In today's post about Fight Club, I'm talking about weapons, specifically the low-tech weapons I enjoy, as opposed to guns. I might do a future post talking about different kinds of guns, but that's for another day. What weapon a character uses is as much a statement about who he is as a practical choice for dealing with the battles of their time; it's the "shoes" of a fantasy world.
1. The Sword:
Specifically, I mean a one-handed blade, typically used for slashing, but often with a sharpened point as well. The kind of weapon that everyone thinks of when I write 'sword.'
Example Characters: Almost everyone in genre fiction who uses a low-tech weapon?
What It Says About the Character: Absolutely nothing.
2. The Spear:
Long haft, sharp point. Spears are criminally underused by fictional characters, although they enjoy many advantages. For starters, they have great reach. They're pretty easy to use. A mass formation of them will absolutely destroy a cavalry charge (I think the 13th Warrior is the only movie where this actually happens though). They're one of the few varieties of weapon that can be thrown effectively.
Example Characters: Matrim Cauthon* from Wheel of Time. Kaladin from Way of Kings. half the characters in Dynasty Warriors, Hordes of Faceless Soldiers
What It Says About the Character: Comes from a common background and remembers the fact.
*To be honest, Mat Cauthon doesn't really use a spear. If you read how he fights, it's clear that he uses it more like a quarterstaff; he makes a lot of wide, slashing attacks and rarely takes advantage of its reach.
3. The Morningstar:
A scary-looking spiked mace or club. Probably pretty easy to use, but I have no idea how you'd carry one safely.
Example Characters: Ummm...Sauron? Not many characters spring to mind. Anyone have anyone else?
What It Says About the Character: They're the bad guy. Heroes don't use these weapons. Ever.
4. The Axe:
I'm not making any distinction between one and two handed axes here. They're both brutal offensive weapons that swing with a lot of force and mass behind them. In truth, though, you're much more likely to see a guy using a two handed axe than a one-handed one.
Example Characters: Gimli from Lord of the Rings. Druss the Legend from Legend. Other dwarves who want to be like Gimli. Vikings.
What It Says About the Character: They're straightforward and unsubtle, much like their weapon. They're going to be dangerous as hell in a fight, since no one carries an axe if they don't know how to use it. Also, typically anyone who uses an axe is going to be the strongest guy around.
5. The Rapier:
The light swords favored by swashbucklers, musketeers, and pirates. They don't get a lot of respect compared to heavier swords, despite the advantage of their speed.
Example Characters: Aerich (Athos), Khaavren (D'Artagnan), and Pel (Aramis) from the Phoenix Guards, Vlad Taltos from Jhereg, Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean, Cazio from the Briar King, Zorro from the Curse of Capistrano (that's right, I know the name of the first Zorro story!)
What It Says About the Character: They're overly civilized, have at least pretensions of aristocracy. Most are probably arrogant, and fancy themselves as being quite popular with ladies. They're my be effete or decadent, and characters who use heavier weapons probably think of them as wimps by comparison.
Coming tomorrow I finish this with five more weapons!
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