Joe Commoner, and his BIG AXE!!!

[Fallen Seraph]

The shortsword is still much easier to handle.

Ehh... For the common peasant I wouldn't say so, I would see them trying to whack and slash at guys with the shortsword not stabbing and parying like they should. While a axe is suited to whacking and less-trained manners of combat.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

Also (just thought of this) wouldn't most farmers have some experience with using an axe to kill things? How does your average medieval farmer kill his chickens, pigs, or cows? (I know you don't usually kill the cows, but humor me.) I don't know, I'm wondering what the usual method was. I would imagine an axe, that makes the most sense to me.

So, in that case, perhaps a commoner using their slaughtering axe or cleaver in battle would be far more appropriate than the 3.5 usual of a dagger or club.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Ehh... Depends lots of farmers would simply slit the throat of the animal, helps drain the blood and such. But that doesn't give all that much experience with using a dagger, compared to cutting wood with an axe.

Though cleavers would also work well, since there be a tad more feel for flesh/bone when your using it.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

Yeah, cleavers are rather intimidating too (probably for that reason). Slitting throats with a knife/dagger makes a lot of sense, too. Would keep the meat more tender too, as they'd be more relaxed than with an axe coming down on them. But that's beside the point.

I doubt most farmers would even consider using their scythe for combat either. They'd be used to swinging it along the ground at calf-level, not swinging at shoulder level to take off someone's head.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Yeah axe and cleaver definitely be the most common weapons, then followed by club (ease of use/easy to make or find), then other farm instruments like pitchforks, scythe, sickles, etc.

 

[Cmarco]

The title of this thread made me think of Elmo from the old village of Hommlet.

Also, I've been working on a whole storyline for my homebrew based around the farmer mini, hoe, pig, and cleaver all included. In fact, he's one of those commmon guys who's been touched by destiny, and will likely be my first 4e character. I think it'll be fun. You know... left home to find his fortune as an adventurer, but all he had was the hoe (which counts as a spear for the mini's card) and his cleaver... probably a little bit of that "tragic events leading to his origin as a hero"... you know how that goes.

 

[Kosh]

Axe, also I think if we assume some basic-axes will be like the pick which had "versatility" (which I think we figured out meant usage out-of-combat) then it makes sense a commoner would have a axe.

Seeing how they can use it to carve things, chop down trees, chop firewood, defend themselves, etc.

This is somewhat off-topic, but, looking at the 4e preview characters, I think versatile means +1 damage when used in two hands.

As for commoners using big axes, more power to them. I like games where one can expect death from any fight.

Sadly, commoners will probably be minions. If a kobold minion does 2 damage on a hit, I bet the commoner is doing the same or less.

So much for peasant levies.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

They are only minions when you want them to be...

 

[Darkness]

None of which compares to katanae, which can cut through TANKS.

TANKS, mang!

In theory, that's totally awesome. In practice, many settings don't seem to have a lot of tanks. Presumably because the heroes of old cut them into little pieces long ago.

 

[med stud]

This is somewhat off-topic, but, looking at the 4e preview characters, I think versatile means +1 damage when used in two hands.

As for commoners using big axes, more power to them. I like games where one can expect death from any fight.

Sadly, commoners will probably be minions. If a kobold minion does 2 damage on a hit, I bet the commoner is doing the same or less.

So much for peasant levies.

Well, peasant levies really didn't do anything good in battles . They were good at plundering and digging (more common activities than fighting in wars a couple of hundred years ago). I have no problem with peasant levies being useless against trained professionals, not to mention heroes.