>I suspect the reappearance of the mace as a weapon in the
>middle ages reflects the greater use of armour and smaller
>shields. A mace would be easier to use than a sword against
>plate armour.
The mace is, classically, "the hammer that works in any direction", and since hammers are an important tool in forming metal, it follows that they would do wonders in, uh, de-forming that same metal.
An all-metal shield can turn into a liability against a mace wielder, as the shield's holder needs to be able to drop the shield before the mace-wielder pounds it into extra arm-wrapping: all the weight and none of the benefits you brought a shield for in the first place...
Of course, many maces are quite good at doing the same to metal armor. Nothing quite like having a flanged mace turn your breastplate into a passable imitation of an iron maiden while you're still wearing it, or hitting a joint and locking it up even if the limb underneath isn't broken.
And even if the tales of the mace have gotten a bit exagerated through history, this game we play isn't exactly history...
GC
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