Some of the items in the game seem far-fetched in the setting of URW, i think it would be more coherent if some armor and weapons were removed from the game.
Specifically: Iron Coudes, Iron Kneecops, Leather Cuirass and all two handed swords.
I completely agree. I think this topic need more space here!
The weapons of URW is very wierd and far from historical accurate, as the game is set in Iron Age Finland, that mean nothing, but I suppose the game is setted in early medieval times \ late nordic iron age(roughly from 8th to 11h)
Weapon i think shoul de changed or removed:
- 2-handed swords: apperead in europe only around 15th-16th century
- Bastardsword: another type of sword dated around 15th century
- Scimitar: shoud be more accurate to use the name saber, used by eastern cultures like nomadic peoples of the steppes and by the Byzantines in later times. The scimitar was a more curved blade used moslty by arabs as an evolution of the saber, around 9th. The scimitar started to be know in europe from 14th-15th
- Shortsword: is not that bad, but should make more sense to call it skramaseax and to remove the guard, since shortswrod where not used in northen europe until 15th century. Before we used sword (petersen type for example) with lenght roughly between 70 and 100 cm in length
- The CROSSBOW?!? I don't have really sources about it, I know there where primitive crossbow in roman and greek armies in the past, but far as I know, in early medieval northen-central europe, crossbow didn't exist.
- Battleaxe: it's just fine, even if I'm not sure that finnish used two-handed axe in battle. I know some rus and in general slavic cultures used two handed axe, as well romphaia as a two handed polearm to swing, but honestly i think was not a battle weapon, but just two handed axes for timberwork, trasfromed in war weapons. The only I'm sure were scandinavian population that used the famished dane axe, and some druzina. The use in battle was not that easy, and people usually prefer to use a shield with a shorter axe
- shield: not an error, since roundshield made of boards where very common at the time, but would be nice to add more primitive shield, used also by a lot of slavic cultures. A roundshield is not such a cheap equipment as a lot of people can think: you need fine boards to make it, some leather to reinforce the border, and a steel shield boss. In the past, the poor warriors used braided wicker shields, that can be a nice addiction
- Absolutely agree about kneekops, since first we see in europe are dated around 10th in byzantine cataphract, and later in almost all armies in europe around 14th
- Leather lamellar cuirass, i think work just fine, even if there is no evidence for any lamellar being worn by Scandinavian and Baltic cultures during the early medieval period and iron age. But was already used but some eastern cultures (Njerpez), and it is easy to think that warriors who could not afford steel armor, would have used leather instead (boiled in beeswax), which was much cheaper
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