I wonder then, has anyone consulted a more modern encyclopedia to see if there has been any changes made for the better?
Well, I don't have access to a modern copy of the World Book Encyc. but here's what the current Encyclopedia Brittanica has to say--
Armor:
"By 1400 suits composed entirely of plate armor were in general use for mounted knights. Such suits weighed about 60 pounds (27 kilograms), practically twice as much as a complete suit of mail. The plate armor was more comfortable, however, as it was supported by the wearer's body at all points. An armored knight on an armored horse could readily trample down foot soldiers. As the weapons of foot soldiers further improved, the knight increased the weight of his armor and lost some of his mobility.... The struggle for superiority between armor and missiles never ceased. Armorers tested the armor against the powerful crossbow bolts and bullets to prove it, and this meant making the plates heavier and heavier if they were to continue to be effective. In the 17th century, reinforced armor became unbearable to wear while marching long distances in quick time, and it was discarded piece by piece."
A bit better, but here's part of their entry under "Sword:"
"The heavy two-handed sword of the Middle Ages was abandoned as soon as the invention of firearms destroyed the usefulness of armor. Its place was taken by the saber, the rapier, and the smallsword. With these lighter blades swordsmanship became a fine art."
Apparently, everything up until that point was just hacking and slashing with "heavy" weapons. <img src="/forum/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />
