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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 3522643" data-attributes="member: 9254">Depends.  A real epee requires strength to penetrate, unless you specialize in the draw cut.  Draw cuts are safer, as there's less chance of weapon binding, but slower as you wait for your foe to pass out from blood loss.  Do you go for the quick kill or pray you can parry your foes thrusts before he bleeds out?   In D&D draw cuts aren't modeled but should be "wounding" attacks that do minimal damage individually but bleed out over time.Sabers, which are still fencing, can get pretty heavy over time and from what I was told by a few saber fencers, tends to leave welts, just from the force required to get the weapons up to a decent speed.  I did combat fencing (SCA) where you don't fence to touch, you fence to the "kill."   A proper hit was on the verge of leaving a bruise, theory being anything less wouldn't penetrate very deep if you were using a real sword.  I tended to be covered in quarter-sized bruises after a session.   Hits to the arm or leg result in fighting one-handed or from your knees.  There are some space restrictions but no limits on movement.  Blocking is allowed and some matches allow multiple weapons, bucklers, or even capes. Feinting is an acquired skill, in part based on style.  I'm left handed and fight gauntlet forward/sword rear, since that's my preferred stance from a year or two of tai kwon do.  I had a massive reach with a lunge because I step across. I could do a partial lunge, double tapping my front foot which combined with my odd stance threw opponents' timing off until they adapted.  It also meant I was better close to the foe as I was used to fighting with my blade tip only a foot or so from my body.  Down side was that my hand was an exposed target, though I was accustomed to deflecting blows.  Draw cuts were the biggest risk, that and the risk of facing someone fast enough to dodge the lunge and get behind me.  One of our combat fencers was also a sport fencer ranked in the top 100 nationally of his age class, back in college.  His coaches said that if he'd started fencing in high school instead of college he might have been olympic material.  He was just scary fast.  I could out lunge him but he could outrun me.  Generally I was happy if I lasted fifteen seconds with him.  Bugger was also almost ambidextrous and could fight with two epees.  It was about 50/50 if two of us could take him before he got us.   My roommate was a natural athlete and was able to make a good challenge but didn't have the skill or experience.</blockquote>

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