Timeline for How well would a soldier or army do with one of their hands replaced with a sword?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
29 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jul 27, 2023 at 20:59 | comment | added | Devsman | +1 This might just be the funniest question I've seen on SE. | |
| Jul 17, 2015 at 9:07 | vote | accept | Ryan P | ||
| Jul 7, 2015 at 23:56 | comment | added | Oldcat | Only as long as the gas and moving parts lasted... | |
| Jul 7, 2015 at 17:37 | comment | added | Darth Wedgius | Replacing your hand with a sword is, as stated, problematic for many reason. Using a chainsaw would be much groovier. | |
| Jul 7, 2015 at 17:02 | comment | added | RBarryYoung | So, ... they can't dig trenches. They have to eat with one hand, they have no effective way to scrub their remaining hand nor the arm and shoulder it is attached to. They cannot mount a horse un-aided. nor ride one safely, nor even drive a horse-drawn cart correctly. They have to march with an unbalanced gait, they cannot start a fire on their own, and even preparing and cooking food would be a significant challenge. And you do realize that this list is about 80% of what soldiers actually spend their time doing, right? | |
| Jul 7, 2015 at 6:21 | comment | added | Michael Hampton | This question reminded me of Kargath Bladefist from the Warcraft universe. A gladiator slave, he cut off his own hand to escape, and then attached a blade to it. As far as I know, though, how he uses the blade in combat is handwaved away. | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 21:33 | comment | added | DarcyThomas | Consensus is this is a bad idea. Alternatively: you could have something like a metal arm brace (magically) fused to the dorsum of the forearm. this would not get in the way, would be useful defensively and is larger and therefore could be emblazoned with the crest of the Evil overlord they are bonded to. | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 16:43 | answer | added | Engineer Toast | timeline score: 1 | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 14:58 | answer | added | Jason Hutchinson | timeline score: 0 | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 13:35 | answer | added | user902383 | timeline score: 1 | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 13:34 | answer | added | vsz | timeline score: 2 | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 13:20 | comment | added | phresnel | @Davidmh: Always depends on the situation. Swords are formidable against archers and as you said, other light troppers, when you need speed as well as trusting force. Long weapons and heavy weapons, some of which depending on gravity for their effectiveness, are also way slower and more exhausting in usage, and may be disadvantageous in certain terrain. If swords would have been knifes to gunfights, it would be hard to believe they have been in use till about the beginning of the 20th century. And a knife in a gunfight is not bad per se, btw. If the gunner makes 2 rounds in 10 seconds, well .. | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 13:12 | comment | added | Davidmh | Another thing, your swords would have a big defect: they don't have a pommel. Apart from ruining the balance, this is really crippling a sword, as you can't do things like hit your enemy in the face (way more effective and useful than you may think). | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 12:53 | comment | added | user6760 | After the battle their blade becomes bend and they can go for an audition for the role of Captain Hook those without experience are welcome too. | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 10:58 | comment | added | Martijn | You might want to check out the game Prototype. While it's a lot more advanced than just a blade, the basic principles might apeal: 7-themes.com/data_images/out/68/7005328-prototype-2-2012.jpg | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 9:56 | comment | added | Feaurie Vladskovitz | If the setting wasn't medieval, you could give them transformable robot hands with swords built in. Alas... | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 8:45 | comment | added | o0'. | -1 I'm sorry, but, as the answers point out, this is so obviously a HORRIBLE idea that have to be downvoted, out of the principle that if you really stopped to really think about this for, like, 15 minutes, you should have got it. | |
| Jul 6, 2015 at 4:09 | comment | added | Davidmh | Bringing a sword to a medieval battle is like a knife to a gunfight: a bad idea except as a backup. There are better suited weapons, like polearms. The only exception is if you are in full plate armour fighting reluctant, untrained peasants (that will flee as they see you), or facing a single armoured opponent in duel style. | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 18:47 | answer | added | Cort Ammon | timeline score: 7 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 17:07 | answer | added | Monica Cellio | timeline score: 56 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 16:49 | answer | added | Mikey | timeline score: 3 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 12:38 | answer | added | bowlturner | timeline score: 6 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 12:05 | answer | added | SJuan76 | timeline score: 19 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 11:19 | answer | added | vodolaz095 | timeline score: 0 | |
| S Jul 5, 2015 at 10:21 | history | suggested | thesecretmaster | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
cleaned up spelling and clarified a bit
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| Jul 5, 2015 at 7:52 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Jul 5, 2015 at 10:21 | |||||
| Jul 5, 2015 at 4:30 | answer | added | o.m. | timeline score: 27 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 4:08 | answer | added | JDługosz | timeline score: 11 | |
| Jul 5, 2015 at 2:00 | history | asked | Ryan P | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
