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PaperclipPerfector  2mo ago (text post)   2574 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for February 7, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I'm a longsword/Zweihander or halberd fanboy. The latter, like all polearms, is grossly underrepresented in media such as video games or movies. How often do you see a protagonist using a pike or halberd instead of a sword?

This assumes a degree of significant personal protection with armor. If that was lacking, I'd definitely opt for a shield.

Sadly most representations of combat utterly gloss over how effective even basic armor was, a medieval knight was a tank that was almost immune to sharp damage while not tired, and only really countered with blunt force trauma.

I have some impression that glaives and halberds are much more common in Chinese fantasy. No idea if that’s true, or if so, why.

More common? I believe so.

Even then, I've heard plenty of people who read Xianxia complaining about how all the MCs end up obsessing with the Sword Dao. The problem is almost as bad, halberds/guandaos get very little screen time.

How often do you see a protagonist using a pike or halberd instead of a sword?

How often do you see modern-era action films in which the protagonist lugs around a 40mm Bofors instead of a rifle? Pikes are extremely cumbersome to carry around, and not very effective in single combat compared to a half-length spear. And let me repeat, extremely cumbersome to carry around. Pikes are upwards of three meters long. You don't just bring those on a jaunty adventure or to similarly protagonisty activities. If you go marching with a pike, then that's all you do.

Sadly most representations of combat utterly gloss over how effective even basic armor was, a medieval knight was a tank that was almost immune to sharp damage while not tired, and only really countered with blunt force trauma.

This has always bothered me. Aragorn was cutting down orcs like they were naked even when they wearing heavy plate.

Some media gets it right. There are two duels in the King that get it right. And "A Knight's Tale" which is silly in many ways also managed to get armor correct.

Aragorn's a bad example here because he has a magic sword. From the fight in Moria:

...Andúril came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder. The orc fell with cloven head.

It also shines with white fire whenever Aragorn is doing something cool later in the story. I wish that had made it into the movies.

I thought maybe that was the case that he had a magic sword. But it also happens in reverse where the orcs cut down the men defending the white city. And again the guys have plate.

Their arrows also have remarkable penetration.

Love that blog, I think I've read that post before but went ahead and read it again anyways.

Yeah, that's a movie/hollywood convention. Nothing to do with the books.

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