one did make a faint line, though in the skin. And chipped, too.

First, what kind of cheap schlock blade were you using? Second, pig skin is much thicker than human skin. We've tested unsharpened (but not blunted) blades on chicken (thinner skin closer to human) and it does cut into the meat. Perhaps if you landed a dead-straight blow with no sliding motion whatsoever... like that ever happens.

 

[Maladominus]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
A TL-15 10' pole

Star Wars has something like this. In Star Wars canon, Emperor Palpatine's Royal Guards (the red guys dressed in burkha gowns) wield the vibro-lances.... they are essentially pikes with an energy/electrical type zap on contact!

 

[Sifu Blackirish]

There was an anthology called "Battle Armor 2000"
that contained a story by Harry Harrison.

Can't remember the name right now, but there were lots of neat tools/weapons for boarding actions:

* An axe with compressed gas. Pressing buttons causes the axe to move in one direction. With practice you can swing it back and forth in zero gravity with devastating effect.

* A nipper claw. Attach it to the leg/arm of an enemy, and internal gearing forces armored jaws closed. It cannot be removed or opened once activated.

* High powered cattle prods, enough to cause death on contact to lightly armored troops in pressure suits.

And, enough of the bad humor! There is not a sharp tongue in the place...