Making Maces
The mace is a concussion weapon used to the break bones of its victims. It is heavy, solid, and very deadly. A solid mace hit could shatter the bones of even a well armored fighter. Maces existed in several styles from the primitive club to the more complex flail. Each style had its pros and cons, but what they all had in common was the simple concept of raw crushing power. The club was just a simple piece of wood with one end heavier than the other. This weapon was probably the first weapon ever used by mankind even before the stone age. With it, a person could bash another much harder than a fist alone while keeping the fist safe from injury. Stone heads enhanced the club making more powerful. Once metal became popular metal clubs could be made. The metal club looked similar to its wooden counterpart, except that is was heavier, and thus, more damage could be inflicted by it. The "barrel mace" or "cudgel" is often the name given to a metal club. Thanks to metal, the mace was able to take on more deadly forms. The flanged mace was made by shaping large protrusions on the head of the mace. This allowed for a mace to inflict more pressure in a smaller area allowing it to do more damage to armor and flesh. The ball mace, or maul, was a solid metal ball fixed to a handle. This weapon required great strength to wield it properly as it was very heavy. It was often spiked or riveted for added destruction. A solid hit from a ball mace could easily crush the organs of a fully armored foe. The flail was the offspring of a simple farmers tool. It is similar to a ball mace with a chain joint so the head can flex. With the ability to move the head could create a whipping action that could cause serious damage. Because it was rather cumbersome to wield, in an inexperienced hand, the flail could often hurt the wielder more than the opponent. The flail went by other names including the morning star, the bola, and the holy water sprinkler. As far as boffer weapons are concerned, the flail can be a very dengerous choice. Most boffer societies will not allow the flail, because it can easily get entangled around people's wrists and arms and cause severe damage. One major beneifit of the flail was that it was very useful against shielded opponents. Outside Links More coming soon... |
