Knives/daggers in the Twilight War

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

The real problem with putting various blades in T2K is that, aside from role-playing and sometimes weight, the rules only allow for minor differences between blades as far as damage and effects go.

I heartily agree - the "primitive weapons" and melee weapons are decribed as somewhat ineffective in the rules

we made our own rules regarding this:

various melee weapons would potentially have "more attacks / phase " or
" higher ROF" if you will - depending on wielders skill of course. This also equals more blocks.

various melee weapons would have a lot more damage than what described in the book - i.e. a proper Japanese Reneissance Katana( bear over with me - you would be suprised at the number of good reproductions of these things that circulate) could -according to historic accounts - dismember a man at the thigh with one skilled blow. I beg to maintain that this constitutes a damage potential of D6 + strength in terms of game mechanics.

We made up all new melee rules to adress this

[Canadian Army]

I think you would see reproductions of the M3 Fighting Knife and the Gerber Mark II in hands of the military and in some civilian hands too. You would see lots of KA-BARs with them being around since 1942. On the Bayonet side you would probably see the M1 Bayonet, M5 Bayonet, M6 Bayonet, M7 Bayonet, and various M9 Bayonet Copies. You would also see edge weapons like the Tomahawk on the military side (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomahaw...ry_application) and on the civilian side too. Reproduction samurai swords, Civil War Reproduction Swords and Reproduction Medieval Swords would also be in large numbers too. I have a NPC who is a Sons of Confederate Veterans leader and carries a Confederate Cavalry Officer's Sabre, I also have NPC who carries a Long sword and use it as his primary weapon.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Personally I don't think you would see many reproductions of various swords being made. Blacksmithing is almost a lost skill and swordsmithing is a high art compared to blacksmithing - there would be very, very few people left capable of producing a good basic, no-frills sword and I would argue that there would be close to none who could make a reproduction of some of the swords mentioned.

Instead I think you'd see people trying out all those soft metal replica swords from the militaria shops and finding that they are totally useless and then looting whatever museums they could for genuine swords. For those who miss out, they'd resort to shaping either stabbing swords or heavy chopping blades like machetes out of such material as the steel plate used for ships or from steel girders and suchlike.

A basic sword or hatchet cut from a steel girder is crude but easy to make, knowing enough metallurgy to find/refine/use the right material to then cast a proper sword is a whole level of difficulty above what 95% of people in the modern world can do.

[Legbreaker]

Apparently suspension leaf springs are good steel for blades, although the curve could be problematic for more than knives.
You might even be better off using the leaves to make crossbows and small ballista.

[ArmySGT.]

Not one Paul Hogan impression to be seen........... anywhere.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Apparently suspension leaf springs are good steel for blades, although the curve could be problematic for more than knives.

Aren't Kukri knives traditionally made using truck springs? With some carbon added.

[headquarters]

I agree - making a proper Japanese katana or a high end sword is not likely to be found anywhere - but look the amount of fair quality swords being peddled on the net. A functional ,properly tempered, high carbon steel sword of most any given historical period can be had from say 50 to 250 US dollars. Not to mention the spears,axes,maces etc etc . Swords in the 100 000s or millions are out there.

In a world where ammo is precious melee and missile weapons would be coming back. As for making a brutal chopper that can take abuse thats about an EASY task imo. Truck springs, construction materials mechanical parts - steel is plentiful to scrounge. Making it from scratch is totally different - and would only be possible where you have certain factors present - ore, know - how, resources etc.

Historically the bayonets and "sidearm" / melee weapons issued grew smaller and less important as firearms evolved. Look at a bayonet from 1850 and one from 1950 - the older is more like small sword. The newer more like a knife. Today our unit is not even issued the bayonet. Come T2k and ammo rationing the bayonet would return, it would grow in size and eventually troopers would carry a melee weapon that is carried in its own right -like a D-guard Bowie, a mace / trench club or basillard. Or even a sword or a lance - according to enviroment and tasks at hand.

all imho - h for humble as always.

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

Personally I don't think you would see many reproductions of various swords being made. Blacksmithing is almost a lost skill and swordsmithing is a high art compared to blacksmithing - there would be very, very few people left capable of producing a good basic, no-frills sword and I would argue that there would be close to none who could make a reproduction of some of the swords mentioned.

Instead I think you'd see people trying out all those soft metal replica swords from the militaria shops and finding that they are totally useless and then looting whatever museums they could for genuine swords. For those who miss out, they'd resort to shaping either stabbing swords or heavy chopping blades like machetes out of such material as the steel plate used for ships or from steel girders and suchlike.

A basic sword or hatchet cut from a steel girder is crude but easy to make, knowing enough metallurgy to find/refine/use the right material to then cast a proper sword is a whole level of difficulty above what 95% of people in the modern world can do.