Okay, I've finally gotten around to writing the second part of the last Fight Club post. I blame the Olympics for the delay, proof that you can make me care about anything if you make the stage big enough.
6. The Dagger
Daggers and knives were fairly common as tools back in Ye Olden Days, especially the nebulous quasi-historical period where a lot of fantasy fiction takes place. They're going to be a little longer and more dangerous than the pocket knives of today, but probably about as ubiquitous. The truth remains that if you bring a knife to a sword fight, though, you're going to lose.
Example Characters: Thieves and cutthroats, Min from Wheel of Time (with many others), Locke Lamora, Vlad Taltos.
What It Says About the Character: They prefer surprise to straight up fights (who doesn't, though), they're probably not trained in fighting, and they might be kind of dumb if they treat it as a primary weapon instead of an emergency backup or a tool (or a parrying weapon).
7. The Bow
Bows come in two basic varieties: bows you use on foot, and bows you fire from a horse. Unless someone is creating some kind of clear Mongol analogue, bows in fiction are generally restricted to the infantry variety.
Example Characters: Legolas, Birgitte from Wheel of Time, Katniss from Hunger Games
What It Says About the Character: Really, no one in fiction uses a bow if they're not some kind of expert shot. They're also more likely to be incredibly fast or agile. If a female character is going to be some kind of warrior, chances are good that they will prefer the bow.
Unfortunately, firing a bow, especially one with a good draw weight needed for range/armor penetration, requires a lot of upper body strength. And just like a gun, shooting a bow while running around will tank your accuracy. I'd imagine an archer would more likely take a good position in a fight and stand there raining feathered death upon his enemies than running around shield surfing.
8. The Flail
Most depictions of the flail suck, it's that simple. The flail is the spiked-ball and chain weapon, in case you're unfamiliar with it (insert marriage joke here). The problem is that the chain is too long, so you'd have as much chance of hitting yourself as the enemy. The trick is to have a longer haft and a shorter chain, allowing flexibility without risking smashing yourself in the head. The real strength of the flail is its ability to bypass a shield.
Example Characters: No one in fiction uses a flail. The closest I could think is the Witch King from RotK, but that's really not the greatest example of the weapon, since it's a one ton weight with a chain attached. More wrecking ball, less flail.
What It Says About the Character: No data points means no graph, sorry. Man, someone has to write a flail user, fast.
9. The Mace/Hammer
Basic variations on the same idea: a hafted weight that smashes your opponent. All the fun of a club, but more top heavy. The great part about maces and hammers was how effective they were against armored opponents; mail was relatively ineffective against the mass of these things.
Example Characters: Perrin from Wheel of Time, other fantasy blacksmiths*, holy men**
What It Says About the Character: For starters, this is another one of those unsubtle weapons, so chances are pretty good the character is notably strong. And anyone who uses one of these weapons, as opposed to an axe, is probably both kind-hearted and civilized.
*Seriously, what is with fantasy's love affair with blacksmithing? I have no idea.
**Due to a misinterpretation of the Bayeux Tapestry, for a while there
was the belief that ecclesiastical figures (priests, bishops, and the
like) were forbidden from shedding blood. Therefore, they used maces, because smashing apart someone's skull is one hundred percent blood free. Nope, sorry.
10. The Greatsword
Or the two handed sword. Cutting edge, sharpened point. Unfortunately, when portrayed in fiction it's nearly always misused. The lower part of the sword was unsharpened, allowing the user to 'choke up' on it for additional maneuvers. That's probably not the proper historical term for it, btw. :)
Example Characters: Guts from Berserk, Tazendra (Porthos) from the Phoenix Guards
What It Says About the Character: The greatsword is typified by a more wild, uncontrolled style, similar to an axe, even if that's not really how it would be used in real life. Think of it as an axe, just less so.
11. The Shield
While not technically a weapon, it's probably the most important piece of gear for a warrior other than their weapon. It's the best defense against any kind of projectile weapon (other than a wall or something), and it's much easier to parry with a shield than it is with any kind of weapon. Think about how much smaller the target area is going to be for a guy with a shield.
Example Characters: Boromir from Lord of the Rings, Spartans and their wannabes,
What It Says About the Character: Shields are more typically found amongst the military, so a shield user is going to be a current or former member of a military unit, in contrast to the more common 'lone wolf' style characters who run around by themselves. They're likely to be more 'professional' than most characters.
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