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Old 07-31-2014, 08:44 AM   #9
Kromm
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
Default Re: Is there any advantage to using a saber ?

For most PCs without Wealth, $700 (saber) vs. $1,000 (edged rapier) is a huge deal. At TL4 ($2,000 starting money), that $300 means having 30% more armor. Also remember that longest reach – not current reach – penalizes close combat. A rapier gives -8 to attack/-4 to defend there, while a saber gives -4/-2. From a purely gamist stance, then, a saber leaves more resources free for other gear and penalizes you less in the bind.

In concrete terms, if two fighters with the same cash and skill levels fight with these weapons, the one with the saber is going to be better-protected than the one with the rapier, and will have the option to charge in close and fight at an effective +4 advantage. Of course, the one with the rapier will have +1 cutting damage and the reach advantage, so he might be able to win the fight before it's in his face. Based on hex-map battles I've run, it's very close to a toss-up.
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