Did samurai ever use shields?

[Xiaodun]

Originally posted by Rapax+Apr 1 2005, 06:15 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td> (Rapax @ Apr 1 2005, 06:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-ajimenez3@Apr 1 2005, 10:37 PM
A little off topic, but read farther up that Japanese did not ride into combat. Dose that mean that they did not have units of cavalry? Just curious.

They did have cavalry and they used it and to not further damage Deathdooms reputation, we shall not speak of it anymore. :whistle

Btw. it&#39;s Renaissance. [/b][/quote]
I have created a new thread on this, please look at it.

[Trax]

We have already had an expert writing about katanas for us
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index.php?s...100&#entry62584

[Xiaodun]

Originally posted by Trax@Apr 2 2005, 03:06 AM
We have already had an expert writing about katanas for us
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index.php?s...100&#entry62584

Trax theres nothing there.

[patagon]

They did, but their way of fighting limited its use to the lowly infantry. Probably due the the fact that the bulk of their armies were levies drawn from the peasant class, which made the use of polearms more cost effective as opposed to swords. A polearm is a 2 handed standalone weapon so you won&#39;t need a shield much. Swords such as those of the samurai were expensive. Now we look at the Samurai, whos unique system of honour made them disdain shields. Plus their way of swordfighting was very fluid and skill-based, using a shield would have been one heck of a burden.

Those swords can probably cut thru chainmail, but against plate armor I doubt it.

[Rapax]

Originally posted by patagon@Apr 2 2005, 03:55 PM
Those swords can probably cut thru chainmail, but against plate armor I doubt it.

I very much doubt that. Even today chainmail is used by police against knife wielding suspects or used by divers to protect against sharkbites. Of course it may be up to the quality of the chainmail but I think you would rather break someones arm with a blow than cut through his chainmail.

[patagon]

Those swords are not exactly light weight .... not knifes ... *tongue* anyway, Chainmail offers resistance, but against a determined attack it&#39;ll just give way. The advantage it had however was mobility. Plate Armor was way too heavy, and though it gave better protection.

[Adrian Laguna]

A well made steel (I don&#39;t know about the heavier nickle-iron) plate armour was sufficiently mobile and lightweight to allow a knight to do handstands and vault unto horses. The weight in a plate mail armour is distributed pretty well over the entire body, wereas the weight of chainmail rests entirely of the shoulders. A man is more likely to get tired of wearing chainmail than plate. The main disadvantage of platemail is that the knight wearing it runs the risk of overheating.

[Trax]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...topic=3181&hl=
this should work.

[Xiaodun]

Originally posted by Trax@Apr 4 2005, 09:48 AM
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/index...topic=3181&hl=
this should work.

Oh the thread where I first posted