What's With the War Cleavers?

[Wurmkrank]

Is there any particular reason the War Cleavers do so much damage? masterwork war cleaver doing 70c damage seems a little over the top, no? The Long-Sword or Bastard Sword/Hand and a half sword was known as the pinnacle of medieval Swords, but why the hell would a knight ever use one when they could just use a poorly crafted hunk of steel with a sharp edge and cleave people down in full mail?

 

[Kirsch27]

Yeah these war cleavers are pretty weird, I don't think they even existed, but they shouldn't be the most powerful sword in the game regardless.

 

[Folkzweise]

Oh there were such things as War Cleaver. Well, in fact i think back then they had a different name.
Getting hit with one of these monsters is devastating because it works just like a can opener on your armor.
A Scimitar is very sharp but a simple mail will stop its slash and you take allmost no damage, this monster will make you wish you dodged it.

that's my impression of this weapon. cheers-

 

[Fore66]

i think the damage can be discussed, but existence of the cleavers can not be doubted - one look in our often consulted maciejowski bible will help 

Best Regards

edit: about the damage done - it is a historical staircase wit that the sword (the most important attribute of knighthood) became more and more ineffective over the years as armour quality improved. still a nice tool to cut down unarmoured peasants, the sword became unsuitable for a real battle, while lots of weapons from rural ancestry did the work far better and where much cheaper to acquire. 

 

[Wurmkrank]

imo, they should do about the same damage as a two handed axe of the same size, since that's pretty much what they are. They are almost 100% steel and very top heavy so they should also be unbalanced

 

[Cèsar de Quart]

Oh there were such things as War Cleaver. Well, in fact i think back then they had a different name.
Getting hit with one of these monsters is devastating because it works just like a can opener on your armor.
A Scimitar is very sharp but a simple mail will stop its slash and you take allmost no damage, this monster will make you wish you dodged it.

that's my impression of this weapon. cheers-

The did exist, they appear int he Maciejowski bible, for example. They were usually called reapers by academics, but as far as I know, we know not the name the people gave them back then.

Once I found an article about very weird descriptions of weapons that we cannot interpretate or reconstruct, by Philippe Contamine, great expert on Medieval warfare. Things like a sword with several spointy shapes, maybe not even a sword, more like a falchion, but cutting in both sides, with chains and very, very strange stuff that, given the description, we cannot remake. I'll try and find the article, it was really curious.

 

[JuicyDeath]

im using war cleaver for about 450 days ingame. And i wont change it for anything) so yes, its overpowered.

 

[Folkzweise]

Once I found an article about very weird descriptions of weapons that we cannot interpretate or reconstruct, by Philippe Contamine, great expert on Medieval warfare. Things like a sword with several spointy shapes, maybe not even a sword, more like a falchion, but cutting in both sides, with chains and very, very strange stuff that, given the description, we cannot remake. I'll try and find the article, it was really curious.

this would be very interesting to read me thinks. I would be glad if you were able to find this article again. sounds like a bizarre but most definitely interesting weapon.

 

[othr]

Those cleavers are meat splitting cleavers, it's a tool rather than a weapon and yes it's way too powerful.  I think I already nerfed it in the SVN version.

 

[JuicyDeath]

othr, speaking about 2h weapons... Can AI soldiers with 2h hold distance? Or smth like attack and take few steps back: hit and run )

 

[Ritter Dummbatz]

One thing that just popped up my mind is that once that dude got hit he could be made to step back. They already do if they are wounded I think. So if they are not wounded enough they charge once again.

 

[JuicyDeath]

One thing that just popped up my mind is that once that dude got hit he could be made to step back.

you mean you just read it in post above? )))

 

[Ritter Dummbatz]

Well, I meant a solution to your suggestion could be a routine like that one.

I have to add a second thought on that though. I guess it would lead to the point where 2handers just run away most of the time and therefor become pretty much inefficient. So I doubt my idea will work properly.

 

[JuicyDeath]

Well, I meant a solution to your suggestion could be a routine like that one.

I have to add a second thought on that though. I guess it would lead to the point where 2handers just run away most of the time and therefor become pretty much inefficient. So I doubt my idea will work properly.

i asked one guy about it. He maid skirmish mode for horse archers. He answered that there is no way to control distance. I wanted to suggest to constantly switch run and attack, but cant find his topic ))) Same guy that made Pre battle order and deploy

 

[Sahran]

Yeah these war cleavers are pretty weird, I don't think they even existed, but they shouldn't be the most powerful sword in the game regardless.

 
   

 

[Komemnos]

Does anybody know their real name then?

 

[Folkzweise]

 
   

as you can see they are called "Godenak" in this picture what is a silly translation for "Medieval Chopper"(also taken from the picture). So if they were called something else back then... no one knows. I fear othr is correct with his statement and they are just a tool used as weapon.

Those cleavers are meat splitting cleavers, it's a tool rather than a weapon...

 

[Ritter Dummbatz]

Well, actually I don't care at all if that thing is not just a weapon as long as it cuts meat.

 

[Komemnos]

I don't use swords anymore,only blunt and pierce are needed in my game.

 

[Cèsar de Quart]

I've seen it as "reaper". I like Reaper more than cleaver or chopper. Or godenak, it looks too Flemish (is it Flemish?)

I don't use swords anymore,only blunt and pierce are needed in my game.

I use to roleplay this parts, and use a tabar-i-zin if I'm playing a Saracen. But a sword is a sword, as cool as it gets. I'll never stop using swords or having a sword with me

Still, when I play the Greek, I like to have a good mace. Kataphraktos style.