MelonHead

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

By damn good do you mean just being quicker than Sigurd? Because that's what I've been led to believe is coming from Chimera's responses, hence my admittedly passive aggressive response. This has been a somewhat frustrating fight thus far, I've never fought an opponent who has voided so many efforts by simple merit of their armour. Sigurd has taken twice the damage from 'attacks' perhaps a quarter as effective as his own. I'm starting to worry that this fight is just impossible to win, especially with only three days left.

Also I was both drunk and subsequently hungover in the previous two posts, so I'll reserve judgement for the response and stop being a dick. Though my opponent insinuating I'm a sexist has riled me somewhat, and still does. Definitely a first for me in Arena fighting, good form.

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

Actually he's really not trying to 'outspeed' someone with superior leg speed. Stepping forward (with forward momentum) is simply a much easier task than lifting ones entire body up and then forcing ones self backwards far enough to completely escape Sigurd's stride, which is considerable as a 6ft 4" man.

Despite which, no matter what you argue your character's armour is inherently weighty. Armour dense enough to stop longsword strikes in the fashion yours has must be at least comparable to steel plate.

Like I said though, go ahead and take no damage. Some say that T1 Eden is designed for people to accept when they're in a disadvantaged situation, such as crouching on the floor, and take damage accordingly, but I wouldn't want you to feel burdened by the forces of fair play.

For the record, I'm aware that thirty pounds is not exceedingly heavy, but fourteen kg's of extra weight is still significant in terms of split second mobility, and it would be encumbering if you intend to hold it while rising and moving.

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

'without any upsets' explains itself. Feel free to take no damage, that's pretty much the precedent you've set thus far.

You're conveniently forgetting your character is wearing steel plate and carrying thirty pounds in regards to her shield and lance, but hey-ho. I dream of a day when a man can step forward faster than someone can rise to full height from a crouching position.

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

Knuckle sandwiches are tastier than pommels.

@Doc Doctor

But pommels are more nutritious, high in iron I hear

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

Not a bad move in a grapple situation, though it only works if your opponent is scared of grappling.

Try it on me and you'll get a pommel in your face ;D

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

Now the follow up, did she think she could lift herself in armour so quickly as to avoid Sigurd’s forward momentum? Not a chance. The point of his longsword was fitting into place to the left of his shield as it made heavy contact with Iolanthe’s hoplon, depriving her of her precious guard. His right foot shot forward as her left leg tried to propel itself backwards, his foot dropping down, and without any upsets, just in time to catch his enemy’s own. It was almost childish to try to trample on someone’s foot in battle, but it could also be of extreme usefulness. With her momentum dragging her backwards, the sudden pressure clamping her foot to the ground as the Northman utilized his weight could easily unbalance her, at worst she may retrieve her foot and slip away, but it had cost the Northman nothing and would slow her regardless.

With her foot likely trapped momentarily and his longsword in position, Sigurd turned his shield to complete the bind, trapping her left arm on the outside line and getting his own shield out the way. As he did so she was simultaneously rising as she struggled to regain the distance between them that she should have secured earlier before Sigurd had moved in. Finally, after some speedy manoeuvring his sword was in position to strike as she had almost reached her full height. The threat would be evident by then, the point of the blade showing as the flat clung underneath Sigurd’s stone forearm. Using the smoothness and general hardiness of said arm to his advantage, it would be simplistic to stabilise a powerful thrust at a very specific target.

The thrust came quickly as her guard failed her and left her momentarily exposed. Naturally in throwing herself backwards her head had shifted somewhat, exposing the vulnerable flesh of her throat. That and her face were perhaps the only two viable targets on her turtle like body, and Sigurd knew this was his best opportunity to strike at them. As he stepped in his longsword shot under his left arm, his arms momentarily crossing as the blade launched forward to claim its price in blood. His strike was true, his target the throat dead-centre, striking at a slight upwards angle that could see it impale through the neck or even the lower part of Iolanthe’s face.

Once again Sigurd carried himself forward, momentarily pulling himself from the menace of the fiery weapon at his side. Another burned graze had appeared on his left leg just above his foot, almost unnoticed, as if he had brushed against a fiery stove. However, Iolanthe had perhaps made a mistake in relying on magic alone, as a more subtle examination would have realised something about Sigurd was weakening the effects of her weapon upon him, granting him extra time to finish the fight.

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

I did say 'no immediate wounds' in regards to the spear attack, which would assume that wounds would be suffered eventually. My post only covered a very short period of time (maybe a second at most) and the burning effect seems to be a sustained contact thing (particularly in these circumstances) so taking damage in that time frame seemed unrealistic.

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

'Well I guess I'm just a badass bitch, because I have a real longsword and you don't, Mr.Thinks girls don't know how swords work.'

'I don't teach anyone, certainly not close combat with swords and spears, which I've admitted in the past to being poor with (due to a complete lack of real world experience.)'
'Also, feel free to look anything I say up, if you find someone disproving me let me know, I'm only running on what I've heard HEMA experts say and what I've read in historical sources. I'm a modern history student predominantly, medieval and ancient histories are a hobby, not my degree.'
'However, I don't really know for certain how it would happen'
'Once again, I don't own swords nor do sword fighting, strictly theoretical.'

Sounds like you're accusing me of sexism and elitism in one sentence, nice.

1. The sword was already on its way out, it glanced off the armour. If it did not glance off the armour, your character would have been injured in some fashion. All armour is designed to deflect momentum, if it had absorbed it your character would be injured, she was not.

2. Your character probably shouldn't have even been able to see Sigurd's movements, as her own shield should be blocking her view. That aside, Sigurd's longsword would be at most a foot under the shield as it dropped. Assuming the sword was somehow so slow it was completely outpaced by the shield, it would still only logically be caught on the way out.

3. You can interpret anything I haven't explicitly stated as you wish, however I've been clear in the way I've launched my attacks, carried out movements and held the shield. You had not. You've simply stated the intent without properly explaining the method. For example, how the shield was held to cover three feet, and how it was subsequently dropped to protect herself.

4. Sigurd is not crouching, he made the slash at her upper thigh as your character dropped, her stance has no bearing on Sigurd. His sword would not touch the ground, he was also striking at a downwards angle anyway so the shield dropping into it would hardly be that counter-active to the move he originally made.

5. If by some immense stroke of luck Sigurd's longsword hit the gladius of dubious location it would make relatively little difference.

6. This is true, but the shin armour would still have an edge to cut through and assorted bindings, all of which can resist the heat effect of your character's spear because her actions should have realistically cut off all momentum from the blow. When talking about fractions of a second I would not expect T3 magic effects to be instantaneously effective. Furthermore, the chance that after Sigurd moved forward Hyperion still managed to make contact in the exact same spot it did before when your character realistically has no fine control over it is ludicrous. Her first attack on the area was woefully ineffective (Pollen ruled it would have very little effect) but it was still more effective than this subsequent attack, where literally no momentum could have been gathered and her arm had just been injured by the longsword. I'm not even sure how your character is still using her giant greatsword at such short range with her shield directly in front of her face, but let's just put it down to magical observation, the ultimate crutch of Arena fighters.

I suppose we'll just have to wait for Pollen's interpretation.

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

Once again, I don't own swords nor do sword fighting, strictly theoretical. When I made the decision that it was unlikely the sword would fly out of Sigurd's hand I was referencing a video I watched by a HEMA teacher that I trust (He follows a lot of principles I've learned in studying History at degree level.)

If you want to see it, it's 11.20 to 12 mins on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y5fmah5pIg

Black Mountain Tournament: Iolanthe vs Sigurd

Disarming someone by hitting the end of their sword is actually pretty difficult, you have to hit pretty hard and fast at the end near the hand otherwise the sword just flexes and absorbs the momentum, which is what I said would probably happen. To answer your question, a shield is not armour, armour is armour. My posts tend to be vague on -certain- issues because I'm posting from my character's perspective, who unlike yours does not have superhuman observation. Noticing what the spear off to his left is doing or the tip of a gladius sticking out of a shield are not things that are easy to do in a split second confrontation, at least for an ordinary human.

Also, your attacks are anything but simple. You still never really clarified exactly how Iolanthe was holding the shield out towards Sigurd in the first place, but presumebly unless she was holding the shield out straight when she dropped it with the consequence of leaving herself completely open, I'd assume she'd return to an ordinary shield on arm holding position (upper arm vertical, lower arm horizontal) which would consequently reduce her overall range (unless she had extraordinarily long arms) to about one and a half feet as the shield dropped down. The longsword is three feet long, so in my estimation it would not hit the sword close to Sigurd. This is just my evaluation of the move, I can't know for sure because certain key details were emitted, which in my defence means I can interpret it however the hell I want.

Sigurd's sword -may- have hit the gladius on the way across if she managed to move the shield into position. However, that wouldn't do very much as I mentioned the tip of a sword has a lot of give. It would just flex and the heavier longsword with actual rightward momentum would slap into its side, her hand would twist slightly and the longsword would keep going. However, I don't really know for certain how it would happen, so I just accepted the end result would be the same, Sigurd's sword off to the right. He's not been able to immediately attack with it, so by extension I'd say your plan was still semi-successful, he's had to manoeuvre it back into position for a turn.

Finally with the spear I assumed Sigurd's sudden dash forward would put him within its effective range, so the edge would be against a new part of his leg but would have to begin the burning process again. Sigurd's armour is pretty poorly described, though I would never have it outright block a blow like your character's has done twice now, so it doesn't really matter much. I could try and give a more detailed description, but predominantly there's iron plates on vital spots, aka chest, shins and groin. Everything else is fur and leather.