02-21-2019, 08:56 PM | #32 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Most definitely alone
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
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Or maybe orcs and the like are pretty tough, and thrust-impaling damage wasn't cutting the mustard against them, so striking blows that severed or shattered limbs was more important than being able to stab at the vitals? Or maybe they just know that cutting down trees will wind up the elves, so they use axes just to annoy them? Or, maybe the utility of an axe with a hammer on the back of the head, and a spiked tip is just the dwarf equivalent of a Swiss Army knife?
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02-21-2019, 10:28 PM | #33 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: God's Own Country
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
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That's what i do with my dwarves; an axe with both a back- and thrusting spike, and a hammer head that fits over the spike for fighting skeletons. Oh, and a butt-spike.
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02-25-2019, 09:36 AM | #34 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
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When you think about it, a trench spade is a more natural weapon for dwarves then an ax. Possibly though Tolkien had in mind something like an ice ax with a pick on one end of the head, an edge on the other, and a prong to probe the ice on the butt. Or perhaps like a fire ax as underground combat resembles room to room fighting. In any case they have stuff even more versatile then what you are proposing. I got a tomahawk for Christmas that actually is a multitool. The haft has a number of blades and the head is a serviceable hammer. The alternate side of the head is a hatchet blade, however it is to short to give leverage in actually using it as a hatchet.
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison Last edited by jason taylor; 02-25-2019 at 09:39 AM. |
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02-26-2019, 01:30 PM | #35 | ||
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
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And then there's the Halligan - which combines crowbar, pick, and adze (I prefer the adze opposite the pick, but most have them at right angles)... and it's a prying/pulling tool. Still, the combination is pretty spiff for opening cars, houses, and skulls. Quote:
In essence, if the hatchet's hammer side is facing opposite on the same end, it's going to work just well as a hatchet as a hammer - because it's not the lever length that matters in either case. You don't fell trees with a hatchet, and you don't split your planks using a full 3' long axe... unless you're desperate. Hatchets are for small wood - pulling branches, splitting small logs, serving as the wedge to a second used as a hammer for splitting medium logs... and sometimes even being misused as a froe (which is a leverage use)... Last edited by ak_aramis; 02-26-2019 at 01:36 PM. |
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02-26-2019, 10:11 PM | #36 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison Last edited by jason taylor; 02-27-2019 at 11:20 AM. |
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02-26-2019, 11:38 PM | #37 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
Quote:
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
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02-27-2019, 10:22 AM | #38 |
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
So? that's still a hand-axe. Extra mass in hand, and concentration to a 0.5mm x 10cm edge (if dull) is still a much better chance as weapon, and hand-axes are amongst the oldest of tools.
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03-16-2019, 11:12 PM | #39 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
What if Dwarves regularly took on campaign, a mattock, a rope, a few magic flares or other light giving devices (you notice how a number of the fireworks ordered for Bilbo's party were shipped from the Lonely Mountain; perhaps they had such things for working and fighting underground).
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03-26-2019, 07:59 PM | #40 |
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Re: Dwarves and Axes
On the other hand, Dwarves sometimes fight above ground, and short thrusting weapons are of less utility there, and Dwarven stature makes long thrusting weapons doubtful against larger folk. So that might be one reason for axes (though it would be just as good a reason for a short stabbing sword).
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