02 February 2014

Real World Weapons: Liechtenauer Edition: Intro

I am going to periodically posting a different take than Charles Taylor at Spells and Steel on real world weapons. There will be some differences, but also several similarities in our view points.

I won't be covering the exact same weapons he does, or in the same manner.

The first series will be primarily from a view point of the manuals in the Geselschaft Liechtenauers (Society of Liechtenaer) which is primarily concerned with two combatants on roughly equal terms as far as arms and armor with the intent of fighting to the death.
I will cover armored (Harnischfechten) and unarmored (Bloßfechten) broken down by weapons as follows:
  • Wrestling (Ringen und Kampfringen)
  • Longsword
  • Spear
  • Sword and Buckler
  • Pollaxe
Those are the weapon forms I have the best first hand practical knowledge in that style, so I won't be delving at this time in the crazy later period stuff like sickles and grain-flails.

The other series I plan on doing will be centered around George Silver, a man who wrote strongly against the Italian rapier being so popular in Elizabethan England.
In it I will cover:
  • Shortsword
  • Two-Handed Sword
  • Bill-hook
  • Long Staff
  •  Short Staff
  • Dagger
  • Grips


And here is my physical library. The works of fiction are to help place things in context, because RPGs are fiction.