So one of the things I’m really looking forward in KCD is the combat. And the sword mechanic looks great, but what I want to know is:How would different types of weapons (because we know they will be implemented) such as maces, halberds, warhammers and pikes hold up against someone equipped in full plate and carrying a sword? I’d assume the pike would be almost useless. Plus, how would a halberd or a pike be managed? Those things are long, so in order to use them in combat you’d have to have a lot of space, which won’t always be the case. And the mace would probably be ineffective against someone with a sword. You can’t parry and with a mace and you’re totally exposed, unless you’re swift, which you pretty much can’t be with a mace, they’re blunt and heavy. So implementing these weapons into combat will probably be tricky. Any opinions? This is purely an opinion-related thread.
Sorry to dissapoint you, but we wont be able to use spears, pikes or any polearm-like weapon in the Act1.
Here is some discussion specificaly about polearms.
Thought as much. It’d be impossible to do, anyhow. I’m pretty sure axes and maces will be there, right?
Well it is possible, but it is difficult, so if 1st Act is successfull they might be in Act2.
Dont remember hearing about axes or maces not being in the game so I guess the will be there.
I heard them saying hammers and axes will definitely be in there.
1 Like
As far as I know weapons like axes or maces will be in the game, yes.
There should be no problem without it.
Maybe they’ll even figure out a clever way to put in polearms. But that remains to be seen.
Combat is a challenge as it is from what I can tell.
1 Like
Which is why you’d use a shield with it.
You’re right there. But a quality shield is hard to acquire. Shield quality was all about the slope of the surface, shape and materials the shield is made of. But I guess that can’t really be done in games, at least not in 2015.
Unless there is some sort of mechanic in the game where a crappy shield can easily be destroyed?
Making a quality shield is no where near as difficult or even as expensive as what you seem to think. Most shields used very little metal (most would be bound in leather, not iron, for numerous reasons).
You forget it’s not only the material that matters, as I said. Even a FULL metal shield (as impractical as it would be) could be useless in combat against a zweihander. It’s about the slope of the surface, the shape etc.
You are right about how the shields were made, though. Wood, reinforced with leather and maybe a metal tip.
While it’s looking at a different time period, Regia Anglorum has done some experimental archaeology in this regard. They took a flat-faced, round, limewood shield backed with canvas, faced with leather, and bound in rawhide, and went at it with a longaxe (the big, two-handed axes popularly associated with the huscarls). Although the boards were split by the impact, the shield itself remained perfectly usable (though you’d want to replace it after the battle).
Now, a longaxe would weigh near the low end of what the later zweihanders would weigh (a zweihander used in combat would weigh no more than about 4-6lbs). HOWEVER due to distribution of mass putting most of the weight right behind the point of impact (whereas swords focus more weight into the hilt for balance), the longaxe would be putting FAR more energy into the blow than a zweihander would.
There’s also, of course, a matter of how the zweihanders were actually wielded; they were generally used half-sword and wielded like polearms, NOT swung with both hands on the hilt as were the longswords. Thus why most zweihanders had parierhaken and leather ricassos at the base of the blade.
So no, a shield would NOT be useless against a zweihander. And while shields DID start falling out of use around this time, it had nothing to do with being useless in combat against the weapons. Rather it was a matter of diminishing returns; the increased prevalence of plate armor meant that the amount of protection a shield provided was no longer worth the weight of carrying it).