How Would You Arm Your Assassins? (pic heavy)

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Saintofm
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How Would You Arm Your Assassins? (pic heavy)

Post by Saintofm »

Not sure if this goes here or History of the Druchii, but this is safe enough.

After watching some videos on Youtube, I thought: hay what would be cool weapons an Dark Elf Assassin have in their arsenal?

So Here’s the gist of the thread:

Realworld weapons (or weapons rumored to have been used) that a Dark Elf Assassin might use. Scratch that, add video games, books, movies, and comic books (its fantasy…Just go with it).
In no particular order, and trying to limit this to ten weapons a post:


1. Assassin Hidden Blade (The Assassin Creed Series):
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It’s a hidden weapon that can pop out in a moment’s notice and can be easily concealed. Works well singular or in pairs.

Why I like it: a concealable weapon, can pop out in a jiffy, and I can see a handful of assassins being more mechanical minded trying something like this.


2. Bladed Fans (Used in ancient China and Japan, but in popular culture its the choice weapon of Kitana from Mortal Kombat:
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Popularly used in China and Japan, by women and Samurai respectfully. Basicly it looks like a regular fan you wave yourself with, with metal blades (although I have heard sharpen wood could be used). Without the blade You could deflect another weapon with such a fan. With the blades you have something stronger to perry with and a killing weapon in your own right.

Why I like it: Its unexpected. It can look like a status of high society, but in the end it’s a killing tool.


3. Flying guillotine (Ancient China, but a popular weapon in kung fu fiction):
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Supposedly used by a Chinese emperor’s personal assassins. Its kinda like a evil Frisbee. You throw it over a target’s head. The Wooden ring would go over the person’s head, and as it would go down to the shoulders a sack that is built into it would cover the head. With the pull of a chain, several blades would sever the head, and you had a trophy/proof of success. Note that there is no proof that this actually existed, and mostly lived in legends, folk stories, and rumors.

Why I like it: It is both a terror weapon, and one that allows you to do two actions at once: Kill a foe, and bring back their head. Granted I doubt you’d see this in the battlefield, but an officer in his tent or a important individual in a palace would be an easy target.


4. Katar (Indiea, and for you Soul Caliber fans, Voldo's weapons of choice):
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A large punching dagger, and one you can see on the corsairs and assassin. The weapon had a vertical handle, allowing your punching action to penetrate the enemy’s flesh. A popular variant allowed you to squeeze the handle to let two more blades pop out. This allowed for a gorier attack, but also some defensibility to catch the enemies’ blade. Also, because it’s a piercing weapon, it is good about getting through most types of ancient armor (though I can still see most plate armor stopping it).
Why I like it: It looks awesome, in that scary kind of way.


5. Kpinga (Africa, most Notably the Zunde Tribe):
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You might have remembered this from Deadliest warriors. I strange throwing knife (and this is a stretch in my opinion, but I’m not complaining with the results) makes a strange whistling sound as it flies through the air. With a vertical throw it can bounce off a shield and into another warrior. Oh, and the back blade by the handle is a phallic symbol meant to show the pride of the thrower. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kpinga

Why I like it: Its mostly the sound, and something akin to it would be fun for an assassin. The last thing a guard hears is a whistling sound that pierce their ears, and puncture the neck (or decapitation works, it is fantasy).


6. Cestus (Rome):
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The First Boxing glove. It was used by Gladiators to beat eachother into bloody bits. It was leather with iron spikes, tearing into flesh and adding a increasing the damage due to the power of the fist hitting you with the smaller points. The spikes could shred flesh on their own, but with the force of a punch going on smaller points, it focuses all that energy. If you could break someone’s jaw without the Cestus, you could smash their skull with it.

Why I like it: Its simplicity is the main draw. It can brutalize a foe, but at the end of the day it’s a leather glove with some spiky bits, and that’s what makes it perfect.


7. Kusarigama (Japan):
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The Chain (Kusari) Sickle (Gama) of Japan. A ninja’s ability to disappear had little to do with magic and more to do with blending in, and if they played the part of a peasant they samurai wouldn't give them a second look. So much of a ninja’s arsenal were modified farm tools. A pair of Kama’s could do some damage, but add a chain and a weighted ball at the end of it and you get the kusarigama. The weight, say a metal ball for example, could be used as a bludgeoning weapon, but it could also keep a samurai at a distance by swinging it around, or more importantly , entrap the target by wrapping around an arm. Once this happens, the ninja could pull the samurai down, or pull him in close at their own pace and use the kama as a finishing blow.
Why I like it: Mostly for the cool factor, but its also a perfect weapon for highly skilled and highly armored foes.


8. Kusari-Fundo and Nine section Whip (Japan and China Respectfully):
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Image

The Weighted Chain of Japan and the Chinese Whip respectfully. K have both here as basically its a weapon that is basically a weight at the end of a chain, and through slightly different in look they fall under the same purposes: Bludgeoning power! The former is simply a chain with a weight at the end. The length of chain varies, usually between 12 and 48 inches, as was the shape and size of the weight (some were round, some were rectangular and so on). Regardless the job was the same: when a sword was out of the question, throw the weight in someone’s face and either disorient or knock them out. Used by ninja and Edo Period Samurai Police. The very image of a big thing in a little package.

The Nine Section Whip not so little and is something you might remember from the Shaolin Monk vs Maori Warrior episode of Deadliest Warriors. The links were metal rods connected by chains. Whips are called soft weapons, and if I had to guess is either do to the flexible nature of the whip or someone was being a wise guy in naming it. At the end there is a solid weight meant to beak bones, and in the hands of an expert it is memorizing to watch both in the artistry involved and the skill and coordination the user has of not hitting himself with the thing. This is because you spin the weapon around you, and if you are not careful, could hit you. When done right, the spinning can distract a foe. In the episode of Deadliest warrior they had a red fuzzy bit near the end, mostly for a visual cue of the user.
concealable, perfect for real assassins of the period. In battle this was your plan be weapon as when the sword or spear fails, this can save your life.

Why I like them: Again simplicity and deadliness. Whip it out (no pun intended) and bludgeon someone to death. It could also be a perfect way to show one’s skills.

9. Chakram (India, but is probably most associated with Xena who usualy depicted being in the Mediterranean):
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The choice weapon of Xena Warrior Warrior Princess, it is a metal wring that is flat on the bottom and slightly curved on top (making it more aerodynamic) The inside was dull, while the outside is razor sharp. A Sihk warrior would carry a handful of them, and throw them. For practice, they tested them on Sugar Cain which looks like Bamboo and has is about is tough. If a ring could cut through on of these, it could go through bone, thus you had a weapon that could take off heads or arms. Not bad for a weapon you spin around your finger to get going.
Why I like it: It looks cool, and can cut cleanly in the flesh.

10: Sleeve Arrow(China):
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A surprisingly sophisticated weapon from centuries ago. It was a spring-loaded weapon that could fire an arrow up to 30 paces away. Hide in your sleeve, walk up to your target, and kill him.
Why I like it: This is something you expect in a spy story, fantasy, or any historical fiction that plays fast and loose with history and physics, yet this is real.

And some sources for your enjoyment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKDD_EI ... U&index=15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQfFO04 ... U&index=21
Last edited by Saintofm on Fri May 23, 2014 3:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Amboadine
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Re: How Would You Arm Your Assassins? (pic heavy)

Post by Amboadine »

Nice read. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
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Saintofm
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Re: How Would You Arm Your Assassins? (pic heavy)

Post by Saintofm »

Thanks. I figure this was a good way to get some ideas jotted down, share them, and see if anyone would like to come up with their own weapons of choice.
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