What is it?

Magnus The Black · Post by **Magnus The Black** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 4:38 pm

A Bastard sword is designed to be swung single handed or 2 handed. A great
sword is designed to be swung two handed as is a poleax or glaive. (although
they can be swung single handed effectivly) These are mass weapons. A
broadsword is not a mass weapon, and it is designed to be swung one handed.

So is a Bastard sword a mass weapon or not? If swung single handed is it not
and then becomes one when swung two handed? If so why is my great sword
still a mass weapon when swung one handed? Are mass weapons still mass
weapons when thrusting? What about when thrusting single handed? Enquiering
minds want to know.

broinnfinn · Post by **broinnfinn** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 5:22 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Magnus the Black:
A Bastard sword is designed to be swung single handed or 2 handed. A great
sword is designed to be swung two handed as is a poleax or glaive. (although
they can be swung single handed effectivly) These are mass weapons. A
broadsword is not a mass weapon, and it is designed to be swung one handed.

So is a Bastard sword a mass weapon or not? If swung single handed is it not
and then becomes one when swung two handed? If so why is my great sword
still a mass weapon when swung one handed? Are mass weapons still mass
weapons when thrusting? What about when thrusting single handed? Enquiering
minds want to know.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you asking real-life or SCA-definition?

If the answer is the latter, I would have to say it depends. In some places the Bastard Sword is considered a mass weapon - hip and shoulder shots kill. In Meridies (your Kingdom), Bastard swords shots to these targets do not kill. I am not going to argue how valid the argument one way or the other (haven't a clue), but it depends on whether you think the bastard sword has the mass when swung to administer a killing blow to a chain-mail-over-gambesoned hip. Since the BS may be on the line here, different conventions get used in different Kingdoms. A great sword, however, if you can swing it with enough accuracy to hit single handed (the CAN be, in a technical sense, but it is more difficult in practice - some are better at it than others), probably has enough mass to cause significant damage.

As to thrusts - Meridian conventions specify that thrusts from any kind of weapon to the hip or shoulder are not fatal, mass weapon or no.

Broinnfinn

Magnus The Black · Post by **Magnus The Black** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 5:36 pm

Thank you your Highness for the clarification. I assumed the thrust issue but was unclear about the portion dealing with bastard sword. I remember it being brought up in the list at your investiture by two other fighters and have wondered about it on and off since then.