New efforts!

[umber]

Shield was pretty much a big let down from that point of view.  Its A-N-Other armour set with a shield stuck on your arm.

Fair enough.  Paragon won't do something if they can't do it well.  I'm still puzzled they couldn't have done an offensive set with it.

Shield parry.  Shield slam.  Kirby Roundhouse with shield.  Fly-leap-charge.  Jump-kick but with shield in face.  Shield Upper cut.  *(Anybody else fill in their ideas...)

Something doesn't seem quite right with dismissing Shield as just another armor set, then wanting a Shield offensive set that sounds like Superstrength or Martial Arts "with a shield stuck on your arm"  ;)

Would've liked to have seen a Shield Throw power too but suspect Arcana is dead-on, the problems made it easier to implement the set's attack as the Charge instead of a Throw.  I found Shield Defense to be a unique addition to our powerset toolbox - Against All Odds, Phalanx Fighting, and Grant Cover brought things to the table that other armors did not, and of course the excellent Shield Charge attack.  Ended up being one of my favorite sets and it didn't hurt that it was so IO-abusable!

[Power Gamer]

I really loved Shield.

It was iconic and differentiated from other sets.

[pinballdave]

I can't see them making animations for shield throw when they didn't bother figuring out a way to make throwing attacks for Battle Axe and Mace.

I want a morning star mace, NAO

[umber]

I want a morning star mace, NAO

There wasn't one in CoH?

As far as real life goes, I remember a guy in college who made SCA morning stars out of broom handles, soccer balls, and the "spikes" from sound dampening foam.

[Power Gamer]

There wasn't one in CoH?

As far as real life goes, I remember a guy in college who made SCA morning stars out of broom handles, soccer balls, and the "spikes" from sound dampening foam.

There was a mace in CoH.

I made an SCA legal flail. It worked awesomely, could go around weapons and shields but would not wrap an arm or leg.

I won a few tourneys with it back in the day. (20 years ago)

[Ironwolf]

Interesting what they would allow back 20 years ago but not now :)

I fight primarily Polearm and Two Sword. I will occasionally pick up a war board in a bridge battle.
This is me:http://chivalry.midrealm.org/peer_new.php?input=152

I recall in one battle at Pennsic war some brought out a spear designed after a push punch. You could turn the handle to increase the power - it was highly illegal of course but it was done and was used on the field. Apparently it hit really hard.

[Arcana]

Interesting what they would allow back 20 years ago but not now :)

Well, as I understand it they allowed even more 600 years ago.

[Power Gamer]

Interesting what they would allow back 20 years ago but not now :)

I fight primarily Polearm and Two Sword. I will occasionally pick up a war board in a bridge battle.
This is me:http://chivalry.midrealm.org/peer_new.php?input=152

I recall in one battle at Pennsic war some brought out a spear designed after a push punch. You could turn the handle to increase the power - it was highly illegal of course but it was done and was used on the field. Apparently it hit really hard.

It wasn't officially allowed SCA wide, only in my kingdom and only for a short time.

My flail was a proof of concept, which worked exceptionally well.
The flail DID hit hard, and left bruises. But then, so do axes, maces, swords and any other weapon popular in war or tourney.

The MAIN objection was that it could go over a shield or around a weapon, effectively negating some of the advantage of each.
But these are hardly reasons enough to disallow a new weapon, as anything untested would have advantages against the current norm.

Even a weapon like an axe has the ability to reach over a shield and clang ya one if you aren't paying attention and employ only the usual defense.

Frankly the reason it did not prevail was two-fold.
1) As a fighter, I was more interested in fighting re-creation rather than being the usual tourney rat. This meant that I tended to adopt styles or forms which were not as well received. Don't get me wrong, I ALWAYS followed the SCA guidelines, but not the culture of sport fighting as it is today.

2) The old-boy network. Nothing upsets that powers that be more than an unknown (regardless of how closely it follows the accepted guidelines) sweeping away the expected result. And frankly, I'm not one to take away the happiness of others.

Today I am quite happy fencing at my local club with foil, epee and saber.

I will occasionally pick up a sword (real one, I was also a sword-maker), and practice at home. I spend hours every year reading about dueling, weapons, history and employ other skills like brewing, calligraphy and such as I fancy.

All without the interruption of an unhappy person telling me 'that is not allowed', only because they can't do it themselves.

Peace

[Felderburg]

When he recharged his power gem off that rock in Azuria's office every day

http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/MAGI_Storage For those interested: "This crystal is home to the genie Arabella, a creature possessed of unique and wondrous powers. It is said that where the crystal rests, there power lingers."

Until she lost it.... again...

Aw, come on, the vault was in Galaxy City...  :P

My bet would be animation difficulties given how customizable the shields were. Even Captain America with his instantaneous absurd projectile calculations didn't much throw around the original shield.

No more absurd than a pool shark using experience to know where to hit the balls correctly for trick shots, which would take a non-experienced but knowledgeable pool player some time with angle calculations.

It made more sense when you saw the devs as six friends trying to decide where to go for lunch.

;D

[Surelle]

Well, as I understand it they allowed even more 600 years ago.

Haha!

[CrimsonCapacitor]

I want a morning star mace, NAO

I always thought a Frying Pan "Mace" would have been an awesome addition.  I could've made several toons around that one weapon.

Oh, it would have needed  the cheesy, "KLANG!" and "WHAM!" sounds of a frying pan to go with it.

[Power Gamer]

Well, as I understand it they allowed even more 600 years ago.

Haha!

In Ironwolf's defense, the flail is NOT a legal weapon in SCA.
Really I should have been more clear in my original remarks, that it was a test weapon I constructed for tourney and war events. My bad.  :roll:

[Arcana]

No more absurd than a pool shark using experience to know where to hit the balls correctly for trick shots, which would take a non-experienced but knowledgeable pool player some time with angle calculations.

Captain America richocheting his shield around to come back to himself is to an expert pool trick shot artist as the Juggernaut is to the world's best NFL linebacker.

Similar concept, totally different execution, incomparable magnitude difference.

[pinballdave]

I always thought a Frying Pan "Mace" would have been an awesome addition.  I could've made several toons around that one weapon.

Oh, it would have needed  the cheesy, "KLANG!" and "WHAM!" sounds of a frying pan to go with it.

This is what I was referring to:

https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.swordsswords.com%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2Fdetail%2FMorning_Star_Spiked_Mace_01.jpg


I admit I don't remember all the alternate mace weapons at this point. I think a rolling pin for a doting wife/heroine would be desirable, too.

[Vee]

Captain America richocheting his shield around to come back to himself is to an expert pool trick shot artist as the Juggernaut is to the world's best NFL linebacker.

Similar concept, totally different execution, incomparable magnitude difference.

^^^This. Billiard balls and the sides of pool tables are relatively standardized known quantities. Also pool players have time to line up their shots. Even if we were to suppose for argument's sake that vibranium's special properties might make it ricochet off any surface in the same way, the level of instantaneous calculation would still be magnitudes beyond expert pool. And that's not even accounting for wind and the unpredictability of his targets' movements - do they freeze when they see him throw the shield, keep moving, duck, etc. I'm sticking with 'absurd'.

[Felderburg]

All right then.... No more absurd than a baseball player knowing how to play a tough grounder or a ball off the outfield fence, or a soccer player knowing how a ball bounces off different sections of their shoe, the ground, and the goal posts.

[ivanhedgehog]

There wasn't one in CoH?

As far as real life goes, I remember a guy in college who made SCA morning stars out of broom handles, soccer balls, and the "spikes" from sound dampening foam.

I did that, except you use rattan instead of a broomstick. I wasnt that fond or crushing weapons. I fought single sword, sword and shield and glaive. I trained witha great single sword knight and learned how much fun you can have.

[Ironwolf]

I was at a practice one day and an Aikido black belt was mocking us saying that in real combat with a staff he could easily defeat us.

I picked up a 6 foot unpadded polearm and handed it to him. I then took a simple single sword with a baskethilt and started walking towards him slowly and said please attack me as you see fit. Since I was in full armor - surprisingly to him he could do absolutely no damage to me. He also found contrary to what people believe I could run, jump and fight in armor very well. I backed him into a corner and explained - I have not even attempted to block you or hit you yet.

He started learning that evening.

[adarict]

^^^This. Billiard balls and the sides of pool tables are relatively standardized known quantities. Also pool players have time to line up their shots. Even if we were to suppose for argument's sake that vibranium's special properties might make it ricochet off any surface in the same way, the level of instantaneous calculation would still be magnitudes beyond expert pool. And that's not even accounting for wind and the unpredictability of his targets' movements - do they freeze when they see him throw the shield, keep moving, duck, etc. I'm sticking with 'absurd'.

I never had a problem with the idea of Cap being able to ricochet his shield around the way he does.  He's a super soldier, everything about him is the peak of human ability.  I can suspend disbelief long enough to buy that.  What bothers me about it though, is the whole vibranium thing. 

Cap has been shown to use his shield on numerous occasions, to prevent himself from taking damage from a fall.  Or absorbing a bunch from the Hulk, or to block a rocket.  Now, I know that in the past, his shield has been said to be a unique combination of Adamantium and Vibranium, then later was all or mostly vibranium.  In either case, it is the vibranium that makes him able to use it to absorb the energy of a fall, or other impact.

How does Cap ricochet his shield off from stuff if it has vibranium in it?  When it hits a wall, it should absorb the kinetic energy.  It should just stop and fall once it hits the wall.  You can't have it both ways.

[Power Gamer]

I was at a practice one day and an Aikido black belt was mocking us saying that in real combat with a staff he could easily defeat us.

I picked up a 6 foot unpadded polearm and handed it to him. I then took a simple single sword with a baskethilt and started walking towards him slowly and said please attack me as you see fit. Since I was in full armor - surprisingly to him he could do absolutely no damage to me. He also found contrary to what people believe I could run, jump and fight in armor very well. I backed him into a corner and explained - I have not even attempted to block you or hit you yet.

He started learning that evening.

Excellent story!

Course, I've seen a flat out noob in borrowed armor clock a duke in tourney for the win.
Duke: 'That was great! You didn't fall for the fake attack to your head!'
Noob: 'What attack? I didn't see an attack.'

True story.