Maces and Clubs

[DakAttack]

Has anybody had this conversation before? The weapons are typically classified as crushing or blunt, but there are a few examples that stand out as different. For example, every single mace in Skyrim could be considered an axe:



This is a basic steel mace, and looks more like a multi-bladed axe. Every single one that comes after it doesn't look any more crushing, they're all bladed. How is this classified? Would they be considered cleaving, as axes would? What about spiked clubs? Piercing, like rapiers?

[cidbahamut]

Re: Maces and Clubs

My guess would be that the primary means of inflicting damage with such a weapon is more the force of the blow, whereas swords and axes are designed specifically to cleave flesh. I'd wager it's more likely that it got filed with clubs and cudgels in some system way back when for arbitrary reasons of needing to include more blunt damage sources and it just became a standard thing to do after that.

You're right though, a lot of weapons that get labeled as "blunt damage" cover more than just that.

[Firewind]

Re: Maces and Clubs

Remember that an axe also delivers a lot of blunt force. Also making it look like a multi headed axes is more an aesthetic choice. Maces are basically just clubs with a weighted end. They're the same type of weapon at the end of the day.

The flanged mace looks more like this in real life:



Morning stars and spiked clubs are pretty much maces too, "Morning star" being the catch-all term used for any form of spiked mace or club.

It's a stylistic choice by video game designers that makes a traditional flanged mace look like a multi bladed axe. A weapon like the one in that picture would probably be classed as some kind of axe by a military historian I think.

Basically it's Hollywood History fucking things up and confusing people again. Except not really because it's a fictional setting.