Thrust speed vs cuts and a matter of inches

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Put another way, any cut-and-thrust sword should have a third line that says something like "thrust cut." Actual damage is the usual thrust impaling damage, -2, made cutting: thrust cut for a broadsword, thrust-1 cut for a cavalry saber or a rapier, thrust-2 cut for a large knife, etc.

Aka, a Tip Slash - GURPS Martial Arts, p. 113.

And it's pretty trivial to say that, although a Tip Slash is treated as a swing for rules that differentiate thrusts and swings, for speed of attack (A Matter of Inches), it's treated as a thrust.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Put another way, any cut-and-thrust sword should have a third line that says something like "thrust cut." Actual damage is the usual thrust impaling damage, -2, made cutting: thrust cut for a broadsword, thrust-1 cut for a cavalry saber or a rapier, thrust-2 cut for a large knife, etc.

Note that this also accounts for why the fencing manuals would call a thrust faster than a swing: a short swing combines the low penetration of a cut with the low total energy of a thrust, and therefore there's almost no situation outside of weapon sport where you'd want to use one.