Quote:
Originally Posted by DanHoward
These tests are good at telling us how much energy is required to compromise the armour but not so good at telling us how much damage the wearer takes. The main problem is that they are never placed on a target that is as mobile, flexible, and resilient as a human being. We seriously underestimate how much more effective armour is when it is worn by a human.
[...]
The most common threat on any battlefield for the best part of three thousand years was from spears and arrows. All body armour for all of this time was designed to stop these weapons. We know from the primary sources that some types of mail were considered completely arrowproof. What we don't know is which types. It seems reasonable to assume that they were the variants made from a combination of heavy links and denser weaves.
This might help.
http://myarmoury.com/feature_mail.html |
I read your article on MyArmoury some time ago and I noticed that - very rarely - the mail could fail (because poor maintenance or because a strong hit on a weak point, maybe either one or more bent/bad manufactured/rusty rings and rivets). This could be represented in game with a critical hit.
Regarding the results of the test of Williams, 140/150 J (longbow arrow at point-blank) - 100 J (light mail and padding) = 40-50 J from an impaling weapon which press into the flesh, a force comparable to an underarm stab with a knife; it could be either lethal or, more probably, non-lethal, depending where the arrow hits. Heavier mail with padding is likely to reduce the damage to some blunt trauma or it could even be completely proofed.