[MUD-Dev] Mud Games

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <Pine.BSI.3.96.970912083825.11592B-100000 at xanadu.io.com>, on
09/12/97 
   at 08:24 AM, "Travis S. Casey" <efindel at io.com> said:

>On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:

>> 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?  

Harming the knife wielder and significant chance of himself being
killed or disabled (depending on armour etc).

>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.

A standard attack method for an unarmoured man against a plate
armoured knight on horseback:

  1) Charge at knight.
  2) Slide in ground under horse.
  3) Grab girth strap.
  4) Hang on.
  5) Gut horse.
  6) Run.

Variation:

  1) Charge at knight.
  2) Nip around back of horse.
  3) Hamstring horse.
  4) Run.

Both tend to leave the knight thrown and fairly possibly injured or
stunned, and quite likely disarmed,  

>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.

Quite.

This would have to have been from the very heavy plate armour period
when even the visors were _bolted_ shut.  Otherwise it would have been
too trivial to flip the visor up and perforate his cranium.  

I'll also note that a man waring such heavy armour is easily
exhausted, and thus easy to knock off his feet.  Once he's down you
can do all sorts of nasty things to him...

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...