Line art for New Kalenz Portrait

Post by **torangan** » August 31st, 2005, 10:20 am

I agree, the sword isn't perfect. It won't be possible to put more then the tip into the scabbard and the grip on the sharp side doesn't look like perfection but more like stupid boasting to me. A really skilled fighter doesn't need some grand pose to show his skill. You'll see it his bearing an in every movement.

Post by **wayfarer** » August 31st, 2005, 11:41 am

Actual the sword is quite ineffective but it looks cool so who cares.
Plus the large amount of time which is needed to change it.

Cuyo Quiz · Post by **Cuyo Quiz** » August 31st, 2005, 7:20 pm

Tux2B wrote:I think the sword doesn't look elvish enough. It should be straight, and long.
Even for humans, I'd think this sword would be really difficult to use...

That is why elves use it

. Think of it as a light falchion and it will make sort of sense. Although the hilt does look awfully long given the angle of the portrait.

Tux2B · Post by **Tux2B** » August 31st, 2005, 8:24 pm

It's just a bad weapon. It must be too heavy, and badly balanced. If I were Kalenz, I wouldn't use it except as decoration... It's not a sword you can use in combacts. If you want to win, you try to have the most chances to succeed, and so you prefer a good (even if ugly) weapon then a very fashionnable original but bad weapon.

What I say, of course, doesn't mean the picture itself is bad.

Post by **Darth Fool** » August 31st, 2005, 9:50 pm

Tux2B wrote:It's just a bad weapon. It must be too heavy, and badly balanced. If I were Kalenz, I wouldn't use it except as decoration... It's not a sword you can use in combacts. If you want to win, you try to have the most chances to succeed, and so you prefer a good (even if ugly) weapon then a very fashionnable original but bad weapon.

What I say, of course, doesn't mean the picture itself is bad.

You all are forgetting that the form of the sword is an intricate part of the magic used to cast fireballs upon the unwary foes, and so while it might not be the most functional handle when it comes to braining people, it is very good for toasting them!

Post by **Jetrel** » August 31st, 2005, 10:16 pm

Tux2B wrote:It's just a bad weapon. It must be too heavy, and badly balanced. If I were Kalenz, I wouldn't use it except as decoration... It's not a sword you can use in combacts. If you want to win, you try to have the most chances to succeed, and so you prefer a good (even if ugly) weapon then a very fashionnable original but bad weapon.

By that same logic, naginatas must be terrible weapons, and claymores as well...

I highly doubt you've ever held a sword in your hands; the design of this one is to counteract the usual weight and inertia of a blade - this sword is designed to be quick and powerful; its drawbacks are two: a speed and maneuverability similar to but inferior to a quarterstaff, given that one can only grip half of the device (OTOH, the blade won't get chopped in two by an opponent's sword, which has a chance of happening with a wooden implement, though not as high as many would believe). Its other drawback is that it is somewhat shorter than a longsword, though bigger than a scimitar.

The hilt is supposed to be long - this sword is not used like other swords, on attacking strokes, it's generally used with two hands, like an axe, except that it is much, much lighter and therefore much faster than a battle axe.

If you want to see something quite like this sword in action, pop in "The Fellowship of the Ring," and watch the first battle; looking at the swords the Elves and Elrond used. In fact, just to save you monkeys the trouble of getting your hands on those movies, I've uploaded a screengrab.

End of discussion on the sword's design, please. I mean, really, go look at Final Fantasy, and Cloud's 500lb sword of detriment. This is a freakin' videogame, people.

Post by **Darth Fool** » August 31st, 2005, 10:22 pm

Jetryl wrote: End of discussion on the sword's design, please. I mean, really, go look at Final Fantasy, and Cloud's 500lb sword of detriment. This is a freakin' videogame, people.

I just have to say, WINAVGIR*!

*(Wesnoth is not a video game, its reality)* A joke for those who don't know.

Cuyo Quiz · Post by **Cuyo Quiz** » September 1st, 2005, 2:00 am

Jetryl wrote: I mean, really, go look at Final Fantasy, and Cloud's 500lb sword of detriment. This is a freakin' videogame, people.

Heh. That makes me remember a discussion about Cloud and Squall and which was better and/or cooler.

Squall won. Apparently "My "sword" shoots bullets" was better/cooler than "My "sword" is freaking huge" or something to that effect.

Post by **Jetrel** » September 1st, 2005, 2:53 am

For those who are wondering, Cloud's sword looks a lot like the sword wielded by "Butte Force" in the linked image:

I don't think Cloud's has an internal combustion engine, though...

http://www.atomictoy.org/comics/omfe/omfe05.gif

Tux2B · Post by **Tux2B** » September 1st, 2005, 7:36 am

I've already held a sword in my hands, but I never used one to kill anybody.

I still think the sword is highly unpractical, but well, if you think it must be like this, just do it. I was, in fact, more thinking about swords in Lord of the Ring, which straight, and light.

About the sword held in both hands: it's not the case, for an example, of the elvish fighter's line, because they have a shield (in one hand: shield, in the other: sword).

OK. I don't want to bother you longer about it... If it wasn't an unpractical weapon, it would be a great one. And I definitely don't say the rest of the picture is bad, because that would be a lie.

Post by **turin** » September 1st, 2005, 12:28 pm

Its true that most wesnoth units do not have enough free hands to wield a two-handed sword, but the Elvish Lord/High Lord does.

Post by **Darth Fool** » September 1st, 2005, 3:39 pm

turin wrote:Its true that most wesnoth units do not have enough free hands to wield a two-handed sword, but the Elvish Lord/High Lord does.

Heck, for a while, the elvish lord had three hands, one hand to spare

Website · Post by **Xan** » September 1st, 2005, 9:10 pm

Elvish Pillager wrote:Quite so. At least with his left hand, he isn't wearing a glove either, as Squasher suggests --- one question though: Is he left handed, or is he correctly holding his sword in his non-dominant hand?

Actually, everyone in Wesnoth is ambidextrous!

Elvish_Pillager · Post by **Elvish_Pillager** » September 1st, 2005, 9:21 pm

Xan wrote:Actually, everyone in Wesnoth is ambidextrous!

While that's true, in the case of this Kalenz portrait the armor is polarized, so I'd assume a preference, regardless of whether he is ambidextrous or not.

Elvish_Pillager · September 1st, 2005, 10:33 pm

Quite so. However, one cannot simply remove one's armor and don one's second set of armor in the normal course of a movement. Therefore, if this is indicative of ambidextrosity, ambidextrosity has no meaning due to a difference in the fundemental layout of the world, excepting the fact that that the hands can indeed be distinguished and one judged to be dominant, ignoring the eccentricity of the world that allows arbitrary reflection. So which is his dominant hand?