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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6203329" data-attributes="member: 4937">Yes.&nbsp; I originally encountered this concept in the writing's of Gene Wolfe - the Book of the New Sun ought to be required reading for geeks&nbsp; The particular line that struck me was something to the effect of, &quot;I could tell [the slingers] were true professionals, because on their ammunition was written, 'Strike!'&quot;&nbsp; The idea that the bullet being 'signed' was tied to the professionalism of the soldier was an idea that resonated.&nbsp; The professional was using 'proper' bullets.&nbsp; He wasn't improvising.Unlike what you'd think from the description of the sling in 3e, slingers were elite units.&nbsp;&nbsp; Slinger mercenaries were highly paid elite professionals.&nbsp; The sling may be simple to construct, but it wasn't simple to use.&nbsp;&nbsp; The sling out ranged every other ancient weapon.&nbsp; Incidentally, this idea that you showed your professionalism as a soldier by personalizing your ammunition survived into the modern area.&nbsp; Until a recent fit of political correctness got it banned, the soldiers responsible for handling ammunition showed they had properly inspected it, by writing things like &quot;Up yours!&quot;, &quot;Boom!&quot;, &quot;Saying hello!&quot;, and &quot;This one is for you Hitler&quot; on them.&nbsp; A shell or bomb not so written on wasn't considered fit to use, and all of those messages in spirit and possibly in form could be found and would have been understood by ancient slingers.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 6203329, member: 4937"] Yes. I originally encountered this concept in the writing's of Gene Wolfe - the Book of the New Sun ought to be required reading for geeks The particular line that struck me was something to the effect of, "I could tell [the slingers] were true professionals, because on their ammunition was written, 'Strike!'" The idea that the bullet being 'signed' was tied to the professionalism of the soldier was an idea that resonated. The professional was using 'proper' bullets. He wasn't improvising. Unlike what you'd think from the description of the sling in 3e, slingers were elite units. Slinger mercenaries were highly paid elite professionals. The sling may be simple to construct, but it wasn't simple to use. The sling out ranged every other ancient weapon. Incidentally, this idea that you showed your professionalism as a soldier by personalizing your ammunition survived into the modern area. Until a recent fit of political correctness got it banned, the soldiers responsible for handling ammunition showed they had properly inspected it, by writing things like "Up yours!", "Boom!", "Saying hello!", and "This one is for you Hitler" on them. A shell or bomb not so written on wasn't considered fit to use, and all of those messages in spirit and possibly in form could be found and would have been understood by ancient slingers. [/QUOTE]

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