#shortswords

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

status 85% complete unpacking

Ok I've unpacked everything I can without a closet hanger rod, a whole ass wall shelf not yet installed, missing shelf pegs that are currently in my dad's wallet, and no tower PC to speak of (I am not unpacking a single gotdamn cable if I cant plug it into anything that's nuts)

New problem: how do I display an entire bouquet of decorative daggers

I am allowed to put small nails into the wall but only some of these have chains set up

any suggestions? @hellenhighwater I think this is in your wheelhouse??

lemme know in the replies n stuff folks, pls know that my new roommate HAS a 3D printer

[mactiir]

sword misconceptions part 2: shortsword

Post series: longsword | rapier | buckler | dagger | spear

so as I'm getting back into fantasy lit as a historical fencer, there are a lot of things I am noticing cropping up in swordfights that are inaccurate or flat out wrong. So i wanted to write a post for my fellow writers putting down a few things I've learned in 2.5 years of swinging the actual weapons around!

Disclaimer: i REALLY wanna emphasize this because in my last post someone decided to get cute (and wrong) about this. Historical terms for weapons were NOT STANDARDIZED. There as no "one" longsword/rapier/shortsword etc when we're talking about a weapon that existed for hundreds of years across an entire continent. And "shortsword" especially is not a specific term. As how you use weapons are governed more by their properties than their names, you can generalize many things that may not have historically been called "shortswords" under this term. There are like five or six different weapons which have distinct traditions in HEMA which match the fantasy game description of "shortsword". So I'm talking here about any one-handed, straight-bladed, double-edged sword with a (mostly) simple hilt/crossguard and a blade length typically between 2 and 3 feet. As "shortsword" is a generic and not a specific weapon descriptor, this covers what we in HEMA call arming swords, gladiuses, some messers, and probably a bunch of other types of swords I can't think of right now (the "simple hilt" rule is because I'm putting italian side swords and scotch broadswords in a different category. They feel really really different to wield than an arming sword/messer, and classing them as shortswords feels wrong).

Misconception 1: dual wielding shortswords is safe and effective.

When you dual wield, you really REALLY want different length weapons in each hand -- like a dagger in the offhand. Otherwise they cross over each other, get in each other's way, and generally slow you down and mess you up. We'll dual wield matching weapons for fun sometimes, but it strangely feels very unsafe and most of the time you have to resort to windmilling (getting stabbed in the chest as a result). Is this a skill issue? Maybe partially, but there's another reason to have a shorter weapon in your weaker hand, and it's physics. Maintaining parry structure and speed in a full size blade is really hard to do in your weaker, non dominant hand, so if you're going to hold an offhand weapon, you want it to be something that can't be easily wrenched or beaten aside, and instead something that has more leverage (like a short lil dagger!) so that you can turn aside incoming hits without the sword getting blasted aside. If you have a character that's really, truly ambidextrous they might be able to legitimately dual wield full length weapons, but most of the time this one just looks silly.

Misconception 2: since it's a one handed weapon, you shouldn't use your nondominant hand at all.

One of my favorite things about slashy one handed weapons like messer and arming sword is that your offhand still gets a job, but it has to diversify its job prospects! Most "shortsword" traditions aren't like modern fencing the way saber or rapier are, where you only use your sword arm. In messer, which is a very grappling-focused system, your offhand's job is to grab your opponent's arm, put them in joint locks, seize the opponent's blade after you've locked it in a bind, and otherwise be a nuisance. In arming sword and buckler, the offhand holds a lil shield, whose job then becomes to suppress the opponent's sword by shoving the buckler into a bind, protect your sword hand, parry afterblows, or deny entire target areas to your opponent. Most shortswords are NOT weapons designed to be used without backup from your other hand in some way. Don't just have your character hacking an arming sword around. Have them close distance, grapple hard, yank, push, armlock, trip. Shortswords don't grant the luxury of distance longswords can. You have to be up close and very personal.

Misconception 3: shortswords are faster than bigger weapons.

And in close quarters, they sure as hell ARE faster, because that's where longswordsget jammed up by proximity. But "close quarters", in this case, is "less than five feet apart". I'm talking CLOSE. Correct to: measured by speed of the hand, you can swing a shortsword more times per minute than a longer weapon. But a few things equalize that: their length, so you have to step in to score a hit, making them slower; and their relative lack of mass. This seems counterintuitive, but think of it this way: cutting a longsword around often just involves redirecting its velocity, which is already trying to continue forward due to its mass, in a different direction. Cutting a shorty around often involves restarting the whole cut: it's probably stopped against your opponent's weapon or bounced off, so you have to re-engage your swinging muscles to get it moving again. This is why when you watch sword and buckler or messer fighting, fencers will often avoid binding their blades at all costs and instead repeatedly disengage under or around each other's blades instead -- because in this situation, with good footwork, the sword actually FEELS its proper speed. A two-handed sword is going to be faster and more nimble than a one-handed sword in almost all cases UNTIL you get close enough that the longsword wielder can no longer move their sword properly -- which is well within the longsword's cutting range.

Misconception 4: shortswords are for weaker characters than longswords.

My beef with d&d 5e is that every sword SHOULD be a finesse weapon with a strength prereq to wield. Yes, shortswords ARE lighter than longswords, but only by about a pound. Add that to the fact that you can only use one hand to hold it and the fact that you're probably trying to swing it faster due to being practically in the other guy's teeth, I find short swords actually more physically taxing to wield than longswords. They burn out your dominant shoulder BAD and there's no way to relieve the weight on your arm without dropping your sword and probably taking a point to the chest. Yes, they are easier to pick up. They are harder to fence/fight with for extended lengths than longswords, at least to me.

That's all I can think for now! Hmu with any questions or confusions.

[lunarlightforge]

Check this batch out!! A bunch of new shapes coming soon! Keep an eye out. Thanks everyone!!

[prisiidon]

AAAH THIS'LL DO for now!! 🐟 {Full bio} He got his big scar from Byers over a stupid reason dfDFG

[hubr1s69]

she doesn't know how to hold them yet 😔

[vigilskeep]

imagine being morena dekarios and tara with this run’s morghaine. you’re worried about your boy after his terrible relationship and terrible breakup with the goddess of magic and he shows back up a year or two later with a ranger who hunts mages. talk about overcorrection

[drawfee-quot3s]

i see we're back with the big pizza slice knife

oh you mean the italian cold steel cinquedea?

.... yes. thank you

i mean what better knife to kill a duck's wife with

- karina + jacob

[butch-with-a-deep-voice]

Do you rant to your girlfriend about how a giant pet peeve of yours with Gideon the Ninth fanart is when they portray Gideon with a longsword (or worse yet a fucking arming sword) instead of the greatsword she clearly is trained for? Or are you normal?

[longsword-enjoyer]

I flirted with death

And then ghosted her for I am married

[astralprisms]

*howling like a great wind through a canyon, it engulfs your mind, drowns your senses. Above the howl rises a screech, gleeful and maniacal. It is the way and the truth. Absolute.*

The Emperor: Leave - them - alone.

*the screech quiets, the howl fades. Your mind is hollow, save for one lone voice.*

The Emperor: Bane's Chosen has fallen - his Netherstone is yours. You have done well.

Xa'rok: I heard the Absolute scream.

The Emperor: You heard the Elder Brain. It's regaining its autonomy. It cries not from pain, but exaltation. We must stop it, before it breaks free.

The Emperor: One Netherstone remains - Orin's. We must find her and take it from her. After that, we take control of the Brain. You should start wondering what you will do then.

Xa'rok: I'll decide once we get there.

The Emperor: ...sometimes, you surprise me with your wisdom.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #647

El Quince swordtail!

It can also be called shortsword platy, as the typical "swords" that male swordtails tend to sport are only very small in this species, barely one millimeter. The males do not court females, and a study has found that apparently, the females of the species find males of a relative species, Montezuma swordtail, more attractive.

[lunarlightforge]

Custom short sword done and ready to ship out!! Would you like something similar? Send me a dm! Thanks everyone!!

[peacockpenis]

dave hearn is very proficient in short sword

[anonymous-gambito]

This is such a weird thing to say

[uniquezombiedestiny]

mae is very good at dueling

[enderwoah]

gifts from uncle technoblade