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<blockquote data-quote="Calico_Jack73" data-source="post: 1417057" data-attributes="member: 14403">Gotta disagree with you there as I've whipped around a &quot;Long Sword&quot; (actually a Sudanese sword but it has the same balance i.e. made for slashing). If you and I were at engagement range with sheathed weapons and I were armed with a dagger, you with a Long Sword I'd have my dagger in your gut before you had a chance to unsheath your sword. GURPS reflected the speed issue by requiring someone to &quot;Ready&quot; a heavy weapon for one round before using it (Gurps uses 1 second rounds). You ask a member of the US Fencing team if speed matters and they'll tell you that it definitely does.It has everything to do with the swing. Piercing weapons tend to be faster because no swing is involved, just a thrust which is a much smaller movement. Think of a professional golfer. Do you think he could get much distance without a decent swing? Nope and that is the same reason slashing weapons should have a high speed factor. The swing and the follow through is what creates the damage. The follow through is what takes your weapon out of position to attack. Most certainly piercing weapons like rapiers and daggers should have low speed factors because of their recovery time which is basically the same as throwing a punch.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Calico_Jack73, post: 1417057, member: 14403"] Gotta disagree with you there as I've whipped around a "Long Sword" (actually a Sudanese sword but it has the same balance i.e. made for slashing). If you and I were at engagement range with sheathed weapons and I were armed with a dagger, you with a Long Sword I'd have my dagger in your gut before you had a chance to unsheath your sword. GURPS reflected the speed issue by requiring someone to "Ready" a heavy weapon for one round before using it (Gurps uses 1 second rounds). You ask a member of the US Fencing team if speed matters and they'll tell you that it definitely does. It has everything to do with the swing. Piercing weapons tend to be faster because no swing is involved, just a thrust which is a much smaller movement. Think of a professional golfer. Do you think he could get much distance without a decent swing? Nope and that is the same reason slashing weapons should have a high speed factor. The swing and the follow through is what creates the damage. The follow through is what takes your weapon out of position to attack. Most certainly piercing weapons like rapiers and daggers should have low speed factors because of their recovery time which is basically the same as throwing a punch. [/QUOTE]

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