> This thread is interesting. My knowledge about two weapon tecniques is based
> primarily on a certain Drow, living for a time in Mezoberranzan and his
> novels. He used two scimitars but stressed that this technique is very hard,
> suited only for the ambidextrous and very heroic.
:) amusing reference. Apt for the HW cinematic style, but I wouldn't look to mr. Salvatori for actual swordfighting tips.
> I imagine the differences this way:
Ok, I'll comment.
> -two weapons make the user an easy target for missile fire, unless he is
> aware of the fire and can cut arrows in mid air with his blades!
With a shield one can parry thrown weapons rather easily, and hide from arrows. Arrowcutting needs fairly heroic skill.
(Then again, I played a Drow weaponmaster in a live game. I charged a knife-artist after I had lost my longsword. He had time to throw two throwing knives at me while I charged him uphill. They both came beautifully towards my chest, and I cut them from the air with a short ninja-to style weapon I had as a backup... twohandedly. I think the game inspired me, because it's not something I can normally do)
But mostly no defence against missiles, except dodging.
> -two weapons of different lenght are ideal for an entangle style of combat:
> you block the attacker's point with the short weapon and hack him with the
> other.
Often it goes the other way. you lock the opponents longsword/rapier with your own, end up close and use your main-gauche/dagger.
> -two weapons need in general more space to wield efficiently than weapon and
> shield, so in a very tight melee you are at a disadvantage.
But two weapons gives you effectively more reach. Two shortswords work quite well against somebody wielding a (single) broadsword.
> -two weapons are very impressive and heroic a sight, so many enemies could
> simply avoid to melee with you and keep at distance (in this way helping you
> to have combat space around yourself)
This is true. I liked the KoDP angle, where a challenger fought with "two swords and no shield" and this was called a trick.
Defending against the two swords style is tricky.
> -two weapons are bad at knockback, if compared with a shield: shield users
> could use this kind of attack to unbalance the two-weapon fighter
No shieldslam without a shield. I suppose this is true. Mobility and balance without a shield are better than with a shield, though.
> -two weapons are very cinematic! I am haunted by a scene in Sam Raimi movie
> where Bruce Campbell fights his demonic counterpart each wielding two
> straight swords (yes, it even excedes my memory of the fine scene in the
> Gladiator arena, the one with Maximus against the silver-super-gladiator)
> :-(
It's a heroic style. Not for your average fightingman, and no good in a shieldwall.
-Adept
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