I don't think even Steve Jackson ever put this in a game, and yet it's a major weapon used by millions of people at one point, and whats more it's cool as hell.

introducing the Dha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dha_(sword)
http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/Decorati ... ource1.htm







While some Dha may look a bit like a katana, it's a completely different animal. Whats more, it comes in a myriad of different forms, some with inward curving blades like a kopis, some with square or flared ends, some very short some very long, some with long handles like a polearm some with short ones like a sword.

It's also very much like a European weapon known as a Falx, and before that a Rhomphaia, used by the Dacians and Thracians respectively (and mentioned in the bible) All in all, I have to say, where was this interesting and beautiful weapon hiding ?

Fortunately for us, I know someone who is one of the Wests most knowledgeable experts on this interesting weapon, Andrew Winston.

Andrew co-authored this fascinating article on South Asian weapons of all types...

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/co ... rticle.htm

..and personally owns a collection of numerous antique Dha, some of which I have seen photos of and they are breathtaking.

From that article you can see some of the more exotic variations of Dha or Dao, such as these









Hopefully Andrew will be willing to answer a few specific questions on these lethal beauties because I would like to add them to the Codex.

Here are a few Filipino weapons:

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/ph ... swords.htm

Thanks, Jean: I'm registered.

I'll jump back on and post some comments when I have a minute.


What's up, Thom?

Heyo!

what is the difference between Dha or Dao with the katana swords?

They overlap certainly, but some Dha have double-edges, which makes a difference in the codex rules, some Dha are also strait, which makes them handle differently in fencing, some are flared in their blade shape (being wider closer to the tip) which makes them more effective at chopping like an axe.

Dha are also often made with metal grips (frequently silver) which is heavier than the organic grips on a katana, making the point of balance a bit further up the blade on the latter (and making Dha handle a bit more like European swords).

Katanas and Tachis, (and various other Japanese swords) are made with special differential hardening techniques which make their blades a little more fragile but potentially very sharp and more suitable for slashing (draw cutting) which is a different type of attack from a chop in the codex rules.

G.

There were 2 weapons from the old Palladoim Wpn books that I always thought were cool, even though I never really used them in any of my games. I forget their names, but the first was a rounded rectangular shield with a spear-head or sword (can't remember which) pointing out from the top and bottom of the shield. The 2nd was a heavy African throwing blade that looked to have a couple of curving and sharpened arms.

I think the shield had a bonus to defense but weaker attacks, whereas the throwing blade did significant damage, but the details are all fuzzy as that was a LONG time ago.

Anyone remember them?

Don't remember the palladium weapon books but for your knife, perhaps something like one of these?







Those are african throwing knives.

I think I know the shield too but it will take a bit more digging to find it, stand by for that...

G.

Yep ... those are the knives.

The strength and skill required to use them well must be high. Could the shield be a variation of an adarga? For whatever reason that name keeps popping into my head.

Well so does the word arugala, but that is an entirely separate psychosis.

This is an indian shield I think called a 'madu' or something similar


http://sapir.ukc.ac.uk/PRM/prmroot.orig ... ndshie.htm