MP: SeaOfInnocence - All ages newb game

[bbz]

You are correct they didnt use shields.(At least not durring samurai period) Apparently Samurai worriors started as horse arches. And their sword is also made to be used with two hands for the greatest effect so a shild would have been a hindrance.

[Ragabash]

Why do you need shields, when you have the most awesome sword in the world? The whole philosophy of swordsmanship in japanese culture is based on relentless attacks and sometimes counter-attacks, no defense.

For example, if two samurai of equal level and equal height would duel, it was common for both of them to die, because of the whole cut or be cut ideology.

[Admiral_Aorta]

And later on most samurai used guns, but dominons doesn't have any of those.

[Thanatus del Dragos]

Hmm, I think there is more myth than reality to what is known of the Samurai and Katana. They are archers, I would think that a shield would be a great idea for countering the archers. But, maybe their armor was made specially to use against arrows?

[Mauxe]

apologies... I will be in this evening.

[Ragabash]

Well, wasn't in feudal Japan, can't tell the measures of myth and reality, but I do kendo for some time, so as far as I have heard from some good sources (people who trained in Tokyo police dojo and trained with the imperial guard), that the whole all attack/no defense philosophy does stand. And from a practical standpoint: if you don't attack and try to defend - you're a goner.

And the archer bit, not familiar with that part, the armor idea seems plausible, will try to check it out if an opportunity occurs.

[SirMu]

Dominions 3: The only game I've known where the players discuss the historical accuracy during their downtime.

[Admiral_Aorta]

Okay guys, I'm pretty sure that ancient Egypt wasn't inhabited by lizard men. This is a serious historical inaccuracy that needs addressing.

[iRFNA]

I don't think christianity turned all the citizens of rome into the undead, either...

...yet

[Echodyne]

I've seen it stated repeatedly in history books that samurai were primarily horse archers. As far as shields go, a single samurai carried a variety of weapons as their standard arsenal: a bow, a katana, a shorter secondary blade, and a slashing polearm (I have forgotten the Japanese names for both of these), all used for different combat situations. As all but one of these are two-handed weapons, a shield would just be a hindrance.

I have heard from a veteran SCA-er (they are absolutely obsessive about this kind of thing) that medieval katanas were made from a softer iron than the steel we imagine today. Yes, it was capable of being folded into insanely sharp weapons by some of the finest smiths in the world, but it could not actually *parry* another katana of the same make without damaging itself. Weather this helped lead to the offensive samurai style, or the style led to the development of the weapon, I cannot say.

Samurai used guns? The way I understood it, guns were outright banned, even for the nobility, for a very long time, and when they were finally adopted, it was simultaneous to the adoption of the entire western warfare strategy of the late 19th century and the samurai class was left in the dust.

Ancient Egypt was DEFINITELY inhabited by lizardmen. Don't you pay attention to bio-anthropology?