Ashin's Sword

[Ashin Varanin]

Image source: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Mistborn-Vin-II-v-2-122875838

Intent: To create a sword suitable for a Master with a suitable skillset, who often finds herself in combat against large groups.
Development Thread: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/9614-dark-harvest-brawl-of-the-dead/ - Ashin finds herself holding a very important door against a very large zombie army without the benefit of a very large sword, and decides to create such a weapon.
Manufacturer: Ashin Varanin
Model: N/A
Affiliation: Independent
Modularity: No
Production: Unique
Material: Turadium, alchemized handle region
Description:
This is not a weapon for everyday use, or for duelling. In any kind of combat against an experienced swordsman, this is not the sort of weapon one uses to gain an advantage. It is designed for one specific wielder and one specific set of circumstances. While it could theoretically be wielded by a young rancor or a large Herglic, this sword was meant for relatively short-term use by a Master with a heavy focus on physical enhancement and 'tanking.' Its effective range of use is constrained to broad sweeps against large groups of enemies. The sword is carved out of a solid slab of turadium, a partially lightsabre-resistant metal used in expensive high-security blast doors. Impact against lightsabres scars the blade, sometimes deeply. The handle has been treated with alchemy to increase its resistance to lightsabres. This is not a true Sith Sword; its forging and alchemization are both relatively basic. Its disadvantages are extreme (massive weight being foremost among them), much like a humanoid trying to wield a weapon designed for Wookiees, Whiphids, Houks or Herglics. In very specific circumstances, however, and when the blade can be transported to the site, it can turn various tides in unique ways.
Classification: Sword

Size: Two-handed
Length: 2.8m
Weight: 55kg
Other Features: Handle fully resistant to energy weapons, including lightsabres. Lesser but significant resistance throughout the blade, due to material of construction. Leather-wrapped hilt. Shiny.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

I don’t think you appreciate just how impossible it would be for a human to wield such a large, heavy sword.
For a start, this weapon is roughly 10-15 times the weight of the heaviest real weapon ever created on Earth, and as long as a short sarissa pike.
Even if Ashin could carry it (and I’m assuming she has some way of doing so), the centrifugal force involved and the impracticality of using such a weapon is immense. A swing of this weapon would be quite useless against any opponent which was not stationary because the swing would be slow and easily avoided. What’s more, even if it hit one opponent it would stop there, making the wielder vulnerable whilst the hefted and swung again.
This weapon cannot cut through several enemies at once as you seem to apply.

I was tempted to deny this outright, but for the sheer absurd audacity, I want to hear your thoughts on it.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Between caber tosses, hammer throws, and this guy's end result, it's in the same ballpark as rationality. That, and I never said or implied it'd cut through multiple enemies. We both know that very large swords shove as much as they cut. I'd contest the stationary-enemy clause, too; if an army's running at you, the individual has nowhere to go. You're going to hit SOMEthing, and it's going to get mauled and bowled over, and if they get too close you drop this unwieldy piece of crap and clear some room with a lightsabre. It's a very specific thing for very specific scenarios.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

The heaviest weapon I’ve ever found was actually used in battle was about 4kg, and that was a zweihander from the 16th century. Even that was considered excessive and used mainly for looking impressive. Most swords, contrary to popular opinion, were in the 1-2kg range with largest bastard and two handed swords making maybe 2.5-3kg. The thing is, even at that small weight it has a lot of mass and a lot of force behind a stab or slash. More often though these large weapons were used to fend off pikes and to stab enemies.

A 55kg weapon is like lifting and swinging around more than 2 bags of cement using a weapon 1.5 times the height of the user. The reason why polearms never had especially long blades is because they needed to be gripped far down the shaft, and they were never used for slashing, and they were much lighter than this. Even the heaviest pike was 8-10kg, and that was over 6 metres long…but it couldn’t do anything but stick out and stab things. It certainly couldn’t be whirled around, and after battle was usually separated in half for easier carrying. How the user is supposed to carry this thing around, especially inside, also seems rather impossible.

If this were a medieval RP I’d vaguely agree with the whole ‘army running at you’ thing, though even then that’s not how it worked. But this is Star Wars, the enemy stands back and shoots 99% of the time, or they use a lightsabre and can avoid this lump of metal whirling around.
Even if the user was whirling around like a Night Goblin Fanatic, they’d pretty quickly either collapse from disorientation or head off in the wrong direction and hit something they don’t want to.

So, on the final review, this weapon is far too impractical in specification and use. The situation it’s designed for is noted, but I also note that this weapon would not be especially useful in that circumstance.

So, you can either drop the weight down to 5kg and the length to 1.8 metres, or I will deny this. It’s only because I fear you’ll send ninjas after me that I’m not denying this right now.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Lol, Pete, if that's your evaluation, feel free to deny. I don't take this stuff personally. I'mma go write up ANOTHER sword.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Then it is denied.

I get first dibs on your weapon submissions though…next thing I know you’ll be submitting a 100kg battleaxe.

You can Second Chance this if you want, naturally. And if whoever it is approves it I will beat them with a haddock.