1257 replies to this topic

[dojob]

Unless it was a magical superbow :O

[{IP} Aridor]

That pretty much makes anything possible.

[Fyro11]

The wonders of fantasy (outside of Tolkien's realm of course).

But seriously, why did Yoda delete my post? It was on-topic, albeit funny.

[Pasidon]

Don't question Yoda's actions... he'll only lie.

You're actualy considering Spear-bows (Bow-Spears) as a good idea? You might as well make a horse that doubles as a sword too then.

[Lauri]

It was your idea

Or are you admitting you committed spam?


Anyways, of course bowspears are a retarded idea! Bows are meant to bend when you aim (aka, draw the string back)
So it could certainly bend when you try to stab someone with it... you'll be lucky if you deliver a scratch
Think of it as a rubber sword...

[Devon]

Remind me what it was scryer? Mighta been an accident

[Fyro11]

Remind me what it was scryer? Mighta been an accident

Well, lookie here...


How about bayonet style knives, two along the front end of a recurved composite bow, one near the top and the other near the bottom. Pull back the bowstring and upon releasing watch those knives rip into the Mordor orc whose frantically flailing a sword at you. Or, just scrap the whole thing and move...on.

Any word on guards patrol as an upgrade, which was previously pitched by Myrdin, I think?

[Devon]

You have to ask? You've got beta access...

Nothing much really being decided till rob gets back...

[{IP} Aridor]

The bladed bow thing is totally unrealistic. It would never work.

[Fyro11]

The bladed bow thing is totally unrealistic. It would never work.

Lol, no-one took it seriously from the onset, even the person that suggested it. Don't you worry friend.

[Pasidon]

Lol, no-one took it seriously from the onset, even the person that suggested it.

Hey, that's me!

Yea, scrap the bow sword (sword bow) idea. It was creative non-sence.

[Gr1m]

The bladed bow thing is totally unrealistic. It would never work.

Actually, me and a friend were thinking a similar concept through a few months ago, and it is relatively feasible, if you keep numenorian steel-bows in mind. Essentially the design would be akin to a shortbow, though with one end of the stave sharpened to have a blade edge roughly the length of a short sword or gladius, though contoured in a recurve bow shape. The other side would be a steel handle for the length of the stave, with a thickened portion at the recurve to act as a pommel to balance the weapon, and the handle would be wrapped in cloth to give better grip.

Though, at the same time, it'd be a poor weapon in melee, as it would require the bow to be restrung afterwards - the bowstring interferes with reasonable combat movement.

[Fyro11]

Imo, keeping the bow from bending is unavoidable, in the above mentioned scenario. You have some interesting ideas though, keep posting.

[Gr1m]

Though, if the bow were steel-crafted, like the numenorian ones were, then the strength of the bow would be much, much greater, and I think there is at least one reference to the fact that the range of these weapons was quite impressive, given their composition, and it says much of the strength of the archer in the first place. A bow made solely of steel would require impressive strength to make the bow bend, and though they were probably built to have less strength than, for example, a solid steel cylinder of the same size, they would still probably have a strength somewhat on par to, if not superior to, iron forged weaponry. Also keep in mind the average fighting Orc of the forces of evil uses poorly made armor in the best of situations, so it's not like the actual blade would need to have the same cutting power as a steel sword to be lethal to a soldier of Mordor, and that includes the consideration that the soldier even managed to get into melee range of the wielder in the first place.

It's not too far an imaginative belief to think these would work, imo. The problem, however, is the question as to whether a weapon of this sort is feasible in Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Actually, while I was thinking on this, I had a strange thought - did the Gondorians use steel bows as well? Or was the technology to make them lost with Numenor?

[{IP} Aridor]

No steel bows were both a lost art and men were no longer strong enough to use them. Though they could be used for Arnor.

[Gr1m]

No steel bows were both a lost art and men were no longer strong enough to use them. Though they could be used for Arnor.

That stands within feasibility - i'm almost certain steelbows were present at the Gladden Fields.

[mike_]

"No more than twenty, as the need for them in numbers was not suspected." -Unfinished Tales.

[{IP} Aridor]

The knowledge of how to make would be passed down and I am sure in the deep vaults of Minas Tirith there is the plans to make them, but for all intents and purposes it is lost. Even if Gondor found the plans the men of Gondor wouldn't be able to use them. It took the heroic might of the pure Numenorian blood to wield that powerful bow. Arnor was always more pure in blood than Gondor so at the time of the ROTWK the Arnorians could still have possible used the steelbows, abet in very small numbers.

[Gr1m]

That gives the chance to give Arnor a new hero horde. Imo, there's little differentiation between the royal knights and the knights of dol amroth, save a name and a skin. For all intents and purposes, they're the same, and there's no real individual feel to that slot when it comes to comparisons between Gondor and Arnor.

You couldn't really make them the long range archer unit, as that's covered by the Dunedain, unless you made them similar to the fountain guards - heavily armored elite ranged units for late game.

[{IP} Aridor]

They would be the most powerful archer in all of middle earth. Steel has way way faster shape memory speed(the technical term slips me at the moment). The insane spring speed would impart an insane velocity and acceleration to the arrow. In all a steel bow would be insane in range, power, rate of fire, speed of arrow, and accuracy. It would essentially be akin to a modern carbon fiber composite bow. The only thing is that it would take superhuman strength to pull that amount of a draw weight, good thing the Numenorians were rather super human. These would really make an awesome Hero horde. An arrow from that bow would have the power of a modern firearm. No armor capable of being worn by anything besides a troll could withstand it. The range was also extreme. Those bows were feared by all evil in middle earth. Steelbow archers make much more sense for Arnor as they staid closer to Numenor in their behavior and culture, and the Numenorians rarely used Cavalry. These Last of the Numenorian Knights would be truly a battle changing force. It would be like a more powerful Grey Company (who should be much more powerful themselves). Imagine a horde of six or seven Aragorns. You could call them the Nobles of Numenor or something.