Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about Medieval History & Combat.
 
  • Locked thread
Dr. Platypus
Oct 25, 2007
 Though perhaps not as knowledgeable as some of the other posters in this thread, I recently finished writing my undergrad thesis about recently discovered relics from the reign of King Offa, and know a decent amount about Anglo-Saxon topics. If you guys have any questions about that period and place, I'd be happy to answer them.

* # ¿ Jan 31, 2013 08:35
  • Quote
Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 1, 2024 22:03
  • Quote
Dr. Platypus
Oct 25, 2007
 I'm fairly certain a teardrop shield would be held with the teardrop pointing slightly backwards, not straight down towards the ground. This makes it similar in style to a round shield, with the addition of a bit extra to protect your thigh/leg.

This is a rough approximation from what I have gathered, people more knowledgeable on military history might be able to explain it better.

* # ¿ Mar 27, 2013 19:45
  • Quote
Dr. Platypus
Oct 25, 2007

PittTheElder posted:

It wonder if it could be that the top half (where your arm is attached and you presumably have the most control) is the 'business end' as it were, and making the bottom taper off like that would still offer some protection that a large oval shield would, while being considerably lighter.

Also, I always thought they looked super bad rear end.

That's pretty much what I was trying to say.

And yeah, they do look super bad rear end.

* # ¿ Mar 27, 2013 20:39
  • Quote
Dr. Platypus
Oct 25, 2007

the runs formula posted:

The shield design makes perfect sense though. The knight/fighter isn't fighting in an isosceles style stance.


Where the head is the top of the triangle, and the feet are the bottom two corners.
No one fights with feet both shoulder width apart and facing the target.
They're fighting much like a boxer, turned sideways and only exposing one leg and one shoulder to the target.
This makes the shield lighter in weight, while still remaining very long, which it can be used to bash and hit people easier with at a safer distance, as opposed to a round shield.

I'm aware of all this. I was saying a teardrop shape was a pretty good design, able to be used in the same style as a round shield, but with extra size/protection for use on horseback.

* # ¿ Apr 4, 2013 18:33
  • Quote
  • Locked thread
The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about Medieval History & Combat.