Call me crazy, but I foresee JS II teaming up with Dark Symphony (or whatever he’s going as now) to try and steal Dr. W’s power back for Thule. He’s made deals like that before, to stop chaos, and Dr. W is even more dangerous now, with newfound youth (and powers that may come with it).
But didn’t JS I rip JS II a new orifice for making that deal? As I recall the story, Underhall insisted he would’ve worked to find a way to bring both Tactical and Wissenschaft down instead of teaming up with one against the other. He made his successor feel quite small for doing that deal, so I’m thinking JS II is going to be rather cautious about making “deals with the devil” in the future.
Unless of course, he doesn’t know he’s dealing with a devil. Hmm…far as he knows, Symphony’s still a good guy, if a bit tarnished, right?
Indeed, Symphony hasn’t been seen since he was just some bum down on his luck. So there’s no reason for JS to assume he’s evil.
But as for not making deals with the devil, he made that deal to take down an old, decrepit human Dr. W. You really think he will turn down help against a powered up godling of a Dr. W?
The sabre that Wissenschaft is playing with is one of mine that I’ve had since I was about 15. My mom brought it home as a gift from Europe, and it’s made of Toledo steel. It’s one of my favorite swords.
I understand the frustration with all the samurai swords running around. They may be among the most elegant and deadly weapons ever created, but not so wonderful that they totally outclass European swords. Samurai swords have almost become cliche.
Exactly and that is great taste in swords! I am partial to the German Grosse Messer and Falchion style “big knives” myself. Toledo steel is just as skillfully made as anything Japanese and Spanish sword fighting systems are in practice just as efficient as kendo or any other sword drawing. I think it is just media bias that makes it seem more mysterious and deadly.
I think we are in agreement on Western bladed weapons, and I always felt that a viking or a knight could take out a samurai warrior more often than not. Shoot, for a super-tough warrior culture, you need look no further than the awe-inspiring Spartans!
Some say the first open-handed martial arts began in India, or Korea, but I’ve found mentions of Western Martial arts that far precede them.
I don’t have a falchion in my collection. I have a replica German hunting knife that almost fits that bill, but not really.
I believe you’re thinking of Pankartion. As I recall, anthropologists who study this stuff believe that it is either the foundation or a heavy influence on just about all the major Eastern martial arts. Alexander the Great’s army brought it to India and is spread eastward from there.
Actually, they did Viking vs Samurai on Deadliest Warrior. Samurai won. As far as a European knight in plate armor, against the samurai, I would say the knight has an advantage, due to the fact that plate armor is extremely effective against bladed weapons.
As far as the Spartan goes, the true strength of the Greek military at that time was not in individual hoplites, but in the Phalanx formation, a tactic that was improved upon by Alexander the Great, and adopted by the Roman legions. Forget 300. That is not what battle was like then. The Spartans wore plate armor made of bronze, and used their shield wall and spears to fight. The weight of the rows in back kept the crush of the enemy advance from breaking through.
I do agree that there are some beautiful swords that aren’t from the Eastern traditions. The Scottish Claymore and the Moorish scimitar being among my favorites.
I think the reason the katana is so widely known is because it strikes a balance between being light enough to be used skillfully, large enough to bring force to bear against your opponent, sharp enough to slice through flesh and bone, and aesthetically pleasing to look at. There are swords such as an epee which are lighter, and allow for greater precision. There are swords that are larger and heavier, like the Claymore, which allows for stronger wielders to bring their force to bear. There are blades which are just as renowned for their cutting power, such as the scimitar. And there are blades which are just as aesthetically pleasing to look at, such as many of the sabers you see from Europe. But the Katana brings in all these elements.
Of course, to be fair, I have six katanas, a wakizashi, a tanto, two ninja-tos, a naginata, a kris dagger, a longsword, and a scythe in my room.
Warsmithbob: Yes, I believe you are right. That makes perfect sense.
Mirikon: I won’t argue about the near perfection of the katana. It’s truly one of the best weapons ever designed. I wish I owned one, but I refuse to buy the crap ones that are so easy to come across.
On Deadliest Warrior, I maintain the viking got a bad deal. There are things I like about that show, but the reality of their results is often a coin toss to me. Knight versus pirate was a travesty of an epsisode, for example, in my opinion.
Re “I have six katanas, a wakizashi, a tanto, two ninja-tos, a naginata, a kris dagger, a longsword, and a scythe in my room.”: Damn, you’re like me, you’ve got the bug! My list is different, but it’s similiar in size.
Hmm, I get the feeling Dr. W is about to find out he’s being pillaged.
Oh, yeah!
I think this is referred to a SHF scenario (Shit Hits Fan). I love what’s coming!!
Call me crazy, but I foresee JS II teaming up with Dark Symphony (or whatever he’s going as now) to try and steal Dr. W’s power back for Thule. He’s made deals like that before, to stop chaos, and Dr. W is even more dangerous now, with newfound youth (and powers that may come with it).
You are getting into some very interesting territory there, Mirikon.
What can I say? I’m an idea guy. I can come up with cool plot ideas, but implementing them is something else entirely.
But didn’t JS I rip JS II a new orifice for making that deal? As I recall the story, Underhall insisted he would’ve worked to find a way to bring both Tactical and Wissenschaft down instead of teaming up with one against the other. He made his successor feel quite small for doing that deal, so I’m thinking JS II is going to be rather cautious about making “deals with the devil” in the future.
Unless of course, he doesn’t know he’s dealing with a devil. Hmm…far as he knows, Symphony’s still a good guy, if a bit tarnished, right?
Indeed, Symphony hasn’t been seen since he was just some bum down on his luck. So there’s no reason for JS to assume he’s evil.
But as for not making deals with the devil, he made that deal to take down an old, decrepit human Dr. W. You really think he will turn down help against a powered up godling of a Dr. W?
Warning!…..Detonation in 5…..4…..3…..2…..
Sword and Cane fight! This looks great and fun sword choice too many katanas being tossed around.
The sabre that Wissenschaft is playing with is one of mine that I’ve had since I was about 15. My mom brought it home as a gift from Europe, and it’s made of Toledo steel. It’s one of my favorite swords.
I understand the frustration with all the samurai swords running around. They may be among the most elegant and deadly weapons ever created, but not so wonderful that they totally outclass European swords. Samurai swords have almost become cliche.
Exactly and that is great taste in swords! I am partial to the German Grosse Messer and Falchion style “big knives” myself. Toledo steel is just as skillfully made as anything Japanese and Spanish sword fighting systems are in practice just as efficient as kendo or any other sword drawing. I think it is just media bias that makes it seem more mysterious and deadly.
Also I like the symbol on the rug good placement!
I think we are in agreement on Western bladed weapons, and I always felt that a viking or a knight could take out a samurai warrior more often than not. Shoot, for a super-tough warrior culture, you need look no further than the awe-inspiring Spartans!
Some say the first open-handed martial arts began in India, or Korea, but I’ve found mentions of Western Martial arts that far precede them.
I don’t have a falchion in my collection. I have a replica German hunting knife that almost fits that bill, but not really.
I believe you’re thinking of Pankartion. As I recall, anthropologists who study this stuff believe that it is either the foundation or a heavy influence on just about all the major Eastern martial arts. Alexander the Great’s army brought it to India and is spread eastward from there.
Actually, they did Viking vs Samurai on Deadliest Warrior. Samurai won. As far as a European knight in plate armor, against the samurai, I would say the knight has an advantage, due to the fact that plate armor is extremely effective against bladed weapons.
As far as the Spartan goes, the true strength of the Greek military at that time was not in individual hoplites, but in the Phalanx formation, a tactic that was improved upon by Alexander the Great, and adopted by the Roman legions. Forget 300. That is not what battle was like then. The Spartans wore plate armor made of bronze, and used their shield wall and spears to fight. The weight of the rows in back kept the crush of the enemy advance from breaking through.
I do agree that there are some beautiful swords that aren’t from the Eastern traditions. The Scottish Claymore and the Moorish scimitar being among my favorites.
I think the reason the katana is so widely known is because it strikes a balance between being light enough to be used skillfully, large enough to bring force to bear against your opponent, sharp enough to slice through flesh and bone, and aesthetically pleasing to look at. There are swords such as an epee which are lighter, and allow for greater precision. There are swords that are larger and heavier, like the Claymore, which allows for stronger wielders to bring their force to bear. There are blades which are just as renowned for their cutting power, such as the scimitar. And there are blades which are just as aesthetically pleasing to look at, such as many of the sabers you see from Europe. But the Katana brings in all these elements.
Of course, to be fair, I have six katanas, a wakizashi, a tanto, two ninja-tos, a naginata, a kris dagger, a longsword, and a scythe in my room.
Warsmithbob: Yes, I believe you are right. That makes perfect sense.
Mirikon: I won’t argue about the near perfection of the katana. It’s truly one of the best weapons ever designed. I wish I owned one, but I refuse to buy the crap ones that are so easy to come across.
On Deadliest Warrior, I maintain the viking got a bad deal. There are things I like about that show, but the reality of their results is often a coin toss to me. Knight versus pirate was a travesty of an epsisode, for example, in my opinion.
Re “I have six katanas, a wakizashi, a tanto, two ninja-tos, a naginata, a kris dagger, a longsword, and a scythe in my room.”: Damn, you’re like me, you’ve got the bug! My list is different, but it’s similiar in size.
Heh. Yeah, only reason I don’t get more is because I don’t have room to display them properly. I would kill to get a hand-made katana, though.
This can’t be good. I’d say it’s about to hit the fan, and I suspect The Doc here will be none-too-happy about it!