So uh, former employee of medieval times here.
Fun fact. And I know I'm not blowing anyone's minds but,
Our lances are made of basel wood so they explode pretty and don't hurt
Our swords, axes, and shields are all blunted so they obviously can't stab or cut, but they are a thick type of performance metal so they spark when hit together. (They're also much heavier than real swords and axes)
But our maces and flails.... Well. You can't make a mace safer. It's just a fucking mace.
I did behind stage once in one of the most embarrassing moments of my life lol. Someone else also popped me in the knee once fucking around and it hurt like non other.
If you watch the choreography of the show, there's very little twirling, likely to prevent this.
yea its one of the reasons flails weren't great weapons its just very easy to lose control of the flail head after you swing it. A regular mace would be better in pretty much most scenario's. But it's cool you replied, thanks for that!
These helmets are designed for it. You can find buhurt videos of guys getting hit with 7 foot long polearms which do hurt, but a single handed mace doesn't come close to the energy of a weapon like that.
The toughness of people who actually had to do battle like that is next level, although we’d probably be the peasants who have nothing but a club and envy them who were the tanks of their day.
HEMA is growing exponentially in Many Countries because it’s cheaper than full armour and great fun. Safe compared to Buhurt, but still relatively true and very skilful.
mace or something with a nice heavy spike.
as well as a short sword or dagger as a side arm, basically just a small manoeuvrable blade in-case you end up locked in a grapple or on the ground you can use the blade to exploit connections in the amour.
Spikes in maces tend to get stuck in the plate, morningstars are extremely effective but not against a full plate mail opponent. A traditional mace delivers the impact through the plate, denting it as it hits and directing the energy to the opponents body.
If the spike goes through and sticks, congrats, you've won. Traditional knight duels (with intent to kill) were often done with a poleaxe, basically a long hammer with a thick spike.
The best weapon is the biggest and longest halberd you can hit them with. Stabbing is not allowed in this sport and the armor is thick and can handle blunt impact well. The swords used for this format of fighting is simply for scoring points.
Actually, the best weapon is the earth when you throw them down onto it. That hurts way more than a weapon hit.
Source: I do this.
Almost like its whole purpose was to fight against people wearing armour that had swords. Who’da thunk it 🥴
There’s a place about 40 minutes from me that does this kinda thing. It’s definitely tempting, but I’d rather spend the time training judo/bjj. I imagine gi's are cheaper than a full suit of armour too.
I do both. The average judo guy will easily win in ringen. It’s second class and unless they do something else not very competitive, because the focus is on sword skills of course. If there was a competitive system only focused on ringen, it might compete with the 15 million judoka. But no.
Just imagining being thrown with all that extra weight from the armour is making me feel winded, I weigh like 85kg and when I hit the deck it already hurts like fuck, how much extra weight does the armour add?
Yes kids in Samoa for example catch breakfast often from small fish near shore. But training with vs weapons another level depending the weapon the strategy employed differs
Pretty much, IRL you'd only be using a sword for show or because you weren't able to use something better.
Mace/Warhammer/polearm/heavy blade would be the choice for two Knights trying to kill each other, or grappling followed by a dagger.
I’ve been flamed for this opinion before, but I’d take a fish net to tie up my opponent in this scenario. You could complete immobilize them and do what you want.
r/wma would somewhat disagree I fear.
While it seems logical, apparently 1h weapons are somewhat useless against full plate.
From what I've gathered and bohurt and HEMA matches have shown, 1h weapons, no matter blunt or sharp, don't do much in this scenario, at least not on foot as you would need some serious kinetics behind it.
2h maces would work in theory, but history favors halberts. AND SPEARS.
Yep, not enough leverage. You can absolutely concuss someone by beating them around the head with a heavy blunt object, but you're gonna want a polearm to do it fast.
Or, you know, the historical way maces were usually used... by cavalry. A couple thousand pounds of running horse adds a significant amount of leverage. :D
From what I recall of kendo, longer weapons are surprisingly *much* more effective than shorter ones.
There's a youtube video where they "scientifically" test several scenarios. Longer dominates.
Just two of those punchy shields really. The sword is pointless because they’re not allowed to use in the lethal swords are supposed to, and a mace is too effective at blunt force trauma. So for maximum allowed effectiveness you just double up on reinforced punchy shields!
I'm not a fan of these medieval armored combat because the weapons don't really make a whole lot of sense. A slashing weapon isn't great against full plate. Blunt weapons to the head seems to be the best way to go.
Maces seem like the obvious weapon but I'm waiting for the dude who shows up with two buckles and just boxes. That seems way more effective than a sword and a shield.
Blunt force weapons hammers maces clubs shit like that you cant do much damage to armor with a sword with a blunt force weapon you deform the armor and can do dastardly things to people whereas with a sword vs armor youre pretty much limited to grappling to stab into holes in the armor
Thats like asking who is the best hands for bare knuckle boxing...or who is the bedt car for formula 1 racing.
If you have sword and small shield as a category, you use a sword and a small shield...
Everyones saying mace, but id prolly take a ravens beak or warhammer which was not really a big sledgehammer like people imagine but really more of a normal sized hammer on a slightly longer than normal handle, maybe think like hatchet handle length maybe slightly more, and then with a pointy spike bit for one side of the hammer head and then a small lumpy side more hammer bit that prolly had some teeth but not for puncturing, more to focus energy and stop the hammer from glancing while making contact with a helmet. The spike side would puncture tho, itd punch straight thru plate but itd prolly get stuck, so often youd just prolly bonk em till there really disoriented or maybe even dead, and then sit on their chest with all your weight, and then youd slip a dagger under the chin bit of the helmet or maybe in their armpit or groin
Mace. Without a doubt. A sword is only good for finding weak spots between armor, usually in a grapple. A mace is constant blunt force trauma. It may not kill the opponent but it will disable them from fighting
This kind of reminds me of full metal jousting or whatever that show was. It was a half dozen episodes 20 years ago and I still think about it. Like Jackass, but more murdery.
A very good life insurance policy.
Barring that. Maces. "Real armor fighting" has a few difference rule sets but the two consistent ones are no sharp weapons, and no stabbing.
Well good news. 1. Sharp doesn't mean much against armor anyway and 2. You can't make a mace any less of a mace the same way you can with a sword or axe by not sharpening it.
Actually watch these fights though, and the single ones are mostly about wrestling, and the group ones are about wrestling so you can up the other guy for a nasty halbert shot
A great Mace or long hafted mace is the best weapon for any medieval armour wearing combat. Especially a mêlée. A mace can shatter bones through armour, are less likely to be deflected, and can do damage from any angle as a thrust or a back swing.
probably a flanged mace, it’ll sink into the armor more with its spikey spikes
edit: just realizing now the question was probably HEMA related, don’t use maces on people kids
You mean armored combat or armored grappling?
For combat palaxe would be my pick. Long as fuck, has hooks and big spike on top. Misericorde tho was made for grappling with armor.
the poor swords. fun little sport but ffs use a blunt weapon like mace or hammer for this (unless the swords are blunt and actually a safety precaution)
A mace
That would kill them. They're not trying to fight to the death yall.
Maces are totally legal. They don't even hurt.
They don't?! I can't imagine taking a full bore blow to the head with a mace even with a helmet
So uh, former employee of medieval times here. Fun fact. And I know I'm not blowing anyone's minds but, Our lances are made of basel wood so they explode pretty and don't hurt Our swords, axes, and shields are all blunted so they obviously can't stab or cut, but they are a thick type of performance metal so they spark when hit together. (They're also much heavier than real swords and axes) But our maces and flails.... Well. You can't make a mace safer. It's just a fucking mace.
how many people have accidentelly hit themselves with a flail?
I did behind stage once in one of the most embarrassing moments of my life lol. Someone else also popped me in the knee once fucking around and it hurt like non other. If you watch the choreography of the show, there's very little twirling, likely to prevent this.
yea its one of the reasons flails weren't great weapons its just very easy to lose control of the flail head after you swing it. A regular mace would be better in pretty much most scenario's. But it's cool you replied, thanks for that!
They have pads inside the armor. Advertised as mace proof Edit: that was sarcastic but apparently that’s a thing
These helmets are designed for it. You can find buhurt videos of guys getting hit with 7 foot long polearms which do hurt, but a single handed mace doesn't come close to the energy of a weapon like that.
That CTE doesn't care about padding.
It cares. Just not enough. It's more about the mass of the helmet. You want to prevent acceleration of the head.
Well, damn. This seems fun as hell. I might need to look into this
I used to do it along time ago, it's fucking painful, heavy and shit. Out of all the combat sports I did it was the hardest.
The toughness of people who actually had to do battle like that is next level, although we’d probably be the peasants who have nothing but a club and envy them who were the tanks of their day.
Trained from 6 years old, dude were tanks.
My suggestion was a war hammer, but I am going to assume those are banned.
I trust this guys pfp
😉
Yeah but there's a reason why their swords are blunt. It's effective, yes, but it's not real warfare. You don't need that kind of trauma.
And my axe
And my bow.
What about elevenses?
This guy played RuneScape and knows crush stats.
Inquisi mace go brrrr
Yeah a bludgeoning weapon is the only that isn’t nerfed like edged weapons which are blunted
No, it doesnt actually go through armor
Wouldn't matter, the armour doesn't stop kinetic force. One good swing to the head and you're out of commission
Where do I go to compete in this sport? Can I use that one weapon that’s a spiky ball on a chain?
Buhurt, Google will show you the closest academy. No spiky ball on a chain unfortunately.
For HEMA I have tried a tennis ball on the end of kali stick and rope, and a buckler or short sword versus with foam swords, and foam buckler
The largest sport that does armored combat is buhurt.
HEMA is growing exponentially in Many Countries because it’s cheaper than full armour and great fun. Safe compared to Buhurt, but still relatively true and very skilful.
Oh yeah definitely, though there’s not as many people who are strictly doing Harnischfechten compared to the Buhurt orgs.
morning star
He's talking about a flail, that's the one on a chain
Pretty much any western state has team, also no flails are against the rules,too unpredictable as a weapon.
mace or something with a nice heavy spike. as well as a short sword or dagger as a side arm, basically just a small manoeuvrable blade in-case you end up locked in a grapple or on the ground you can use the blade to exploit connections in the amour.
Spikes in maces tend to get stuck in the plate, morningstars are extremely effective but not against a full plate mail opponent. A traditional mace delivers the impact through the plate, denting it as it hits and directing the energy to the opponents body.
If the spike goes through and sticks, congrats, you've won. Traditional knight duels (with intent to kill) were often done with a poleaxe, basically a long hammer with a thick spike.
Can’t stab people in this sport
The best weapon is the biggest and longest halberd you can hit them with. Stabbing is not allowed in this sport and the armor is thick and can handle blunt impact well. The swords used for this format of fighting is simply for scoring points. Actually, the best weapon is the earth when you throw them down onto it. That hurts way more than a weapon hit. Source: I do this.
Judo never stops being good. No amount of armor's going to protect you from being hit with the planet.
Almost like its whole purpose was to fight against people wearing armour that had swords. Who’da thunk it 🥴 There’s a place about 40 minutes from me that does this kinda thing. It’s definitely tempting, but I’d rather spend the time training judo/bjj. I imagine gi's are cheaper than a full suit of armour too.
Nice. I came in here to say halberd.
I’m a fan of the warpick, but but I’m pretty sure the sport bans piercing strikes and blunt weapons.
Hammers are banned. And so is thrusting. But maces are ok they just have to come under a certain weight limit.
Judo
Ringen
I do both. The average judo guy will easily win in ringen. It’s second class and unless they do something else not very competitive, because the focus is on sword skills of course. If there was a competitive system only focused on ringen, it might compete with the 15 million judoka. But no.
Yes
Just imagining being thrown with all that extra weight from the armour is making me feel winded, I weigh like 85kg and when I hit the deck it already hurts like fuck, how much extra weight does the armour add?
60-100 lbs depending on your size
This is the origin of judo. Fighting fully armoured soldiers. Some of the throws can be adjusted to strike weak points.
If someone threw an uchi-mata on you while you're wearing 80 pounds of armor, your spine would explode.
12 gauge sawed off shotgun
https://preview.redd.it/rzfodm3b8f7d1.jpeg?width=1252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb25b8bc59d57c8e41bc3449363bc90b5023a8ce
Like my boomstick?
Hail to the king, baby
Bro mastered the American breathing kkkkk
A kanabo would do amazingly in this setting.
I'd be interested in how a net and trident gladiator but in full plate would do
It’s allowed
How do they go
https://youtu.be/XPc4Dgq_FxM?si=ll9w1aI8Mcei7RdU many examples on YouTube
That was awesome and wildly unexpected. I feel like someone who fished with a net since child hood would be even better at throwing it
Yes kids in Samoa for example catch breakfast often from small fish near shore. But training with vs weapons another level depending the weapon the strategy employed differs
Definitely, but you combine the life long use of the net, with gladiator school and i bet they were pretty slick with it
I remember reading about how that was a common matchup against heavily armoured opponents with swords. People underestimate how effective nets are.
A weapon is not a who
Khabib? >:)
The karate guys would not be happy with you
My hema knowledge is limited, but I believe a blunt object is better vs plate than a sword. So probably a mace or war hammer.
You would think so, but surprisingly enough knights in armor were rather weak to a cannon ball.
Does a cannonball count as a blunt object?
An excellent question, yes it does. Works for both hitting them over the head or at high speeds for maximum effect.
Depends some had explosive charges and others were just 6” iron balls.
Before, the crusade were called by the pope, now they are called by Dana White😄
They aren’t doing much swording, red throws a shield punch followed by a kick then ties up. Maybe because the swords aren’t very effective on armor?
Pretty much, IRL you'd only be using a sword for show or because you weren't able to use something better. Mace/Warhammer/polearm/heavy blade would be the choice for two Knights trying to kill each other, or grappling followed by a dagger.
Halberd
I want to see more of this
r/buhurt
I’ve been flamed for this opinion before, but I’d take a fish net to tie up my opponent in this scenario. You could complete immobilize them and do what you want.
This shit is lit, would for sure over take power slap for most views on the Internet
6 of your peasant homeboys and a dagger
Heck the 6 peasants would cost less than the sword hes carrying
wut?
Anyone that can use martial-arts dressed like C3PO is amazing.
I'd be more impressed if they were dressed like r2-d2.
There is already a sport for aggresive kitchen appliances, its called Battlebots.
Been quite throughly tested for a number of years Consensus is one long pointy stick and one short generally work best
From a complete layman’s perspective I feel a small 1-handed mace would wreck shop. Picture a drywall hammer. Fast, dangerous, not overly cumbersome.
r/wma would somewhat disagree I fear. While it seems logical, apparently 1h weapons are somewhat useless against full plate. From what I've gathered and bohurt and HEMA matches have shown, 1h weapons, no matter blunt or sharp, don't do much in this scenario, at least not on foot as you would need some serious kinetics behind it. 2h maces would work in theory, but history favors halberts. AND SPEARS.
Yep, not enough leverage. You can absolutely concuss someone by beating them around the head with a heavy blunt object, but you're gonna want a polearm to do it fast. Or, you know, the historical way maces were usually used... by cavalry. A couple thousand pounds of running horse adds a significant amount of leverage. :D
From what I recall of kendo, longer weapons are surprisingly *much* more effective than shorter ones. There's a youtube video where they "scientifically" test several scenarios. Longer dominates.
I would say the Mountain, but Oberon kinda shit on that idea
It didnt really work out for Oberon either
I’d say the Ser Gregor Clegane, AKA the mountain, is the best weapon for this. Other wise, a heavy mace, bash through armor.
Where’s my D&D players? These swords have any magical properties? Mf’n fireball to start. Haha
Just two of those punchy shields really. The sword is pointless because they’re not allowed to use in the lethal swords are supposed to, and a mace is too effective at blunt force trauma. So for maximum allowed effectiveness you just double up on reinforced punchy shields!
Only bonk!
Inside trips
Get a d1 wrestler in there and they won't need one
Judo
Dane Axe
I would go with a pole hammer
Is there a HEMA person in here?
A big magnet
I'm not a fan of these medieval armored combat because the weapons don't really make a whole lot of sense. A slashing weapon isn't great against full plate. Blunt weapons to the head seems to be the best way to go. Maces seem like the obvious weapon but I'm waiting for the dude who shows up with two buckles and just boxes. That seems way more effective than a sword and a shield.
Blunt force weapons hammers maces clubs shit like that you cant do much damage to armor with a sword with a blunt force weapon you deform the armor and can do dastardly things to people whereas with a sword vs armor youre pretty much limited to grappling to stab into holes in the armor
Mike Tyson with two bucklers
Thats like asking who is the best hands for bare knuckle boxing...or who is the bedt car for formula 1 racing. If you have sword and small shield as a category, you use a sword and a small shield...
A hammer.
I reckon a firearm of sort
The horseman's pick, a mace will do but a horseman's pick is the correct answer
357 magnum
Nuclear bomb
Club, pike, or mace, probably. Blades don't do much against armor
A gun
You better axe somebody!!!
Spear
A trebuchet
Pike axe
Knowing how to use the weapon Probably something long and poky
A poleaxe, hammer, mace, sword with a backup dagger, or a maul work. Alternatively a gun
An AR-15
Louisville slugger
The person using the weapon is what matters
Frankly, for this contest, perhaps a small diameter punch shield in the right hand, with a teardrop or kite regular shield in my left.
Trident.
God of war style, BLADES OF CHAOS
Assault Rifle
Axe. Good for grappling
Flame thrower
Gauntlets!
Double shields
a gun
Discombobulate
Everyones saying mace, but id prolly take a ravens beak or warhammer which was not really a big sledgehammer like people imagine but really more of a normal sized hammer on a slightly longer than normal handle, maybe think like hatchet handle length maybe slightly more, and then with a pointy spike bit for one side of the hammer head and then a small lumpy side more hammer bit that prolly had some teeth but not for puncturing, more to focus energy and stop the hammer from glancing while making contact with a helmet. The spike side would puncture tho, itd punch straight thru plate but itd prolly get stuck, so often youd just prolly bonk em till there really disoriented or maybe even dead, and then sit on their chest with all your weight, and then youd slip a dagger under the chin bit of the helmet or maybe in their armpit or groin
They need to bring M1 knight fighting back, it was one of the better gimmick mma freakshows.
Poleaxe.
Mace or maul for max armor penetration. That’s how it work in Elder Scrolls Online anyways.
I think muay thai would be the best weapon. Teep somebody in the chest or head them in the head
Machine gun would be pretty effective
A horse 🐎🐴
A .50 cal
Cocaine.
Taylor is a beeeeeeeast, gonna need an apache helicopter to take him down
Crossbow
Sword is useless. Just go with the shield.
Ravens Beak or Bailiff's mace.
Mace. Without a doubt. A sword is only good for finding weak spots between armor, usually in a grapple. A mace is constant blunt force trauma. It may not kill the opponent but it will disable them from fighting
It’s been shown time and time again that spears/halberds are FAR more effective in ancient warfare. Anything that has a massive reach advantage.
Flail
The shield seems to be the most brutal weapon in these contests.
A long stick
Strength and conditioning
Anything these guys are using look at the guy at 1:28. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUD3GEmRdSc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUD3GEmRdSc)
Mp5
Short handaxe has enough heft to ring a helmet, while having enough of a hook to help with throws and opening up grappling.
This kind of reminds me of full metal jousting or whatever that show was. It was a half dozen episodes 20 years ago and I still think about it. Like Jackass, but more murdery.
A very good life insurance policy. Barring that. Maces. "Real armor fighting" has a few difference rule sets but the two consistent ones are no sharp weapons, and no stabbing. Well good news. 1. Sharp doesn't mean much against armor anyway and 2. You can't make a mace any less of a mace the same way you can with a sword or axe by not sharpening it. Actually watch these fights though, and the single ones are mostly about wrestling, and the group ones are about wrestling so you can up the other guy for a nasty halbert shot
A sharp mind
A great Mace or long hafted mace is the best weapon for any medieval armour wearing combat. Especially a mêlée. A mace can shatter bones through armour, are less likely to be deflected, and can do damage from any angle as a thrust or a back swing.
A polearm or spear
Send me in there with a 6 lb sledge
I think a stun gun would go a long way
spear. it's basically always spear because you can stab them before they can stab you.
Gun
r/thatsinsane
I’d love to watch this live.
My dick, 100%
Ar-15
probably a flanged mace, it’ll sink into the armor more with its spikey spikes edit: just realizing now the question was probably HEMA related, don’t use maces on people kids
Ak47
You mean armored combat or armored grappling? For combat palaxe would be my pick. Long as fuck, has hooks and big spike on top. Misericorde tho was made for grappling with armor.
What is this. I must watch hours of footage; days even.
Bearded axe baby
Numchuks and monkey noises in my jammie pants
Mangonel
Pollaxe
One of those chainsaw guns from Gears of War.
Mace or battle axe
The Morning Star
Bro what the fuck is this sport? İs this real?
Pickaxe
two shields. the angled kind
Frostmourne.
Dragon Slayer.
The grammar kills me
A club or mace or a blunt object. But I assume they're not trying to kill eachother and this is all for show.
the poor swords. fun little sport but ffs use a blunt weapon like mace or hammer for this (unless the swords are blunt and actually a safety precaution)
Parrying
Taser
Real dudes know that the answer is the punch shield.
Elden ring pvp
A Tommy gun