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The Mystery of The katana
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<blockquote data-quote="ArghMark" data-source="post: 5341936" data-attributes="member: 83266"><p>Having seen a few fights with katana vs. sword and shield and katana vs. longsword, my general feeling is the longsword has a reach advantage and a shield has a defensive advantage. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Tried to find the Swordplay 10 longsword tournament (Had a few Katana practitioners with eastern martial arts backgrounds) but only found the open sword tourney, though there is a bit with some longswords halfway through it wasn't a lot. Lots of rapiers, some sabres and backswords. All of those 1d6 damage weapons <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />. </p><p></p><p>[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWPvX9GP5M]YouTube - Swordplay 10 Compliation Video[/ame]</p><p></p><p>I'm the dude in jeans, with the blue and green shirts (All my garb was smelly. I felt rather out of place <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />)</p><p></p><p>Anyway, at the event we did a bit of stuff with Paul Wagner and my friend who is big on the eastern swordplay bit and a few of us experimented. Rapier vs. Katana found the katana simply couldn't deal with the speed or length, but if it did gain a solid bind they could take the rapier out of the fight well enough. Against a shield the katana did not fare so well at all simply because it hasn't got the capacity to reliably hit the front leg if the fellow with the shield is even basically competent; I understand some katanas are longer than others but we had nothing to the longswords length at the event at least. Against the longsword it did averagely but it could be seen that the longsword simply had a length advantage; striking with telling blows and getting out before the katana could strike.</p><p></p><p>I have nothing against the Katana mind - in fact I'm getting one! But seriously folks, it's a weapon with strengths and weaknesses to be contemplated equally. And imagining they are all of high quality is silly. Have a chat to any reputable sword salesman, and they'll tell you swords came of different qualities from all places and ages.</p><p></p><p>Masterwork bastard sword? Nah. I'd make it a 1d8 longsword. Masterwork only if it has actually had the thousand fold treatment - I'd imagine most of them didn't!</p><p></p><p>War maul? I'd take a rapier against it <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />. Battle axe on the other hand, that's a scary weapon to fight against. Don't imagine it's as hilt heavy as a wood axe; real battle axes I've used rely more on the faster strikes = better principle, although I'd still use a sword.. or hell, a shield wall. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />. </p><p></p><p>In fantasy settings? Dwarves with masterword bastard swords that are called katanas? fine. I've realized some time back that it's kind of pretentious to try to mix my real fighting knowledge with D+D - my group doesn't understand, and more importantly doesn't care that a Katana is 1d8 or 1d10, so long as they get to play awesome dudes that jump backwards into trees and throw ninja stars <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ArghMark, post: 5341936, member: 83266"] Having seen a few fights with katana vs. sword and shield and katana vs. longsword, my general feeling is the longsword has a reach advantage and a shield has a defensive advantage. Tried to find the Swordplay 10 longsword tournament (Had a few Katana practitioners with eastern martial arts backgrounds) but only found the open sword tourney, though there is a bit with some longswords halfway through it wasn't a lot. Lots of rapiers, some sabres and backswords. All of those 1d6 damage weapons :D. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWPvX9GP5M]YouTube - Swordplay 10 Compliation Video[/ame] I'm the dude in jeans, with the blue and green shirts (All my garb was smelly. I felt rather out of place :D) Anyway, at the event we did a bit of stuff with Paul Wagner and my friend who is big on the eastern swordplay bit and a few of us experimented. Rapier vs. Katana found the katana simply couldn't deal with the speed or length, but if it did gain a solid bind they could take the rapier out of the fight well enough. Against a shield the katana did not fare so well at all simply because it hasn't got the capacity to reliably hit the front leg if the fellow with the shield is even basically competent; I understand some katanas are longer than others but we had nothing to the longswords length at the event at least. Against the longsword it did averagely but it could be seen that the longsword simply had a length advantage; striking with telling blows and getting out before the katana could strike. I have nothing against the Katana mind - in fact I'm getting one! But seriously folks, it's a weapon with strengths and weaknesses to be contemplated equally. And imagining they are all of high quality is silly. Have a chat to any reputable sword salesman, and they'll tell you swords came of different qualities from all places and ages. Masterwork bastard sword? Nah. I'd make it a 1d8 longsword. Masterwork only if it has actually had the thousand fold treatment - I'd imagine most of them didn't! War maul? I'd take a rapier against it :D. Battle axe on the other hand, that's a scary weapon to fight against. Don't imagine it's as hilt heavy as a wood axe; real battle axes I've used rely more on the faster strikes = better principle, although I'd still use a sword.. or hell, a shield wall. :D. In fantasy settings? Dwarves with masterword bastard swords that are called katanas? fine. I've realized some time back that it's kind of pretentious to try to mix my real fighting knowledge with D+D - my group doesn't understand, and more importantly doesn't care that a Katana is 1d8 or 1d10, so long as they get to play awesome dudes that jump backwards into trees and throw ninja stars :D. [/QUOTE]
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