The Pro's and Con's of each Weapon type for RP combat.

[Zyrusticae]

Arrows

Can't use a bow without arrows to shoot! Arrows come in a variety of shapes and sizes, though they all have one thing in common: they MUST be aerodynamically shaped or they're just not going anywhere. Arrows can also be used for self-defense in melee in a pinch, though they are not a substitute for forged melee weapons.

 

Size

An arrow's size (and thus weight) has a major effect on its performance. They can range from half a yalm to nearly 2 yalms long, though most tend towards a range around 1 yalm. Longer and heavier arrows can confer more force upon the target but suffer from reduced range that the user must compensate for, and are only appropriate for use with larger bows with heavier drawstrings. Very short arrows, on the other hand, have extremely good range and can be used to snipe opponents without fear of retaliation if they do not have similar equipment.

 

Shaft

The shaft of the arrow can be made of many different materials, though it is traditionally made out of a type of wood. The stiffness of the shaft is referred to as its "spine", meaning how little the shaft bends when compressed. An arrow that bends less has more "spine". Groups of arrows must be similarly spined for consistent results. "Center-shot" bows can be used to gain consistent results with a wide range of spines, but most traditional bows are not center shot and the arrow has to deflect around the handle in the Archer's Paradox (this is getting complicated...). To put it short, the arrow's spine has to be made to allow the arrow to deflect correctly around the bow. Higher draw-weight bows typically require more spine for the right amount of flex when shot.

 

Footed Arrows

Arrows made out of two different types of wood (a hardwood near the arrowhead and a softwood for the rest of the shaft) fastened together are referred to as "footed arrows", and proffer the superior survivability of hardwood with the flexibility and light weight of softwood arrows. Gridanians are most likely to use these types of arrows.

 

Arrowheads

Arrowheads are extraordinarily varied, and can be designed to best a wide variety of targets. Any arrow designed to penetrate its target can be dipped in poison to further its effect. Note that this list is not exhaustive, though it should cover most types likely to appear in Eorzea.

 

*Armor piercing (needle bodkin) - The most expensive type of arrowhead, these are always made out of some type of hardened metal and forged into a shape designed to penetrate even the toughest plates of armor. It should be noted that, on planet Earth, arrowheads of this design were not in common use due to the development of firearms which had no problems penetrating plate armor. Apparently this does not apply in Eorzea, as archers are still commonly seen despite the simultaneous development of full-body plate armor and firearms. These arrows will cause less harm to poorly armored targets than broadhead arrows, and the weight of the heads gives them poorer flight characteristics, so these are used exclusively for fighting armored legions, Garleans especially.

 

*Bifurcated - A.k.a. "Frog-Crotch", "Fishtail", or "Forked" arrowheads, these heads are shaped in a V or crescent shape with points extending outward on either side. The cutting edge can be in the inside of the curve, though sometimes the entire head is sharpened. These arrowheads are commonly used as rope-cutters, and can be used to cut through a ship's rigging, climbing cords, and even other archers' bowstrings.

 

*Bodkin points - Short, rigid points with a small cross-section made of unhardened iron. Used for greater range or accuracy as well as cheap production. Ineffective against armored targets.

 

*Blunt - Unsharpened arrowheads occasionally used for target shooting or for stunning the target without penetration. In Eorzea these may be made of metal or hard rubber. Note that the shaft is capable of penetrating the arrowhead and/or the target, so safety is still paramount with their use.

 

*Broadheads - The most common type of arrow in use in Eorzea for war and hunting, broadheads are made out of some type of hardened metal and have two or four wide, sharp blades intended to bleed the target by cutting major blood vessels. They are designed to cause further damage upon removal as well, making them extremely dangerous. They are also expensive, can damage most targets, and are usually not used for target practice. They can come in two types:

**Fixed-blade - What it says on the tin.

**Mechanical - Uses some of the kinetic energy of the arrow to deploy its blades out into the target when struck. They possess better flight characteristics due to their more aerodynamic design, but less penetrative power due to some of the energy being lost during blade deployment.

 

*Cage Fire - An arrowhead commonly used by Eorzeans, cage fires are designed to be ignited with elemental fire before being released into the fray to set an area alight. They have poor aerodynamic properties and thus must be lobbed into the area at moderate ranges rather than shot freely. They are frequently reusable.

 

*Whistling - An arrowhead slightly hollowed out with four to six holes bored into it. A whistling arrowhead, once launched, releases a high-pitched whistling noise as it flies. Whistling arrowheads are not designed for combat, but instead designed to signal others from a distance or to scare off foes.

 

Fletching

Fletching is found at the back of the arrow and is usually made out of the feathers of wild birds, particularly dodos. They are used as airfoils and provide a small amount of force that helps to stabilize the arrow in flight, reducing its tendancy to pitch and yaw and thus keeping it flying true to its target. Feathers used on an arrow mut come from the same side of the bird as bird feathers have a slight natural twist depending on where they come from. This same twist helps the arrow rotate in flight, increasing accuracy. Arrows designed to travel the maximum possible distance will often have little-to-no fletching, while arrows with broadheads will have long and high fletching to counteract the aerodynamic effect of the arrowhead.

 

...So as you can plainly see, bows are friggin' complicated. There is a LOT more to bows and arrows than what I've already written here. If you're interested in excessive, exhausting detail, there is a document on arrows posted here that's designed for use with some RPG system or other, but is still very useful as a resource on the ridiculous variety that arrows can come in.

[Enzo]

As I am returning to FFXIV this weekend and excited to be getting back into role playing. I remembered this post in all this downtime I have spent twiddling my thumbs waiting for Saturday to arrive. I have been on a long Hiatus because of school but am now finally able to return and apologize for not updating this sooner. But I have updated it and added Daggers!

 

Apologies if it is not as well done as the other ones as for whatever reason it did not show everything in colors, italics, and boldness as I typed it like I feel like I remember it doing before. So I had to quickly learn the alien letters that are trapped in [ ] boxes in order to add the new section on arrows and knives. I also could not reference the actual models for the knives in game and had to do so from pictures on the wiki. So I hope all the information is still accurate. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong on something and I shall fix it as soon as possible!

 

I again thank everyone who has given awesome information regarding weapons and how they can be used. I can't make any promises but with only one weapon type (Fist Weapons) to go. I hope I can get all of the disciple of war weapons down for everyone to reference and learn to use before the expansion comes out (And I am forced to add 2 more weapon types to my to do list) I hope you all can make use of my list and you all enjoy your role play to the fullest extent :3

[Briggs]

Most of Rough Nomad's combat style is inspired by Philippine knife martial arts.

 

 

r1CWSEAJT1M

 

Some of it's been modified for his benefit.

 

I want to say he's more inclined to weaving in cheap punches and lunches akin to the common street thug, but it would be easier to explain it with krav maga. The two fighting styles are hybridized to his benefit with a balanced emphasis on knife and body-oriented strikes or moves. He actually knows very little ninjutsu.

 

vDofosaRUPc

[Enzo]

Most of Rough Nomad's combat style is inspired by Philippine knife martial arts.

 

 

Some of it's been modified for his benefit.

 

I want to say he's more inclined to weaving in cheap punches and lunches akin to the common street thug, but it would be easier to explain it with krav maga. The two fighting styles are hybridized to his benefit with a balanced emphasis on knife and body-oriented strikes or moves. He actually knows very little ninjutsu.

 

 

That is super awesome! By no means are you bound by the limitations of the weapon alone. You can always use your body to aid you in combat in so many different ways I could not even begin to list them. My purpose is simply to help people understand their weapon a bit better :3 You all teach me more and more about fighting each time and I am happy for you all to share your knowledge with me.

[Aaron]

I guess Aaron is a Kris user!

 

Although I did feel bad about leaving all my PLD sword memories behind. So I came up with a alternative. 

 

When Aaron needs a little extra range close combat wise with his daggers he lengthens the edges by stacking ice along the blade till it's about as long as a sword.

 

I think it's pretty neat.

[Enzo]

I guess Aaron is a Kris user!

 

Although I did feel bad about leaving all my PLD sword memories behind. So I came up with a alternative. 

 

When Aaron needs a little extra range close combat wise with his daggers he lengthens the edges by stacking ice along the blade till it's about as long as a sword.

 

I think it's pretty neat.

 

It is not unbelievable to be able to use two weapons you know. You could always carry your daggers on your hips and your sword on your back :3 Switch between the two as needed. It is cool that you have implemented magic into your fighting with the daggers. I am not sure how sharp you could get ice (You could definitely get it pointy) but it could work effectively as a blunt weapon or a chill out stick (Get what I did there?)

[Aaron]

I guess Aaron is a Kris user!

 

Although I did feel bad about leaving all my PLD sword memories behind. So I came up with a alternative. 

 

When Aaron needs a little extra range close combat wise with his daggers he lengthens the edges by stacking ice along the blade till it's about as long as a sword.

 

I think it's pretty neat.

 

It is not unbelievable to be able to use two weapons you know. You could always carry your daggers on your hips and your sword on your back :3 Switch between the two as needed. It is cool that you have implemented magic into your fighting with the daggers. I am not sure how sharp you could get ice (You could definitely get it pointy) but it could work effectively as a blunt weapon or a chill out stick (Get what I did there?)

Hm true, I'd need to make a mutual outfit for ROGUE/PLD to switch classes like he's switching weapons. 

 

And you can get cut by ice if it's shaped jagged enough. But regardless most swords with a none serrated edge are in reality used for stabbing. 

 

And yes I saw what you did there lol

[Jana]

Hm true, I'd need to make a mutual outfit for ROGUE/PLD to switch classes like he's switching weapons. 

 

Easier than you'd think since they're both Disciple of War classes. I've made all of my RP outfits (save for scrub Flames uniform) usable by all classes since Jana has both War and Magic IC; it's possible with leather Gathering/Crafting gear.

[Aaron]

Hm true, I'd need to make a mutual outfit for ROGUE/PLD to switch classes like he's switching weapons. 

 

Easier than you'd think since they're both Disciple of War classes. I've made all of my RP outfits (save for scrub Flames uniform) usable by all classes since Jana has both War and Magic IC; it's possible with leather Gathering/Crafting gear.

I'll probably use his typical vintage vest, bohemian pants and Lominsa soldier boots outfit as that outfit. 

 

Now to unglamour my OP NIN gear off em

[Enzo]

WOW lol. I ran out of room to put Fist weapons Is there any way I can make the next post an extension of it?

[Enzo]

Fixed I suppose. I used the third from the top post (The next one I had authority over) to add the continuation. Slight gap. But so long as it is all on the first page

 

Well I finished finally! I greatly appreciate all the help and support you guys have given. I hope this can be a good resource to the role play community.

[Spethah]

I'll need to correct you on lances. Lances are a defensive weapon than offensive unless taking into account of jousting. The use of the lancer in ground combat was to create space, to dominate ground rather than decapitate or take down horsemen. Most lances are one and a half handed and as usually accompanied with a spined shield or a tower shield. 

 

In ground combat, especially on plains or wide open areas, the lancer would sit at the front and slowly march forward. They are a literal walking wall, designed to intimidate and push away attacks. It was because of that method that longbow artillery became such a common things until guns arrived as the only real devastating disadvantage to a slow progressing line of tin cans was a barrage of arrows. The only other disadvantage is cavalry as they surpass the range of ground soldiers and can easy get around lancers that only have a single point. The cross spear was made to make up for that disadvantage.

 

Eventually the lance died in the history of ground unit weaponry and became a staple for jousting due to it's single use of ramming into things and creating space.

 

----

 

Also Bodkin arrows are very effective on armour. Proof? Battle of Crecy.

[Enzo]

I'll need to correct you on lances. Lances are a defensive weapon than offensive unless taking into account of jousting. The use of the lancer in ground combat was to create space, to dominate ground rather than decapitate or take down horsemen. Most lances are one and a half handed and as usually accompanied with a spined shield or a tower shield. 

 

In ground combat, especially on plains or wide open areas, the lancer would sit at the front and slowly march forward. They are a literal walking wall, designed to intimidate and push away attacks. It was because of that method that longbow artillery became such a common things until guns arrived as the only real devastating disadvantage to a slow progressing line of tin cans was a barrage of arrows. The only other disadvantage is cavalry as they surpass the range of ground soldiers and can easy get around lancers that only have a single point. The cross spear was made to make up for that disadvantage.

 

Eventually the lance died in the history of ground unit weaponry and became a staple for jousting due to it's single use of ramming into things and creating space.

 

----

 

Also Bodkin arrows are very effective on armour. Proof? Battle of Crecy.

 

I made adjustments to the Lances article. Thank you for the information. I was not the one who wrote the article on Bows and Arrows, but I will review the issue in question.

 

Edit: Bodkin arrows can penetrate armor. Most effectively chain mail and below. But while being able to do damage to plate armor, it is unlikely to do serious harm unless within a very close range NORMALLY. I think that is what the writer of the Bows and Arrows section was inferring.

[Momo]

I dunno why you guys are bothering discussing all these swords and arrows...everyone knows that BOOKS are the best weapon in the game...plus RP value of a book...HUGE...sooooo, yeah, good luck with anything else...8-)

[Aduu Avagnar]

I'll need to correct you on lances. Lances are a defensive weapon than offensive unless taking into account of jousting. The use of the lancer in ground combat was to create space, to dominate ground rather than decapitate or take down horsemen. Most lances are one and a half handed and as usually accompanied with a spined shield or a tower shield. 

 

In ground combat, especially on plains or wide open areas, the lancer would sit at the front and slowly march forward. They are a literal walking wall, designed to intimidate and push away attacks. It was because of that method that longbow artillery became such a common things until guns arrived as the only real devastating disadvantage to a slow progressing line of tin cans was a barrage of arrows. The only other disadvantage is cavalry as they surpass the range of ground soldiers and can easy get around lancers that only have a single point. The cross spear was made to make up for that disadvantage.

 

Eventually the lance died in the history of ground unit weaponry and became a staple for jousting due to it's single use of ramming into things and creating space.

 

----

 

Also Bodkin arrows are very effective on armour. Proof? Battle of Crecy.

I'ver never heard of Lance's being used by infantry, outside of fantasy novels/rpgs that is. To my knowledge it was the purview of the cavalry only. If people wanted to present a wall of slow moving long weapons then it would typically be a long spear, or a pike.

[TheLastCandle]

I dunno why you guys are bothering discussing all these swords and arrows...everyone knows that BOOKS are the best weapon in the game...plus RP value of a book...HUGE...sooooo, yeah, good luck with anything else...8-)

 

Knowledge is power?

 

The pen is mightier than the sword or guns?

 

[111]

I'll need to correct you on lances. Lances are a defensive weapon than offensive unless taking into account of jousting. The use of the lancer in ground combat was to create space, to dominate ground rather than decapitate or take down horsemen. Most lances are one and a half handed and as usually accompanied with a spined shield or a tower shield. 

 

In ground combat, especially on plains or wide open areas, the lancer would sit at the front and slowly march forward. They are a literal walking wall, designed to intimidate and push away attacks. It was because of that method that longbow artillery became such a common things until guns arrived as the only real devastating disadvantage to a slow progressing line of tin cans was a barrage of arrows. The only other disadvantage is cavalry as they surpass the range of ground soldiers and can easy get around lancers that only have a single point. The cross spear was made to make up for that disadvantage.

 

Eventually the lance died in the history of ground unit weaponry and became a staple for jousting due to it's single use of ramming into things and creating space.

 

----

 

Also Bodkin arrows are very effective on armour. Proof? Battle of Crecy.

I'ver never heard of Lance's being used by infantry, outside of fantasy novels/rpgs that is. To my knowledge it was the purview of the cavalry only. If people wanted to present a wall of slow moving long weapons then it would typically be a long spear, or a pike.

 

*Cough Cough*

 

Shameless self plug. I wrote a long post on the subject, it might help!

 

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=11041&pid=168673#pid168673

 

(Also Sorry Septha none of that is correct)

[Spethah]

I'll need to correct you on lances. Lances are a defensive weapon than offensive unless taking into account of jousting. The use of the lancer in ground combat was to create space, to dominate ground rather than decapitate or take down horsemen. Most lances are one and a half handed and as usually accompanied with a spined shield or a tower shield. 

 

In ground combat, especially on plains or wide open areas, the lancer would sit at the front and slowly march forward. They are a literal walking wall, designed to intimidate and push away attacks. It was because of that method that longbow artillery became such a common things until guns arrived as the only real devastating disadvantage to a slow progressing line of tin cans was a barrage of arrows. The only other disadvantage is cavalry as they surpass the range of ground soldiers and can easy get around lancers that only have a single point. The cross spear was made to make up for that disadvantage.

 

Eventually the lance died in the history of ground unit weaponry and became a staple for jousting due to it's single use of ramming into things and creating space.

 

----

 

Also Bodkin arrows are very effective on armour. Proof? Battle of Crecy.

I'ver never heard of Lance's being used by infantry, outside of fantasy novels/rpgs that is. To my knowledge it was the purview of the cavalry only. If people wanted to present a wall of slow moving long weapons then it would typically be a long spear, or a pike.

 

*Cough Cough*

 

Shameless self plug. I wrote a long post on the subject, it might help!

 

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=11041&pid=168673#pid168673

 

(Also Sorry Septha none of that is correct)

 

Gotta love necro raises. 

 

Anyway, looking back on my post I probably should of mentioned this was middle (almost far if we ignore the chinese revelation on spear combat but we can't do that) eastern combat and not Euro-western (I've actually forgotten the exact date, I'll insert it here when I find the scriptures on the interwobs). I've also written a few errors as well, but given this is a post from almost half a year ago when I had only spent a month doing said combat it's to be expected.

[Sylentmana]

I gotta ask. What of recurve bows?

[Shuck]

Well. Here we are. Here's some things.

 

The Short Sword

*Straight wide blade still has thrusting as an option, but its length makes it more difficult of a task then other swords.

 

Nnnnnooooooooo. No. Ok. Here's the thing about shortswords, particularly the ones we see in Eorzea. Those, for reference, look like this.

 

These are explicitly for thrusting. They're modeled after this thing here, which you'll recognize as a gladius. Which...y'know. Could cut and sweep, but it was a straight, sturdy blade with an obviously tapered point that was used, by the Roman legion, for thrusting.

 

So why is a shorter blade better for thrusting? I'll happily answer my own rhetorical question, none of you can stop me.

 

It's pretty simple, really. When you make something long, it has to endure more stress along it's lever. Here's another thing: When people move, they don't move in straight, perfect lines. With a longer weapon, there's always some degree of twisting involved upon contact and withdrawal. A shorter weapon means less force applied in the torsion on the blade (which comes from 1)Driving it in there, 2)Our own imperfect nervous systems and 3)Resistance of the material you're attempting to puncture).

 

Then of course there's the simple fact that thrusting with a longer weapon means your center of control is farther from the tip, and you are therefore, inescapably, less accurate.

 

Basically, you can thrust with a longer sword, sure. These are made for it. You can stab guys all day long, put that sword tip right where you mean to, and not fret your weapon.

 

The Spatha is an even shorter weapon than the Short Sword yet is still preferred by many gladiators and sword swingers alike. The reason being that it is more structurally stable with its own fuller despite the short blade and it is not straight. It features the slight curving which would make cutting and absolute breeze. This weapon with its rounder tip can stab but not the most efficiently. It can be found in cheap and moderately cheap quality materials, but is one of the best slashing swords right under Scimitar's and Shamshir's.

 

And here's where XIV gets really fucking weird. The Spatha is actually a longer weapon than what we would call a "short sword". It was comparable to a one-handed Waister, and we can have ourselves a look at it's length in comparison to the Gladius here.

 

What XIV presents is more like a big Pugio. Those look like this.

 

Now. The shape of this weapon would suggest that it's still for thrusting, but it wouldn't be measurably better or worse for the job than it's "short sword" counterpart. There's not enough variation in length and width for either to fail where the other succeeds.

[Darien Cadell]

You know what's missing from this (in addition to bookslapping) is staff weapons, like bo, shillelagh, whatever.

 

FFXIV doesn't use them that way, so... there's good reason for it to be missing.

 

But the one and only time I went to the Grindstone, I went as lowly CNJ, opened a couple staff fighting youtube videos, and beat a man with my stick to the best of my abilities.

[Hammersmith]

You know what's missing from this (in addition to bookslapping) is staff weapons, like bo, shillelagh, whatever.

 

FFXIV doesn't use them that way, so... there's good reason for it to be missing.

 

But the one and only time I went to the Grindstone, I went as lowly CNJ, opened a couple staff fighting youtube videos, and beat a man with my stick to the best of my abilities.

 

I ALSO USE A STICK AT GRINDSTONE.

 

Granted: The Stick is a Shillleglah, and the Shillelagh is a cudgel, the bastard child between a mace and a staff, mostly mace (especially if you fill the head with molten lead to weight it first)

[Zyrusticae]

I gotta ask. What of recurve bows?

 

Recurve Bows:

 

Pros

• Greater power for a given bow size & weight
  
• Ideal for short bows, but can also be used on long bows for increased power (though not necessarily more power than a compound or composite bow)
  

Cons

[*]Requires more durable materials for a given bow size to prevent the bow from simply breaking under the strain

[*]Can be noisier when drawn versus other bow forms, making it less useful for stealth

[*]Particularly high recurves can make the bow unwieldy and unstable when strung