The Weapons of War

The Weapons of War

Weapons

All weapons in Kahlan are made in the traditional metallurgic methods of the ancestors. The materials that each weapon is composed of can easily be determined simply by looking at the color of that weapon. Brown weapons are wood or wood and iron composite. These weapons are cheap and are mass produced. Dark Grey weapons are made of Iron, making them strong but also heavy. Light Grey weapons are made of a Valk steel, very strong, light weight and rare. Black weapons are made from a common steel, very strong but hard to produce. Silver weapons are made of any number of ingredients, but all are magical.

Swords
The mainstay of any army, swords are employed for hand to hand combat. There are three types of swords used in Ikros.
The Broadsword, the first two swords pictured here, are used by the foot soldier. They are mass produced and very versatile.
The Rapier, third sword pictured, have a smaller and curved blade, allowing for greater control and speed. These swords are usually used by cavalry and the upper class.
The fourth sword, a magical blade, are used only by the most rich or the specially chosen. These blades can differ widely.

Stabbing Weapons
Spears are used for first line infantry or given to light cavalry. Spears are best used as a defensive weapon, the troops jamming the spear into the ground, pointing the blade outward. This will decimate charging mounted soldiers. But spears can also be used as a throwing weapon. On horseback, a soldier can do massive damage to an opponent if his aim is true.
Pikes are a more advanced defensive stabbing weapon than a spear. Allowing more room between attacker and defender, the pike allows troops to attack with much more safety. Again, like with the spear, pikes are jammed butt end into the ground and pointed at charging cavalry. The pike pictured is atypical in color, as it is a magical weapon. Most pikes are wood and iron composite or steel like spears.

Axes
Axes are given to infantry and heavy cavalry. These are the mass damage weapons of hand to hand combat.
Hatchets, first axe pictured, are used mainly for constructive purposes. However, in the hands of a master, they can also be implored as a throwing implement.
Battle Axes, the second, third, and fourth shown, are the most common found in any army. With a large sharp blade, and a sharp point on the end of the pole, these weapons can take down almost any armored troop in the right hands.
Halberds, the fifth axe shown, is almost solely used by infantry, as it is too big to wield on horseback. The large blade can be used as a slashing weapon, however, this axe is used more like a spear in defense.

Lances
Lances are used only for mounted cavalry. They are used to impale enemies on the ground or on horseback. They are also used in tournaments, known as the Joust. Two knights charge each other and hope to knock the other down. Lances are different for each person using one. Some knights prefer wooden lances, they are lighter and shatter when they hit, which can cause serious damage to whomever is hit. Others prefer metal ones, able to go completely through armor and an opponent. Weight is a big factor in determining which to use.

Ranged Weapons
The archers of Ikros carry both Bows and Crossbows. The crossbow is the primary weapon, and they store their bow tied to their quiver, which is slung over their shoulder.
Bows are used for long range, gravity based attacks. Mainly used by infantry, rows upon rows of archers line up and fire their arrows in great arcs toward the enemy army, letting gravity cause a rain of death upon them. They can also be used for direct attack, but have only relative strength to fire the shot.
Crossbows are bows that have been modified with machinery. The reload slower than bows, as they require either great brute strength to lock the bow string into position, or a mechanical winch. But what the crossbow sacrifices in reload time and in range, it makes up for with sheer damage. While bows can pierce plate mail armor, crossbows can pierce and travel completely through a target at close range, sometimes hitting and damaging a target behind the first.
Quivers are simply any sort of pouch, usually of leather, to hold arrows or bolts to use with ranged weapons. A typical soldier has anywhere from 10 to 25 rounds stored in his Quiver.

Blunt Weapons
Blunt weapons are weapons without sharp parts. These weapons are best used against the undead, crushing bones as opposed to cutting them, making it harder for an undead being to put itself back together.
Maces are long poles or shafts with a large, bulbous end. The larger end can be made of metal or just part of the shaft itself. It is used by infantry and cavalry, and are easy to use and handle.
Morning Stars are like maces, except the bulbous end is found on the end of a chain. The one shown here is actually closer to a chain whip. These weapons, like maces, can be used by anyone, but take much more skill to use. However, because of the chain, much more force can be obtained in a blow, causing much more damage.
War Hammers are very much like maces, except their bludgeoning end is much bigger and heavier, allowing its user to crush whatever he hits. Because of their added weight, they are hard to carry and use.
Hammers are used more for construction or smithy than for war, but a warrior armed with one or two of these weapons can do much damage. Much smaller than war hammers, hammers can be held in one hand, and can be swung much faster, allowing just about any soldier to use them.

Staves
War Staves are used almost solely by wizards and mage knights, as a staff of this kind usually has a magical power of some sort. Consisting of almost any type of material and style of weaponry, a war staff can be anything from a simple wooden pole to a combination of any weapon made into one. Most commonly is to have either both ends of the staff ending with a sharp blade or point, or one end with a blade and one with a bludgeoning piece.

Armor

Shields
Shields come in many sizes and made of many varied materials. The basic principle of shields is simple. A hand held blocking mechanism to protect a soldier. Weight is a major factor in determining which is best to use.

Headgear

Bullet Style Helmets are used mainly for archers. They give one of the greatest visual ranges of all the Helms, while giving a large amount of protection. However, the face is completely unprotected and neck movements are limited.

Flared Style Helmets are used mainly for melee infantry. The flared neck gives great neck mobility, while the nose guard helps protect the nose and eyes from attack. That same nose guard also inhibits the wearer's vision.

Brimmed Style Helmets are a modified version of the bullet style, with a large round metal brim around the top of the head. This added armor helps defend the wearer from falling arrows and slashing attacks. However, its added weight can slow its wearer down greatly.

Grille Helms protect the wearer's entire head, and give much protection to the face while only limiting vision slightly. However, the face is still vulnerable to arrows and stabbing weapons.

Centurion Helms are very versatile helms. Utilizing heavy armor and face and neck protection, these helms protect its wearer without sacrificing vision. However, the face is still vulnerable to attack.

Visored Helms provide the greatest protection of all, the face is almost invulnerable to attack. However, vision is so greatly impaired that the armor plating was attached to the helm on a hinge so that the face mask could be lifted when not in battle.

Body Armor
Body armor is typically used by cavalry, since the added weight makes it very difficult to run or sometimes even walk.

Plate Mail is a vest made of thick plates of metal that can be worn over chain mail or leather. It provides much protection, but is very heavy, which hinders the mobility of the wearer. The large shoulder pads can also limit the movement range of the wearer's arms.

Full Plate Mail is a full shirt of plates of metal. It is made so that it gives its wearer greater mobility, but because of its added protection, it is much heavier than plate mail.

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