Weapon History (Chapter)

> *"Remember kids, the 5 D's of Dagorhir: Die, Death, ....., **Killing**, Death and Dying!"*
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> **-Demorian, Verdish High-Command**
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### Wooden Weaponry

The first Antioch weapons were not foam-based in any way. They were constructed of solid wood and obviously were quite dangerous.

The first weapons were created from pine, but slowly that became unsuitable for the abuse the weapons would be put through. Eventually all weapons were constructed out of oak.

Weaponry quickly evolved to favor significant mass. As such two handed and one handed axes were some of the most devastating weapons around. Shields were often made out of 3/4 or 1" thick plywood to safely guard from heavy abuse.

In order to ensure weapons had a longer lifespan, they would be wrapped in colored duct tape.

It is important to note that the game was played very differently back then. for information on this, refer to the history of fighting style here.

Wooden weaponry was finally abandoned when a fighter was hospitalized from a throwing knife wound. (He required reconstructive plastic surgery)

### Bladed-Conquest Era

The first foam weaponry in Antioch was of the absolute lowest quality imaginable. It is important to note that there were no resources explaining where to obtain crafting materials, let alone how to make a safe weapon! In the Dagorhir community it was still common to see weapons crafted from a PVC pipe with a couch cushion duct taped to it.

Naturally Antioch was ripe with unsafe and brittle weaponry! Ridiculous experimentation was commonplace. Infamous examples include the sword that was filled with sand, the katana filled with water, weapons crafted out of terribly heavy iron bars, etc.

It was really common for weapons to not have pommels. Some weaponry even went without a cloth cover. What was by far the most common experience when using a bladed-conquest era foam weapon... was to have it break on you!

Shattered weaponry littered the field every practice. Of course the ego of a Verditian could never admit that it was because of poor engineering, so practice also included a healthy amount of accusation towards the member who broke the weapon!

There were many schools of thought concerning foam-smithing, but eventually all the major schools merged to pave the way for insurrection-era designs.

Weaponry from this era was so bad that Hrazlinne famously said **"The weapon doesn't truly hurt. Your nerves just aren't dead enough yet."**

**Incredibly dangerous practices were commonplace as well. Some examples include:**

* **All** weapons are throwing weapons
* Pommel strikes to the head will kill the opponent
* If you swing a spear and graze with the tip, it deals blue damage (our spears were not even almost safe enough on the shaft to do this)
* Punching and kicking an opponent is fine and encouraged.
* Flying kicks are also fine

There are *almost* no surviving weapons from this era.

### Insurrection Era

In the Insurrection Campaign, the first semi-standardized weaponry emerged.

As a whole, Antioch just didn't *believe* in DAP contact cement as an adhesive. We thought it made weapons too light and immediately labeled all DAP weaponry "pop-sickle sticks".

Weapons from this era were much safer than their predecessors and even had admirable qualities to them. Verdish philosophy on war produced much heavier weaponry than what was becoming standard. Antioch stuck to PVC as a dominant core type because it allowed us to use a second wooden core to ensure the weapon would not only be durable, but heavy!

Weaponry was purpose built to counter the equipment favored by rivaling groups. it had to be able to guard-break our enemies and inflict chaos into opposing lines through supreme force of arms. The crusade demanded it and as such the ultimate Verdish weapon emerged: The **Kelv**.

Kelv dominance at this time was so absolute that no other red weapon ever emerged as a contender.

Surviving weapons from this era are often called **'Relics'**

### War-Bound Era

War-Bound Weaponry, unlike previous styles, were built to maximize weapon speed while retaining enough power to break enemy warriors. The weapons mark the true beginning of Verdish research and development and saw many rapid changes to weaponry and the meta.

#### **The Prototype**

The prototype was the first Katana made from heavier grade fiberglass. Prior to the first War-bound weapon, Verdish smiths had experimented with using a single 3/8th inch fiberglass rod as a core. This obviously was not a good choice and ended in weaponry that was incredibly fragile. *(We received this advice from the foam-fighting community. We did not anticipate that these weapons were ever designed for the kind of warfare in Verdite.)*

Eventually some weapon experiments shifted to using 1/2" structural fiberglass. These weapons were very durable.

From this foundation, the prototype was born.

**Features**

* Dual ½” fiberglass core, the second core stopped where the blade began
* Rope wrapped handle
* Tsuka-maki wrap over the rope wrap
* Carpet tape adhesive
* Duct tape binding at base, on side, and at the tip.

This first attempt at tsuka-maki really caught the eye of the chapter and because of this the weapon endured heavy usage. Eventually problems came up.

**Problems**

* The ito (wrap) slid around on the handle because it wasn’t pulled tightly enough
* The handle was unusually thick for a blue sword and cut down on its maneuverability

These problems were put into consideration when the first generations of katanas were created.

#### **Generation One**

Several requests were made for this higher quality weapon. Katanas went into heavy production for the first time in years. Generation one took all the problems the prototype suffered and attempted to remedy them.

**Features**

* Removal of the rope layer on the handle for all future work, effectively thinning handles to the modern design
* Tighter pulled tsuka-maki that produced a sleeker look
* Dimensions were standardized and recorded for all further reproductions *(This may not seem like a major point, but it is the beginning of the standardized weaponry you find in Verdite today.)*

**Problems**

* The ito would sometimes slide at the very top into the handle to underneath the blade. This would cause unraveling in the upper handle.

The next generation was the beginning of a true trial and error process to incorporate the much requested stabbing tip.

#### **Generation Two**

Generation two’s biggest change was the implementation of other high quality weapons outside of katanas. Kelvs, Nodachis, Onos, etc. hit the armory with great reception. These weapons featured stabbing tip technology, something that Antioch had previously steered away from in most weapons.

**Features**

* A fuchi (a collar under the blade that stopped the ito from sliding upwards at all)
* Internal stabbing tip *(meaning between layers 2 and 3 of the blade, there was a piece of closed cell seat cushion)*
* Higher grade duct tape was used and more bonding straps were added to the tip
* Cores were sanded to increase adhesion.
* Alternating cross of the ito to reduce unravel risk

**Problems**

* The stabbing tips would snap on the back layer of the blade. The tear was always in the same area.

The problems with Gen-2 tips were originally thought to be from the internal stabbing tip. Before Gen-3 came out a Kelm class weapon and a few other weapons featured an external stabbing tip.

#### **Generation Three**

Generation three was a relatively short lived generation because the counter-measures used in Gen-3 were quickly discovered to be attacking the wrong source of the problem. It was originally thought that the adhesive from carpet tape was too weak to hold the tips of stabbing swords together.

The truth was that the foam itself was not strong enough to withstand that kind of pressure. So Generation 4 came into existence very soon after the second wave of generation three swords were distributed.

**Features**

* DAP as a primrary adhesive
* External stabbing tip
* Beginning of Hockey tape bonding instead of duct tape
* These weapons were the lightest variants made at this point.

**Problems**

* The stabbing tips would still snap on the back layer of the blade. The tear was always in the same area.

#### **Generation Four**

Generation Four is the first attempt at compound weapons. Generation four weapons created the first era of swords that would not have quick stabbing tip failures. The addition of 4lb density foam also increased the weight of weaponry, adding more stopping power to weaponry.

**Features**

* DAP adhesive
* Internal foam layers comprised of 4lb density foam
* Full hockey tape strength binding.
* Carved stabbing tips that have a wider base
* New cutting and template technique resulting in more symmetrical construction.
* 4lb density condensed foam cap on the tip of the core to prevent puncture
* 4lb density cap on the pommel

**Problems**

* Hit harder than other generations
* DAP bonds between the 4lb foam and blue foam were sometimes unreliable

#### **Generation Five**

Generation Five weapons were the first real attempts at using a new kind of striking surface foam. These weapons ended up being the safest weapons at the time and were not really trumped until generation 6 weapons hit the field. In this generation it was discovered that higher grade foams would actually absorb a fair amount of DAP. This was the mechanic responsible for weak bonds between the 4lb base and the blade foam.

**Features**

* All features of a generation four weapon
* Addition of compound blade layers: Including an Evalite top layer
* Evalite foam makes the weapons slightly lighter than generation four weapons
* Weapons hits feel better
* Dual layers of DAP on 4lb and Evalite foams

**Problems**

* Marine foam would break down faster than we wanted it to
* Stabbing tips would bend towards the side and often not return to shape

#### **Generation Six**

Generation Six weapons sought to take standard designs and further reduce their profile to allow for easier to wield weaponry. They are also the first generation to **fully** eliminate blue foam as a standard blade foam. Generation six weapons are the most common in the empire now. Offering excellent durability, stopping power, and speed.

**Features**

* Removal of blue foam as striking foam. Replaced with high grade cross-link polyethylene and Volara
* Replaced marine foam with higher quality Ensolite.
* New techniques for applying DAP that creates stronger more reliable bonds
* Blue weapons feature a routed 4lb base instead of a constructed box
* Some weapons included faux ray skin to give the handles a more authentic feel
* Stabbing tips utilized strapping tape as reinforcement to avoid the tips from bending
* Double sided weapons created to be sleeker and lighter.
* Upgrade to higher quality fabric to avoid tears.
* Introduction of mizu and tsuchi styled designs.

**Problems**

* Sometimes the volara blade will chip and shard instead of compressing. (important to note this usually takes months of heavy abuse)

#### **Generation Seven**

Generation Seven weaponry, unlike other generations, aren't exactly an answer to the previous generation's problems. Instead these weapons are specifically designed for Elite warriors seeking to add another stable advantage to their toolkit.

Generation seven weapons are faster, longer, and lighter than their generation 6 counterparts.

**Features**

* All the features of generation six weaponry
* All foam was cut on a machine, eliminating most of the inconsistency form hand-cutting. *(This feature has been retroactively applied to all new generation-6 swords)*
* Use of carbon fiber/fiberglass hybrid cores
* Introduction of tyvek tape as stabbing tip support *(This feature has been retroactively applied to all new generation-6 swords)*
* Thinner profile pommel *(This feature has been retroactively applied to all new generation-6 swords)*
* Always Mizu Style

**Problems**

* The weapons are so light that full durability has yet to be determined.

**Restrictions**

* Because of how much lighter the weapon becomes, generation 7 weapons are only suitable for blue weapons

#### **Generation Eight**

Generation Eight weapons take the principles of Generation 7 and expand them for red weaponry. **Generation 8 weapons were so powerful that they sundered an empire.**

**Features**

* Solid carbon core
* Thinner blade width
	+ For example, Red weapons that would traditionally get a 2" wide blade will have a 1.5" blade as Gen8
* Thinner blade depth
	+ Meaning that the long red weapons have the same blade dimensions as a standard katana
* New experimental ensolite tip

**Problems**

* The cores are very expensive, even compared to generation 7 cores
* Maximum core lengths often had issues with flex

**Restrictions**

* Because of how much lighter the weapon becomes, most generation 8 weapons are unsuitable for the black-class weaponry
* Applications for blue weaponry are still unknown

#### **Generation Nine**

Gen-9 weapons combine the most positive aspects of gen-6, gen-7, and gen-8 into one ultimate weapon.

Gen-9 have the lower weight of gen-8, with the stability and stopping power of gen-6, all with similar weight distribution to gen-7. Gen-9, like the previous generation, have effective core ranges that outshine gen-6. Meaning you can make longer red weapons that keep you effective in war.

Gen 9 has some other interesting properties. The base core for non 8 footers is roughly half the cost of gen-8 cores of similar lengths, making them a bit more accessible. But cores that exceed standard lengths are very expensive (such as 8 foot weapons)

Gen 9 weaponry is also the first generation since 6 to include designs for blue weapons, red weapons, and green weapons. Gen 9 blues offer maximum lengths while maintaining a 12 ounce weight. Gen 9 greens offer a slimmer profile than traditional pikes while also only being roughly half the weight. Gen 9 reds have a plethora of properties, the most promising being that weapons can be made at 8 foot lengths while still being minimal weight.

Gen 9 weapons have created a drastically different combat meta that has made any previous generation 6 weapon completely obsolete.

**Features**

* Modified carbon core
* Increased stopping power
* Less expensive cores compared to gen-8
* Fully rigid cores
* Offered a more diverse set of weaponry
* Gen 9 blue weapons have a 'thin blade' profile allowing for more precise attacks

**Problems**

* Cores are still more expensive than gen-6

**Restrictions**

* None