[MUD-Dev] Mud Games

[Travis S. Casey]

On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:
> In <341c17c9.72728107 at relay.mnsinc.com>, on 09/08/97 
>    at 08:28 AM, caliban at darklock.com (Caliban Tiresias Darklock) said:
> 
> >This assumes a formal joust. In actual combat, killing or hobbling
> >the mount is the grim and efficient method of unhorsing your
> >opponent. It is still, however, met with some distaste by most.
> 
> The historical ledgers of peasantry being paid to go out and hamstring
> or gut the opponents horses during a battle would seem to contradict
> this, as would the heavy chest armours for chargers.
> 
> Against an agile opponent armed with a knife, a heavy armed and
> armoured knight on horseback has little chance.

Little chance of what?  Killing the knife-wielder?  Possibly, if the
knife-wielder can keep a cool head (i.e., doesn't panic and try to run
away -- the horse can outrun him, and it's hard to dodge well while
running full-tilt).  I still wouldn't lay a bet against the
knight, though -- his horse is probably armored, so all he
really needs to do is run over his opponent a few times.  Surviving? 
I'd say the knight has a wonderful chance of surviving -- armor does not
limit your movement as much as most people think it does, and a good suit
of armor will give excellent protection even from a knife -- "chinks" in
plate armor normally had padding and chainmail under them.  Rapiers,
contrary to common myth, were not developed to use against plate-armored
knights.

Indeed, there's a story from France of a knight who fell off his horse,
hit his head on a rock, and was knocked unconscious.  His opponents
wanted to finish him off without going to the trouble of removing his
armor.  They tried a sword first, but there were no gaps in the armor
big enough to let it in.  Then they tried a dagger, but there were still
no gaps large enough.  They tried a wooden club, but it wouldn't dent
the armor.  Finally, they sent a peasant off to get them a woodcutter's
axe, and were able to bust him up like a lobster with it.

--
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