> I asked my players, specifically the most rules-intensive
minimaxers,
> if they wanted to use the weapon ranks. They said no. I think
that's
> pretty conclusive: they add nothing to play. Add this to the fact
> that edges slow down the game (based on our experience), and you're
> best off not using them.
Fine, so long as they DO cancel out, but what about when you meet someone or something with unusual weapons or armour? Extreme case, Gargoyles with ^10 skin (yipe!). They rely on their armour, so it would clearly be vital to use it in a combat with them. And to say you would use it in such a case, but not normally, just means you DO use Ranks, you just cancel them when they are equal (or nearly so). In fact, looking through Anaxial's, there are very few entries (animal or sentient) with the standard ^3, or near it. Personally I think Ranks are way too low, and have an inadequate effect on combat - about double the surrent level would be more realistic. And shields should give a defensive bonus, not an edge at all (or at least a hell of a big edge, breaking through a shield is a hell of a lot harder than piercing light leather armour, as the ^1 a shield adds seems to suggest).
Wulf
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