Hypothetical Hurty Implements

[Torrey Jones]

Im currently working on a post apocalyptic graphic novel with a heavy ww2 influence and had several weapon and application questions I was hoping I could get some help with. Now first let me say I hate bringing these questions here as I feel that Im probably only wasting your all's time as its very out of period and I apologize for that. But this is honestly the best place to go for anyone who wants realistic information as opposed to unfounded nonsense. My story may be sci-fi but Id be ashamed as a student of WMA if I didnt at least try to have the combat make as much sense as possible. But enough ranting on to the questions!

1: In your opinions what would make the best melee weapons in regard to materials that a average civilian can obtain? Can be the material as is or jury rigged together. Be creative and lets have some fun with this one, lets say if you can find it in Lowes or Home Depot its fair game either to use or help make it.

2: What armour can you feasibly make and what would it be effective/weak against? Same rules apply if you can find it in a hardware or craft store or its fair game.

3: What manuals or weapons would you recommend as being a suitable reference for techniques and usage of your answer to #1?

Looking forward to reading your replies and thanks to all those who take the time to do so its greatly appreciated.

[Roger Norling]

Tricky questions here. But I will have a go, just for the fun of it.

You would probably have to bunch things into different groups.

#1. Top of the line stuff. There is no shortage of firearms in some parts of the world. Neither are bullet-proof vests and body armour. Given enough time these might become less common, but on the other hand I would assume new professional production of some kind would arise when they start disappearing. Also, these are not as common in other countries/regions.

#2. Spears, staffs and machetes/knives. These two would probably be much more common than blunt weapons and swords. The latter would probably be too complicated to make. A spear would be simple enough to manufacture and kan keep your opponent at a distance. They are also reasonably simple to learn. The knife would be used for close combat as a last resort, since fighting at such close range is very dangerous for both parties.

As for armour for this group, I would assume something light and ready-made like moto-cross/hockey/paintball armour, perhaps with some added plates attached.
Heavy armour would probably be seen as redundant, given that firearms would still be used and since it is too clumsy and cumbersome for everyday wear. This armour would still be vulnerable to any weapon, but gives the wearer somewhat better odds.

Also, many would likely not carry any armour, being "civilians". Spears and knives would probably used be these as well.

#3. Adaptive fighting. In a given situation the characters might find themselves without proper weapons and need to improvise something. Here anything can happen. Spears, maces, hockey sticks as war schythes, halberds made out of meat cleavers, war hammers made out or extended regular hammers. None of these would probably be primary choices if given enough time to prepare.

#4. Elite soldiers without firearms. If we assume that the firearms for some reason no longer are used. Then I think that various forms of halbers would be used. These would not be as heavy and hard to handle as many imagine, but rather quick and nasty, used both for cutting, thrusting and hooking. Basically they are handled like swords with a very long grip. I think techniques would evolve quite naturally for this category of weapon.

#5. Most people would probably be using very simple or no real "techniques", so referring to manuals is wrong in my opinion. It would be brutal brawling and most likely both combattants would leave with injuries, if they survive. However, if the main character has some training, then it is different.

#6. Sources. For spear, I would suggest Fiore Dei Liberi, Joachim Meyer and Hans Talhoffer. There are a bunch more, but many are derivative and the spear is handled very briefly.

As for dagger, there are so many that it is hard to choose. All the above also handle it, so perhaps these three sources are enough?

[Jonathan Hill]

1. Agreed with guns, my first stop in the impending zombie apocalypse is the sports store to get a shotgun, hunting rifle, crossbow, bow, all the ammo I can carry and skinning knife. Once we run out of ammo or for melee there is machete, hammer, axe, pick, hoe, shovel, pruner every hardware has them. A shovel is a spear with a large head, a pruner is a glaive, old weapons were actually modified farming tools, thus we actually still have many of them but they are optimized for farming not fighting, my wife doesn’t like me going to the gardening tools section of the hardware store, everything looks fun in there. Baseball bat is a mace.

2. A garbage lid can work as a shield, leather motorcycle jackets are pretty thick and will work for light cuts, that’s why the road warrior uses them Gardening gloves or motorcycle gloves, Dickies (looking at getting some for sparring in if they hold up as well as BDU’s,) Steel toed boots from construction supply stores.

3. As to manuals I would look at old broadsword manuals, the circle of cuts can apply to any weapon, a mace or axe would want to attack on the same lines. You will need to adjust for each weapon but the concepts are the same. There are also many living traditions for machete, especially in south America if you can find out much there but a machete is close to a cutlass and cutlass used the broadsword system.

[Roger Norling]

Actually, I think various forms of slingshots would be more common than bows and especially crossbows, at least at an early stage. They can be fairly easily made and can become very powerful. We used to make "crossbows" when we were kids, with thick planks and a rubber fan belt and they were nasty. With steel arrows they would have been brutal.

I really don't think picks, shovel and sledges would be common other than as improvised weapons and only for temporary use while looking for something better. Might look cool in a movie, but too clumsy and short reach.

[Roger Norling]

Oh, and reinforced padded clothing with splint armour using steel rods and chains... Simple to make from easily obtainable material, light and still very good protection from cuts and strikes.