Weapons of choice

A central place to talk about weapons and armour, as it relates to your kit. This is where you show it of or talk about making it. Discussing the relative merits of types of weapons goes in the WMA section.

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Trystan Merrick
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Weapons of choice

Post by Trystan Merrick »

Hey all! New ranger here and I'm very interested in everyone's weapons and armor of choice. At the moment I'd have to say mine is arming sword and buckler (tho I don't have a real buckler, just cold steel synthetic) with my gambeson. No armor to speak of yet besides butted mail costume armor. Anyway, what's your weapon and armor of choice?!
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Greg
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Greg »

We haven't had a simple preferences thread like this in a long time. This actually could be fun.

As a persona dedicated to pursuing Tolkien's concept of a "traveller and huntsman", my arms are, and will remain, on the small side. For economy's sake, I've eschewed any form of shield, and my sword is rather small, but surprisingly quick. I'm also in the process of constructing a new "compact" (relatively) hunting bow which could serve in a fight. No armor to speak of at present, though riveted maille and a helm sometime (a LONG way) down the road are inevitable based on the text.
Now the sword shall come from under the cloak.
Trystan Merrick
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Trystan Merrick »

Haha yeah I do want to get riveted mail myself one day. I have butted atm that will serve for costume purposes but tbh I'm not sure I want to wear mail in a ranger situation. When you say short sword are you doing more of cutlass/saber?
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Elleth
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Elleth »

Greg has started more than one trend in these parts. :)

I don't picture myself a warrior, but I don't like roaming the back part of our farm unarmed: I know we've a coyote pack pass through occasionally, and I'm fairly certain at least one bobcat. Not orc raiding parties to be sure, but enough of a background risk I feel better with something to hand. In fact, today I managed to sneak a half hour to scout the woods around where a predator took a couple of our lambs. Sadly I had to return before I could find any sign, but... my nose said I wasn't too far from some remains. :(

Anyhow, usually I carry a bow and this tool by our own Ursus:
Image

I imagine "in character" my choices wouldn't be that different: I doubt I'd be *allowed* to put myself at serious enough risk to warrant carrying more... though if things were bad enough I'd pick up a bow or spear and try to be at least somewhat useful.

All that said, a certain relic of Arnor's former days might be coming along occasionally for fun one day soon, when it's not part of the household decor. *tease tease*
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Straelbora »

Aragorn's Ranger sword as seen in the films aside, I'm also of the 'short sword' school of thought. Rangers would need the most compact equipment, and involved in combat that is more 'hit and run stealth' than cavalry charges. A short sword is versative for forested areas as well as narrow alleyways or castle staircases.
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Ursus »

For my part I obstinately carry war weapons. My persona is built around Aragorn's quote "Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters – but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy." To that end I want arms that I know will multi task and hit with a kind of finality.

My sword is a custom XIIIa. I'm one of the few folks around here that carries a larger fighting blade on rangings. I've always carried a type XIIIa in some form or another for nigh on fifteen years.
The common fallacy is that longswords are clumsy in the woods, which is untrue. Just one mans opinion of course, but I've made it work with no issues for many years based on many different tests and scenarios. Tolkien actually mentions multiple times in various writings of swords being "long swords" or having "great hilts". With how we normally deduce things around here that is proof enough for me. It all comes down to the individual.

My bow carry changes. Most of the time I carry my warbow. It is a genuine 120 lb pull stave made from an osage that I planted when I was but a wee child. Other times
I carry a 65 lb short bow modeled on Viggo's from the films, also osage.

My fighting knife, actually a scottish dirk, handles anything my sword cant. I recently acquired a new one that I built on a cold steel scottish dirk blade. I've long maintained that a dirk is one of the best knives for defense and trail tasks combined.

I'm also very proficient in various unarmed combative forms. Namely Krav Maga and Pankration.

I'm wrapping up an eket/short sword project now but am not quite ready to share pics to the forum just yet.
"Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters – but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy."

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Greg
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Greg »

Trystan Merrick wrote:When you say short sword are you doing more of cutlass/saber?
These guys.
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Elleth wrote:A certain relic of Arnor's former days might be coming along [...] one day soon...
You too, huh?
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Eledhwen
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Eledhwen »

I can carry a wide variety of weapons, from long knives to longswords, from horsebows to longbows.

That said, the single-hand sword is my preference, and of those, the shortsword best of all. I have a leaf blade I've been working into a good Numenorean shortsword. I usually have a belt axe and a knife that sits in the small of my back with the need wallet.

I do not carry a shield. I do not wear armor, although I could easily armor myself in maille or scale, or even plate. I wear no helm.

So essentially clothing with a shortsword, knife, and belt axe.

For the bow I tend to carry a longbow most of the time, although my preference is for the horsebow for its smaller size and ease of use in thick brush.

That's pretty much it. I must note that due to the laws where I live, I never actually carry the sword...only knife and belt axe.

FWIW

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Elleth
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Elleth »

. I'm one of the few folks around here that carries a larger fighting blade on rangings.
I honestly think that makes a lot of sense. At least in our woods, I don't see how it would be anything but an advantage over shorter one handed blades, at least unless shields were part of the baggage. I'd love to hear more experience from folk who actually do larp-ish skirmishing in the woods though! Is it different in bands of six or twelve than for a Ranger alone?

For that matter, I think the spear is highly underrepresented in our ranks. I've tried it once, and found it fantastic having basically a walking staff, especially where footing was treacherous. The naked point up there while trying to navigate down a slick hillside was nervewracking, but that's nothing a proper blade cover couldn't take care of.

Ultimately I think the spear is rare because most of us trek alone, and if one's hands are going to be busy carrying a spear or a bow, most all of us would choose the latter. But gosh would I prefer it to a sword of any kind if I ran across some angry wildlife.

Ursus wrote:I'm wrapping up an eket/short sword project now but am not quite ready to share pics to the forum just yet.
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Ursus
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Ursus »

I honestly think that makes a lot of sense. At least in our woods, I don't see how it would be anything but an advantage over shorter one handed blades, at least unless shields were part of the baggage. I'd love to hear more experience from folk who actually do larp-ish skirmishing in the woods though! Is it different in bands of six or twelve than for a Ranger alone?
I can't speak in regards to larp but I have had five of my students help me out here by running various senarios, ambushes and so on. Basically they will come at me with assorted weapons in varying terrain and I see what I can do with the situation. I will say in a humble tone that multiple opponents are kind of my specialty and it is here that I shine as a combatant but that's also a result of years of hard training and countless sparring sessions.

Shields don't really give me much of a problem in out of formation fighting like this. Its not out of character for me to bind, grab the lower rim, and fling it up into the opponents face. All I see when confronted by a shield are multiple points to grab and use as leverage to manipulate the opponent. I'm actually far more warry of a buckler.
"Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters – but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy."

“My cuts, short or long, don’t go wrong.”
Trystan Merrick
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Trystan Merrick »

I just love the versatility of the sword and buckler. At the moment I am using the hanwei tinker arming sword as my main weapon. I find a gambeson provides good enough protection and isn't too bulky or noisy.

I consider going to messer only but when I spar everyone uses atleast a large shield and hand weapon. I'm at quite the disadvantage when just using one shorter sword and nothing else :p
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Greg
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Greg »

For what it's worth, I've concluded that there really can't be a final consensus on whether the professor really meant for Arming swords or true long swords in a Ranger context, or in description of blades in general across cultures. His descriptions occasionally contradict each other in terms of use, but that's to be expected with a writer that doesn't have extensive experience with blades to pull on when describing them in everyday situations. In short (or long), I don't necessarily think that any double-edged cruciform blade really can be considered incorrect by design, from Eket up to longsword, and I think they all have a place and a purpose.

As for spears, their usefulness cannot be denied, but the use of a bow as a hunting tool is what has kept me away. You just don't hunt squirrels with a spear.
Now the sword shall come from under the cloak.
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Kortoso »

Although I have a type XIII, I don't have a scabbard for it yet. My preferred sword is a type X, with a convenient woods-carry scabbard.
By the protocol of my unit, I practice with my longbow, but as I am not better than half of my archers, I carry the spear in support of our archers.
I do have a riveted mail hauberk, but I will not wear it during regular patrols.
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Trystan Merrick »

So does everyone here think wearing mail is to much for patrols/ambushes and other normal ranger activities?

I don't have riveted mail but I thought it'd be ok as its light-ish and flexible. But since you guys have actual experience with it and doing ranger things would you say its to much and stick to lighter stuff?
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Re: Weapons of choice

Post by Udwin »

"The Company took little gear of war, for their hope was in secrecy not in battle. Aragorn had Anduril but no other weapon, and he went forth clad only in rusty green and brown, as a Ranger of the wilderness." LR Bk II Ch 3.

"All had swords at their sides, and were clad in green and brown of varied hues, as if the better to walk unseen in the glades of Ithilien." LR Bk IV Ch 4

Based on Tolkien's text, I would not advise wearing of any armor for an everyday Ranger (of Arnor or Ithilien), unless you intend specifically to represent the ride of the Grey Company--who wore mail because they were openly riding to war. Note that even Faramir's men--though we see them in action, actively setting an ambush for the Haradrim--are not depicted wear armor: it is not becoming of one needing to be stealthy during guerilla operations. Even when among the Breelanders, wearing armor would serve only to further alienate them from that population.
Since we know that both populations of Rangers had mail available, it is conceivable that a band might don their hauberks if setting out to take out a specific threat (not simply harass and pester the enemy as in Ithilien). But for everyday purposes, No.
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