03-16-2006, 08:25 PM
Thanks for the intersting debate all-
Perhaps we should turn this on its head. Given we have artefactual, all be it 3-4 examples, to prove upward overlapping occured; what would be the advantage to having downward overlapping plates?
Here is why I think upwards plates are good-
To my mind upward overlapping plates stop forward angled (i.e from 45% either side of straight ahead) cuts and thrusts from biting in and DEFLECT them, and thus their power, away when the arm is extended and thus at its most vulnerable. IMHO they were also probably using some padding to help absorb a little of the blow (probably for infantry and definately for gladiators).
All this would stop the blade biting into soft flesh and save the majority of blows which one recives in a fight from causing damage. By majority I mean the blows that we all have had that get past our guard, be it shield or last resort blade parry. These shots are therefore either a lucky scrappy shot by the time they are past the guard (90%) or a very skilled shot which was carefully crafted by someone better than you (10%), if its the latter then they have already compensated for your armour and more likely than not your going down no matter what you are wearing!
In the arena this makes for a better fight and removes debilitating but boring minor wounds
hock: (boring for the crowd only I'm sure and not the poor sod who received it!) On the battlefield it stops a large number of your fighting force being wounded in a non-fatal, but possibly maiming and certainly "off duty/out of action for a while" injury.
The blows travelling up the arm on an overlapping guard slide up the arm and off to one side when the arm is extended and stops most these wounds. I have several cuts and bruises each time when free fighting with steel weapons and we are quite tame, using blunt weapons and not trying to hit each others arms!
Downward overlapping would not be as effective in this manner, so my question is; what would they do better than upwards overlapping?
Adam
Perhaps we should turn this on its head. Given we have artefactual, all be it 3-4 examples, to prove upward overlapping occured; what would be the advantage to having downward overlapping plates?
Here is why I think upwards plates are good-
To my mind upward overlapping plates stop forward angled (i.e from 45% either side of straight ahead) cuts and thrusts from biting in and DEFLECT them, and thus their power, away when the arm is extended and thus at its most vulnerable. IMHO they were also probably using some padding to help absorb a little of the blow (probably for infantry and definately for gladiators).
All this would stop the blade biting into soft flesh and save the majority of blows which one recives in a fight from causing damage. By majority I mean the blows that we all have had that get past our guard, be it shield or last resort blade parry. These shots are therefore either a lucky scrappy shot by the time they are past the guard (90%) or a very skilled shot which was carefully crafted by someone better than you (10%), if its the latter then they have already compensated for your armour and more likely than not your going down no matter what you are wearing!
In the arena this makes for a better fight and removes debilitating but boring minor wounds
hock: (boring for the crowd only I'm sure and not the poor sod who received it!) On the battlefield it stops a large number of your fighting force being wounded in a non-fatal, but possibly maiming and certainly "off duty/out of action for a while" injury.The blows travelling up the arm on an overlapping guard slide up the arm and off to one side when the arm is extended and stops most these wounds. I have several cuts and bruises each time when free fighting with steel weapons and we are quite tame, using blunt weapons and not trying to hit each others arms!
Downward overlapping would not be as effective in this manner, so my question is; what would they do better than upwards overlapping?
Adam
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin\'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghettoooooo...
(vocalist extrodinaire- Eric Cartman)
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghettoooooo...
(vocalist extrodinaire- Eric Cartman)
