Got A Weapon or Armor Question?

[Eric_The_Mad]

OK, here's my offer. In a couple of threads, I've seen people arguing about weapons and their usage, with all parties making statements that fly completely in the face of reality...

"Reality?" you say, "What do you know about reality, Eric The Mad?" A good question. My answer is being a member of the Society of Creative Anachronism and a authorized fighter (admittedly off and on) since '88. I also have fought in Amtgard and sparred with people from various other LARP and Historical Re-inactment groups. I do NOT claim I am a great warrior in RL. In fact, I rather suck.

But what I do offer is that I have worn the armor, have swung weapons (or their various replacements, depending on the group) at other people who have been trying to do unto me at the same time. Plus, I am a History major.

If I haven't done it, I have sources and contacts who may have. If that doesn't answer your question, I will happily research the matter for you., cheerfully share my findings, as well as point you in the right direction to let you draw your own conclusions.

I do not claim to be infallible. I have little to zero experience with various oriental martial arts styles and techniques. But again, I have sources who may know the answer to your question. If you don't like or disagree with my findings and answers, I won't tell you are wrong to rule differently in your game.

[Xick]

i must say that fighting in a larp and then fighting in a french/british war back in the day is quite differant.

people pretending to kill you and people actually trying to kill you. the very real life threating fear of death kill or be killed comes into play and i believe cahanges the whole way people fight.

however what armor and such was invited and used for is by far differant. and i would have such questions to ask.

one being the war hammer.

who weilded such a weapon? and when? and against who?

it obviously looks like it was made for horse back is this true?

[MrNexx]

one being the war hammer.

who weilded such a weapon? and when? and against who?

it obviously looks like it was made for horse back is this true?

A great source for these things is the old Arms and Equipment, from 2nd edition; it actually discusses their origin. However, the hammer was used pretty much everywhere (except Japan) that armor became common. It was most popular in Europe, however, as heavier armors came to predominate. Some of them would start to blur the lines between hammers, axes, and picks, and a good number would have spikes on top and/or picks on the back. They were used on horseback, but longer versions were also used on foot.

(My source is George Stone's Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and In All Times; ISBN on request)

[McMouse]

This thread gets the McMouse Gold Star Seal of Approval

Now, a question: When were glaives and halberds used in battle? What function did they serve? It seems to me that, as they are weapons which are swung in order to cause damage, that defeats the purpose of the pole-arm, I.E. being able to form a tight-knight group and skewer charging people. They seem awfully unwieldly to be used in such a situation, and indeed, anywhere.

Any enlightenment is appreciated.

[Chris the Pontifex]

they make great guard decoration though :P

[sktarq]

Hammers....as heavier armour become common on the field of europe the warhammer became the most common close range weapon for infantry. It is designed to break a human body through the armor..it is also a can opener...many had spikes on the top and back, like a claw hammer. There where longer lighter one handed models for cavalry and big heavy two handed models for infantry. Known to be in heavy use from 1400-s through introduction of firearms and the demise of plate mail....were often supplimentary weaons in shield and pike wall armies. Known to be in use by British, French, German, Lithuanian, and Russian troops (by my knowledge). Battle of Vichy, many of the german wars of the era, 100 years war at times.

[sktarq]

Halberds. Halberd actually have a long spike out the top aswell and skewer things quite nicely. In the swiss groups they were often scattered with pike formations...often as the elite. Groups of them all swing vertically so they can still be bunched up close together (chop chop not swing swing) and were used that way to devestating effect-and still had the pokey bits. Halberd, Gailves, and Voulges were also popular as guard weapons because A looked good, B could be heavily decorated C work both alone and with groups. Also there were entire schools of fencing that delt with the halberd in Germany were it was considered a weapon of high repute. Glaives were also popular because they were easy to make and many were converted house tools that the peseantry already had when they were taken into the army to defend their homelands. (they also did this with cleavers and pitchforks)

[Chris the Pontifex]

also see: sickle, scythe, trident & net, baseball bat

[sktarq]

I was actually thinking ones they took off their normal handles and stuck on a pole but yes those too.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Many polearms like halbards and bills were modified farm implements, used by peasent soldiers to try and deal with armored knights, as SKTarq suggests. Also, later on sergeants and officers of foot carried halbards and other such weapons less as implements of war than as tools for controlling their units. They'd hold the weapon horizontally and use it to push or hold troopers into place, especially when forming square. Thus, if one soldier in a unit is using a polearm (or a polearm different than those of the others), he's likely to be in charge.

[sktarq]

This forming lines with the polearm also led to sargents and low level officers to carry polearms well into the era of firearms. In some nations the sargents would have halbards and who used them not only to form the line but to attack any conscript who tried to run from the battle.

Also see how german offciers would see how the Halbard would be an officer's and "weapon of repute" and that is how they led to dueling with it. The bill started as a farm implement but the British took it to a war implement completely and mass produced the famous "brown bill". The swiss where one of theonly groups who used it in the large block formation-they were the most famous for it though others did you it. Voulges are like a halberd except how the blade attaches to the pole and that the blade blends up into the point instead of being seperate.

[The Demented One]

Here's one: What's the difference between a sickle, a scythe, and a kama?

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Here's one: What's the difference between a sickle, a scythe, and a kama?

Size, and generally the curve if the blade, though they are all essentially the same type of farm implement (or, at least, based on similar farming tools). A sickle one handed with a small grip, and the blade is long and curved almost to the point of looking like a question mark, with the actual cutting surface on the inside of the curve (striking with it is actually sort of a pulling back motion). A scythe is two handed, with a curved haft with a pair of grips. The blade is long and thin with a slight, hooking curve - again, the curve is on the bottom of the blade, the inside of the curve. A kama is more like a small scythe with a straight handle with a shorter, thicker, and less curved blade.

Beyond that, only the kama is really a true martial implement with a developed fighting style (Eastern Asian styles). Sickles and scythes are generally simply farm tools pressed into service as weapons, though early sword designs (the khopesh) developed from modifications to the sickle design.

[sktarq]

Sickle: hand holds handle which is about 30 cm long the blade sprouts from the end of the handle in line with it and then hooks in a c curve with the inside of the curve sharpened. Generally tanged. 1 handed tool
Hint it was on the Soviet Flag

Kama: hand holds handle that is 45cm or so the there is a blade that sticks out at roughly 90 degrees to the line of the handle, curves down somewhat (MUCH less than sickle...more like scythe). Blade often attached with ring and wege like an axe. 1 handed tool

Scythe: held in two hands. Pole connecting often has a complex curve to it that facilitates the body and the swinging motion by with the tool is best used. Blade is somewhat longer than the kama and straiter than a sickle and projects perpendicular from the handle. The Grim reaper uses a scythe... 2 handed tool


EDIT: DANG SIMU-POSTS
Also the major linking factors was they were all used for cutting grain and had the sharpened part of the blade on the inside curve.

[Eric_The_Mad]

i must say that fighting in a larp and then fighting in a french/british war back in the day is quite differant.

people pretending to kill you and people actually trying to kill you. the very real life threating fear of death kill or be killed comes into play and i believe cahanges the whole way people fight.

however what armor and such was invited and used for is by far differant. and i would have such questions to ask.

one being the war hammer.

who weilded such a weapon? and when? and against who?

it obviously looks like it was made for horse back is this true?

Granted, pretend is pretend and fighting is fighting. But short of finding some way to interview a veteran of the 100 Year's War or one of Tokigawa's samurai, we have to rely on Best Guesses.

Warhammer? OK, I'm not sure where it originated. I suspect it just sort of "was". A classic example of a tool being turned into a weapon If you're seriously interested, I'll dig out my Tower of London books and see what they have to say.

A Hammer may or may not have had a spike on the end. Keep in mind, that actual weapons didn't follow one preset model. One weaponsmith might have given it a spike, another made it two-headed, and a third given it a axe blade or what have you.

Hammers killed by crushing (obviously). Unless they had a spiked part, most of the damage was by (for lack of better words_ concussive force. It didn't have to get through your helmet to crush your skull, just give you a concussion or bounce your noggin around on the inside. Same goes for damage for limbs and torsos.

[Eric_The_Mad]

This thread gets the McMouse Gold Star Seal of Approval

Now, a question: When were glaives and halberds used in battle? What function did they serve? It seems to me that, as they are weapons which are swung in order to cause damage, that defeats the purpose of the pole-arm, I.E. being able to form a tight-knight group and skewer charging people. They seem awfully unwieldly to be used in such a situation, and indeed, anywhere.

Any enlightenment is appreciated.

Ah, polearms. A sadly underestimated weapon in gaming, but one which was quite useful in the hands of trained troops.

Glaives and halberds (and most pole arms) are classified (at least in my understanding) by the shape of the pointy metal thing on the end of the shaft. Again, I'm not comfortable making a blanket statement of when polearms were developed. Most theories I've heard is that they started out as pruning tools in the hands of peasant levies and some genius decided that if they were made especially for war, they'd be more effective.

The problem is that, to use a polearm like a glaive or a halberd effectively, you need a lot of them, being used by soldiers in a formation. So instead of facing one man, who you can rapidly close with and gut whle he's adjusting his grip on the weapon (or is backing up so he can get the business end at you), it's a entirely different thing to face a number of guys with one. Sure, you can block one with your shield, maybe parry another with your weapon, but the other 3 to 4 guys skewer you like a pig.

In gaming, the ideal use of the polearm weapons would be to have a front line of guys with shield and weapons, doing nothing but defending themselves, and the rank of guys behind them using the weapons to take you (or your enemy) out. That's why these weapons have Reach, people. (This is who polearms are used in the SCA, and to great effect. Anybody who tells you that the guy standing in front would interfere doesn't know what they are talking about.)

[Eric_The_Mad]

Here's one: What's the difference between a sickle, a scythe, and a kama?

The other respondents to your post did a admirable job of explaining the differences. But I do feel compelled to point out one thing about scythes... They need a LOT of room when they are used to harvest wheat, etc. I see no reason why using them in combat would be any different. I would, to be quite honest, be pleased to see somebody using a scythe come up against me. If I can avoid his first swing, it will take him time to bring it back up and into the ready position. I'd most likely step forward, using my body or shiled to block his attempt to return the scythe to the "ready" position and thrust at his torso while it's exposed. His only options would be to take it like a man, retreat backwards to free up his weapon, or drop the scythe and draw a backup weapon.

Important Fact To Keep In Mind: A lot of things sound cool as hell to turn into weapons, but the reality is that they just don't work. Just because you read it in a book or saw it in a movie... doesn't mean it's actually effective.

(Trust me on this. The story of a guy showing up at a SCA fight practice, and claiming or trying all sorts of funky martial arts things and getting his butt handed to them are so common, it's a cliche.)

[sktarq]

Glaives and halberds (and most pole arms) are classified (at least in my understanding) by the shape of the pointy metal thing on the end of the shaft.

In large part...though the end piece may not be pointy (insert lucerne hammer-ouch!) Another factor is how the metal part is attached to the pole part...socket, tang, etc etc.. Also there is much confusion even in scholarly circles about certain types of polearms and what defines them...some polearms were used but would be called a half dozen different things by different scholars. Some of this is due to different items have the same name in different places.

Again, I'm not comfortable making a blanket statement of when polearms were developed. Most theories I've heard is that they started out as pruning tools in the hands of peasant levies and some genius decided that if they were made especially for war, they'd be more effective.

Many of martial types were actually various refinements on the ancient and ever popular spear-grandaddy of all polearms. Many of the specific weapons were actual attempts to turn anything at hand into a spear like object as quickly as possible.


Final word of Scythes....they can be used as weapons...very effective ones but they need tons of room and extreamly skilled users....an exotic weapon in DnD terms to say the least. Really it is more of a quarterstaff with a deadweight hanging from one side that cause horrible wounds if you find the exact right oppertunity.

[Eric_The_Mad]

About armor...

Armor sucks to wear. It feels cool as hell when you first put it on, and you feel ever so studly. But after some exertion, ie running around, trying to connect a telling blow on a opponent while dodging their attempts to do the same to you, it stops being quite so fun to wear. The higher the AC, the more hot,sweaty and tired you'll most likely be, unless you have a enchantment on it. But, last time I checked, I didn't see any enchantments in the DMG like "air conditioned".

"What does this mean to me", the adoring crowds at the feet of the faux sage cry? It means that at the end of the day of hiking and riding hither and yon across the countryside, or a few hours crawling around in a dark, perhaps claustrophobic dungeon waiting for something to jump out at you... You are NOT going to be wearing that suit of armor to bed, unless you are simply too exhausted to take it off. And if you do try to sleep in it, you are going to wake up miserable. Stiff and sore, feeling yucky because you never had a chance to air off that dried sweat, didn't sleep well because of the way the gorget (the part of the armor that goes around your neck) was poking into your neck and collarbone...etc. Sleeping in a gambeson (equivalent of padded armor)...maybe. But not plate, etc.

The same goes true for "I've been on this ship for two weeks. Of course I've had my shiny metal armor on." Sea Air is, to some extent, CORROSIVE. As in, bad for shiny armor. If that doesn't do it, then keep in mind that refreshing salt air is going to leave salt on the skin of your hapless hero. Imagine how fun it's going to be if he starts sweating, and that salt gets into his sensitive parts.

And when they are in town... OK, you did insist sleeping in your armor when you camped. (Think about chopping or gathering wood for a fire, after a full day's travel, with 50 lbs of metal on your back... Yeah, right) You're probaly going to smell horrible, and be grimy and grungy as hell, even if you haven't developed some interesting skin disease. The last thing you are going to want to do is wear that damn suit around town. If nothing else, think of it this way... Your armor is part of your job. How many people wear their id tags or their uniforms on their day off? Plus, there's always the fact that it will scare the peasants (obviously expecting a fight...where?) raise the local guards curiosity (Why's he armored up?)
and the local aristocrats and gentry and other Folks We Want To Impress will just think you'er either insane or a idiot or both.

[Eric_The_Mad]

Also there is much confusion even in scholarly circles about certain types of polearms and what defines them...some polearms were used but would be called a half dozen different things by different scholars. Some of this is due to different items have the same name in different places.

Well said, very well said, and a WONDERFUL point. In fact, that problem exists with MANY weapons. A good example is the "claymore". I've seen what would be longswords with basket hilts (a basket of metal which protects the hand holding the hilt) called claymores, but I've also seen what would be classified as two-handed swords called the same thing. Both parties will insist they are right, and have documentation to back them up. Whose right? *shrugs* I am simply knowledgable, I'm not a expert.

So keep in mind that when I refer to a weapon, and it doesn't match up with your idea, we may have encountered a difference in nomenclature.

[sktarq]

About armor...
But, last time I checked, I didn't see any enchantments in the DMG like "air conditioned".

This does exist but it is in one of the supplements-FR ones first i believe...."cool" if memory serves. Originally invented for the Calim desert.

Well said, very well said, and a WONDERFUL point. In fact, that problem exists with MANY weapons. A good example is the "claymore". I've seen what would be longswords with basket hilts (a basket of metal which protects the hand holding the hilt) called claymores, but I've also seen what would be classified as two-handed swords called the same thing. Both parties will insist they are right, and have documentation to back them up.

I've seen that too....but it seems to do more with age...it seem most people agree what is and is not a claymore for most of its existance...as opposed to longsword and targe fighters...but towards the end of its popularity what is a claymore seemed to go to "whatever as longs is it is a largeish sword from scotland".

Cooling to be exact.

Thankyou...

As for sleeping in armour being silly even IN game:

Roughly 8th lvl, 5 players...we are currently in what amounts to Delft in the Neatherlands....

Just click on my name...

[Eric_The_Mad]

This does exist but it is in one of the supplements-FR ones first i believe...."cool" if memory serves. Originally invented for the Calim desert.

A most sensible modification, and kudos to whoever came up with it. Now, we just need ones to cause sweat to evaporate, keep the padding and the leather strapping from rotting,decaying or otherwise getting nasty, and maybe something to keep the rust and tarnish off.

[Nasrudith]

Cooling to be exact.

[Eric_The_Mad]

Thankyou...
As for sleeping in armour being silly even IN game:
Just click on my name...

Thank you for that opening... You keep setting 'em up and I'll keep knocking 'em out of the ballpark. Or vice versa.

The armor donning rules in 3rd Ed. are, if anything, pretty darn generous. Some of the later suits of plate were so involved and had so many pieces that it DID require help from a squire, etc to put them on. However, most of those sorts of armor were for jousting situations, and not for actual war. But still, it's been a common experience for me, a fighter armoring up to take the field to need somebody else to tighten a strap that they just can't reach.

Now imagine trying to find all the padding (to portect you from blows and sometimes from your own armor), the various bits of armor that cover things like your hands, knees and elbows, your helmet, etc in the dark, or by the light of a campfire or a torch. Imagine having to do it in a hurry, while there are things approaching who want to kill you.

Fighters are *professionals* They're trained and experienced in doing stuff like that. I don't think Fighters get enough credit in AD&D. Too often they're treated like dumb thugs, when in reality, I think the way the Giant depicts Roy would be more accurate. Respect your fighter. He's the one who stands between you and the onrushing hordes while you figure out what spell to cast. what song to sing, if to sneak attack or simply fade gracefully into the distance... If there wasn't a guy in armor, taking it on the chin to give you time to do your thing, how long a life expectancy would you have?

[sktarq]

I think fighters would be better respected if int wasnt so often their dump stat. Though the easiest way i have found to cure the people who don't give the Fighter his due is to have a "No Magic" party....all fighters and skill based characters.

As for the donning of armour....while some just drop over the head and add gauntlets, helm and boots (chain haubrek) which i can see being put on before a battle comences i just don't see it with banded, half plate, or plate...too many little buckles and laces that have to be found and manipulated or tied..too many fiddly bits to work in the dark. HOwever it is one of those areas i gladdly give to game as it is a fantasy game....i will complain about HP long before i complain about armour donning times.....

Also in one of the stranger suppliments i saw there was an armor modification that had the cantrips clean and mend on it which would clean both the armor and the person underneath and keep the stuff in good condition. I think they cost +1000gp for the pair but it was a while ago so that number could be way off.

[McMouse]

Another question:

According to the PHB, it's fully possible to use a heavy lance on foot. How on -earth- does that work?

[Leperflesh]

Dunno if they changed it in 3.5, but in 3.0 some of the weapon weights are totally stupid.

Here are some examples:

Heavy Mace: 12 lbs
Falchion: 16 lbs
Greataxe: 20 lbs
Greatsword: 15 lbs
Sword, bastard: 10lbs
Sword, two-bladed: 30 lbs

I happen to have made swords. I've picked up dozens. I've seen perfect historical replicas.

You just can't effectively weild a weapon in one hand that weighs more than about 6 pounds. The PHB had the longsword at the high end, at 4 lbs. Yet we're supposed to believe that a two-bladed sword weighs THIRTY POUNDS??? It's beyond comprehension, or any kind of historical accuracy. I have a feeling the polearms are also over-weight, but I don't know enough to say so for certain.

Granted many of the above weapons are supposed to be two-handed... but even two handed, you'd be exhausted after just a few seconds trying to swing these things around. The biggest claymores and broadswords I've ever seen couldn't have exceeded 10 or 11 pounds, and they were basically parade weapons with little practical use.

A six pound mace is more than enough weight to crush through heavy plate armor, yet they provide us with the 'heavy' mace, and it's a monster, despite being a 'medium-size' simple weapon. By comparison, I made a sword using a 2.5-pound hammer... the biggest cross-peen they had at the shop. And it was an utterly exhausting experience, after just three or four heats (maybe 20 to 30 seconds of concentrated hurried hammering). Your typical house-hammer weighs less than a pound, including the shaft.

Want to test my theory? Go get a fifteen pound weight. Like a little bar bell. You can try this next time you're in a sporting-goods or fitness store.

Grip the weight in your fist, allowing your hand to rest down at your side. Now, raise the weight to shoulder-height, without bending the elbow, arm directly out away from your body.

If you manage that, do it ten more times. Try a few one-handed swings.

Okay, I can see an extremely strong person managing it... but there are no strength restrictions on these weapons in the PHB. We're to believe a cleric with a STR of 8 can use a 12-pound heavy mace effectively in battle... that's ludicrous.


Okay, on to my second gripe: the Type.

Many of the larger swords are listed as slashing-only weapons. That's garbage. These swords were rarely that sharp. To be sure, they'd easily hack off a limb if you caught it right... but even against an armored foe, there's enough force at the end of that three foot lever to crush armor and bone alike. If you swing your ludicrously-heavy 15 lb Greatsword at a skeleton, believe me, it's going to be flying apart in a shower of shattered bones.

In my game, I give several of these weapons classifications as Slashing AND bludgeoning. All of the war-axes fit in this way (you can use them in a swing to slice, or in a power-chop to crush, even moreso than you can do this with large swords).

There also clearly should be a hammer/pick type weapon that gives both piercing and bludgeoning damage, depending on whether you strike with the pointy or the flat end of the weapon's head.

The many or most of the pole-arms should be capable of both piercing and bludgeoning damage, and some of them slashing as well. The sheer weight and leverage afforded by swinging a hunk of metal at the end of 8 to 14 feet of pole will cause horrible crushing damage even to an opponent whose skin is utterly resistant to slicing.

I figure they picked a lot of these designations out of a desire to make various weapons 'balanced', in terms of price, reach, damage types, damage dice, and crits... but I think they did a historical disservice in doing so. I've made a number of house-rules to correct the issues in my home game.

Have they fixed any of this ludicrousness in 3.5?

-Lep

[Shiyuan]

Well said, very well said, and a WONDERFUL point. In fact, that problem exists with MANY weapons. A good example is the "claymore". I've seen what would be longswords with basket hilts (a basket of metal which protects the hand holding the hilt) called claymores, but I've also seen what would be classified as two-handed swords called the same thing. Both parties will insist they are right, and have documentation to back them up. Whose right? *shrugs* I am simply knowledgable, I'm not a expert.

So keep in mind that when I refer to a weapon, and it doesn't match up with your idea, we may have encountered a difference in nomenclature.

Allow me to be of use to a fellow History major. The two-handed Scottish sword that everyone likes to call the claymore is NOT the claymore, but rather the "Claidheamh da laimh", or "two-handed sword" as it is called in Gaelic. The basket-hilted sword used later by Scots is actually the true claymore, which is named "Claidheamh-mor", which means "large sword", something that the basket-hilted claymore was for its time period.

I could give my own long spiel about my qualifications with weapons, but I'll spare you all the boredom, and only give explanation about my background when asked specifically. I shall join Eric the Mad, SKTarg, and Gorbash Kazdar in their efforts to ease your equipment woes.

Oh and btw, armor does suck to be in :P; but as a tangent of my own, I must say plate armor is actually not very restricting or clumsy at all. From personal experience with a full suit of plate and also lots of recent findings in historical research of plate armor, the new verdict is that plate is damn sexy and uninhibiting. If you've worn replica plate armor or something like it, and it severely or even moderately impedes your range of motion, don't trust the maker, it's likely being made incorrectly based on a popular myth and incomplete techniques from actual armorsmithing manuals. I had the wondrous opportunity of being allowed to strap on a suit of authentic (antique one could call it) German fluted plate when I visited a relative in Bayern (Bavaria for you English only types), Deutschland (Germany). Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

[Truespeak]

Okay, here's a few for you:

The Kukri; a neat weapon, but how was it used? I remember hearing / reading / seeing somewhere that kukri fighters are extremely dangerous and were used up through like WW2 o_O what are some of the techniques used when fighting with a kukri?

And another; were melee weapons ever used 'backwards' as a standard for fighting? e.g. holding a wakizashi / kunai / shortsword so that the blade faces away from your opponent. I've mentally tried to picture the effectiveness of this 'technique' and it seems to lack flow. I've seen it in movies and video games and while it looks cool, i've often wondered how practical it really is.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Another question:

According to the PHB, it's fully possible to use a heavy lance on foot. How on -earth- does that work?

Pretty well, actually ;) The thing is that the well-known appearance of a lance is actually based on a tourney lance - designed specifically for use on horseback, to break on contact, and to cause minimal damage (at least, as minimal as possible). A proper fighting lance is much more like a longspear with an elongated head and special grips lower on the haft. A footman could simply use a lance like a longspear or pike (two-handed). Also, there was a common practice of cutting a riding lance down a few feet when a knight expected to fight on foot, to make it easier to wield (At Agincourt, Henry V specifically instructed his dismounted knights not to do this, and it turned out to be a key factor in his victory).

Okay, here's a few for you:

The Kukri; a neat weapon, but how was it used? I remember hearing / reading / seeing somewhere that kukri fighters are extremely dangerous and were used up through like WW2 o_O what are some of the techniques used when fighting with a kukri?

The kukri is a heavy machete-like knife, with a reverse curved blade. It is as much a tool as a weapon. The use of the weapon is fairly simple - hack and slash. Basically, any fighting technique for a big, slashing knife or short sword would work well. Its effectiveness stemmed as much from the wielders - the Gurkha, who were a warrior tribe that gave the British a real fight in Nepal - as from its inherent properties. In any case, in many wars soldiers find themselves in hand-to-hand combat, where a strong, heavy blade like a kukri is very effective. The curve of the blade is such that its more like swinging a small axe than a knife, but it can cut like a knife as well. The axe like property is because the blade curves in, then out, creating a moon-shaped curve at one portion, so only a small part of the blade makes contact - putting all the force in one small part. Also, the balance is out towards the end of the blade, making it very effective for big, slashing strikes, but its also lighter than a hand-axe and thus quicker. I own one myself, and it is by far my favorite knife.

And another; were melee weapons ever used 'backwards' as a standard for fighting? e.g. holding a wakizashi / kunai / shortsword so that the blade faces away from your opponent. I've mentally tried to picture the effectiveness of this 'technique' and it seems to lack flow. I've seen it in movies and video games and while it looks cool, i've often wondered how practical it really is.

I'm not entirely sure how you mean this - do you mean holding the weapon so the haft is presented to the foe, or so the blade is pointing down, or so the non-sharp portion of the blade is facing the opponent, or what?

For the first, that's actually a classic style for the lucerne hammer and other two-handed hammers and axes. You use the end of the haft like a staff to jab at and unbalance your foe (it can do some decent damage this way, even kill!) until you have an opening to bring the heavy striking surface into play. It was favored since the weapon was otherwise quite slow.

Holding a knife or short sword with the blade pointing down is, well, old school - as in middle ages. The idea is to stab down at the opponent, often at the neck or shoulders, where there was likely to be a chink [I meant hole or weak spot, you crazy word filter!] in the armor. Often a small blade would be held in the off hand in this case. Modern knife fighting techniques have the blade held up for slashing, since generally both fighters are not armored (but an downward stabbing blow to the neck is still a favored method of dispatching an opponent quickly).

Just occured to me - do you mean holding the blade so its behind you, rather than between yourself and your opponent? If so, the advantage there is that your get more power behind the blow, and in some weapons the natural arc of the swing lends itself well to such attacks - may actually even be easier to control in that method. The disadvantage is, of course, that the attacks are slower and more obvious, and the weapon is not in place for defense. However, some skilled fighters practice moving to defense from this kind of stance, so the difference there is not always as great as expected. Finally, having the blade behind your body makes it harder for your opponent to see, which can be a big advantage, since its harder for them to see where you're attacking from.

Otherwise, I need a bit more clarification of your question...