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Author Topic: Writing Edged Weapons  (Read 7115 times)

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Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #75 on: January 08, 2009, 02:34:05 PM »

To Gerg:  :thumbsup:

To Victorya - yeah, rebar will go through a scapula.  A fictional representation was in Cloverfield, when the girl had been pinned down, she had a length of rebar through her shoulder.
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Matthew

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #76 on: January 08, 2009, 04:11:28 PM »

I keep a two and a half foot piece of 1/2 inch rebar right inside the doorsill under the seat of my car, that way if anyone tries anything when i'm opening the door, they get rebar to the groin.

Nasty!  But I have a wiffle bat!
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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #77 on: January 08, 2009, 05:37:08 PM »

I keep a two and a half foot piece of 1/2 inch rebar right inside the doorsill under the seat of my car, that way if anyone tries anything when i'm opening the door, they get rebar to the groin.

Nasty!  But I have a wiffle bat!

What the hell are we supposed to use, man?  Harsh language?



I second the rebar suggestion.  Can be found in various scrap lengths, rusty and dirty, at construction sites and scrap piles.


Raoul

(yea, I know, the pic is from the wrong scene)

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Thom Brannan

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #78 on: April 20, 2009, 02:13:31 AM »

so, i got something pointy for my birfday (two of them, actually) from my super-awesome girlfriend. i'll have to describe them, as i don't know what to call them.

it starts with a half-moon that cups just forward of and under my elbow (also, it has a strap that goes over) and runs along the underside of my forearm to a handle that sticks up, then continues about another foot and a half past my fist. the cutting edge is down.

i'd post a picture, but i forgot to take one while i was home. i can take one in a week and a half and post it then, but i was wondering if anyone had any idea what to call these things.
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Rob Pegler

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #79 on: April 20, 2009, 05:14:10 AM »

(yea, I know, the pic is from the wrong scene)

It's, um, the wrong character too.

Just sayin'.  ;)

I own no knives or swords and would have no clue what to do with them if I did. Thus, I've been reading this thread with a mounting sense of terror (rebar to the groin?). But now I have a question.

One of the main antagonists in my current story is a female vampire who carries a bloody great spear. And in the chapter currently coagulating, she and her bloody great spear take on the two heroes (one armed with a baseball bat, the other with two stakes).

Assuming I want to make the fight halfway authentic, can anyone point me at a website that'll give me some info on spear fighting?
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Brave Blue Mice

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #80 on: April 20, 2009, 06:21:03 AM »

While I don't know of any specific sites dedicated to spear fighting, the martial artist standing over my shoulder has this to offer.

Your vampire will only have the advantage as long as she keeps them at the end of her reach, where the pointy end is useful.  If one of the heroes is lucky enough to advance to his striking distance, the spear is no longer useful as a spear, and turns into a staff, ala, Donatello.

If she's only good at striking with the spear, this will be the decided turning point in the story where she loses.  If she's capable using it as a staff, the pointy bit will be useful to her once again when she gets them on the ground.... to finish them...

So yeah, to sum up, it's likely only going to be a spear fight if the heroes keep their distance.

I think I like where this is going Mr. Razorz...   ;D
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Matthew

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #81 on: April 20, 2009, 10:27:46 AM »

I can't think of a good spear fight in text to draw on.  There is a good one in the early scenes of the movie Hero with Jet Li.

The spear - Your vampire has the best weapon of the lot.  The big advantage of the spear is its length.  The humans will have to cross through her killing range before they can even hit her.  Once they get inside her range, she loses her advantage, but it;s always possible to get that advantage back by moving away from them.  Her main attack is a thrust, which is limiting, but it's also very hard to parry.  Also, the tip of the spear is very quick.  The length of the weapon means that a small move on her end translates to a big, fast move with he point.  In other words, she's going to be able to get back into her fighting stance much more quickly than either of the humans.

Mice is right, their best bet is to try to get in close and eliminate her advantage.  If they're fighting in a room the tight space will help them do this.  If they're outside I wouldn't give much for their chances.  If she thrusts and misses, one of the humans could try to grab the spear and lock it under his arm.  That's dangerous but would leave her weaponless.

(If your vampire is smart, and has been in a few fights, she'll be prepared for this.  Knowing that there are situations where her spear won't work, she should have a back-up weapon like a long knife, or a small automatic pistol. ;))

The baseball bat - This is the second best weapon in the fight.  Because of it's shape the bat concentrates it's power near the tip and delivers a powerful impact.  That's also a disadvantage.  The heavy tip of the bat means it's not a very agile weapon and it's hard to parry incoming attacks (especially thrusts) with it.  It's used with a powerful swinging motion and is slower which leaves the wielder open to counterattacks more than the spear does.  In other words, the bat is a good offensive weapon but not so hot on defense.  That's who similar weapons (axes, maces, etc) were usually paired with a shield historically.

The pair of stakes - These are, by far, the weakest weapons in the fight.  They are relatively short weapons, which makes their defensive use very limited.  This character is not going to be able to use his weapons as any kind of good defense against the thrusts of the spear.  The stakes are a little like big knives, but they don't have sharp weapons and can't make any attack other than a thrust.  Worse, they aren't very good thrusting weapons.  A sharp wooden point it still pretty dull by weapon standards and is going to need to have tremendous force behind it to get through muscle, ribs or sternum. 

They dealt with this in Buffy by basically making any blow to the chest with a stake fatal.  In from dusk to Dawn they suggested that there was some strange vulnerability in a vampire's body that allowed wooden weapons to punch through the chest.  Barring something like this, the only realistic way to get a stake through a vampire's heart is to go old school.  You have to drive the stake in with a hammer...something that is not practical in a combat situation.
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Rob Pegler

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #82 on: April 20, 2009, 02:17:34 PM »

Thanks, gents. That was all helpful.

Just to clarify: there's also a certain amount of magic involved, on both sides. For one thing, the girl with the stakes is a dryad, who has a certain talent for making wooden weapons do what she wants them to (think House of Flying Daggers).

Basically, any moves I include will be exaggerated for awesomeness. :)
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Thom Brannan

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #83 on: April 20, 2009, 05:57:41 PM »

for a while now, i've had it in mind to recommend to you, Rob, that Gabe might have tonfa that are sharpened on the long ends, maybe sheated in metal, but bare wood points sticking out.

also, if he's still wearing the chain, that might come in handy with the spear.
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Brave Blue Mice

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #84 on: April 20, 2009, 06:04:01 PM »

Gerg is tickled as to where this is going.
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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #85 on: April 20, 2009, 06:05:07 PM »

I would also suggest looking at Boar Spears or a variation thereof.  They're designed to hunt and keep at bay a very vicious animal that once angered, really doesn't care anymore and just wants to gut something with some very capable tusks.

This was a random search using boar spears:

http://www.kingofswords.com/Sais-Spears/Cold-Steel-Boar-Spear-Ash-Wood-Handle.html

Also, for research, you can check out Roman gladiatorial texts.  The spear was a common weapon used in the fights.  A Trident is also very effective and neat, too.

Just some food for thought...
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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #86 on: April 20, 2009, 06:12:30 PM »

Gerg is tickled as to where this is going.


and he also gets to see the fruits of this discussion on Saturday. YAY!

Zak: i heart that website.
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"Did you find anything else, Jack? Any more homicidal housewares? I think I see a toaster back here. We should call SWAT."  - Lady Sidhe, Sad Wings of Destiny

"Brannan and Snell have staked their claim to survival horror's top spot."—Joe McKinney, author of Apocalypse of the Dead and Flesh Eaters

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #87 on: April 20, 2009, 06:13:59 PM »

oh, hey! THESE are the blades i was talking about, the ones i got for mah birfday. neat!
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"Did you find anything else, Jack? Any more homicidal housewares? I think I see a toaster back here. We should call SWAT."  - Lady Sidhe, Sad Wings of Destiny

"Brannan and Snell have staked their claim to survival horror's top spot."—Joe McKinney, author of Apocalypse of the Dead and Flesh Eaters

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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #88 on: April 20, 2009, 06:16:13 PM »

Zak: i heart that website.

I know!  I almost pulled the CC out, but I paid attention to the little voices instead ...
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Re: Writing Edged Weapons
« Reply #89 on: April 20, 2009, 07:18:44 PM »

Gerg is tickled as to where this is going.


and he also gets to see the fruits of this discussion on Saturday. YAY!

Zak: i heart that website.

Squee.
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