What WEAPON IS BEST to DEFEAT CHAINMAIL? - YouTube Will speak only for myself, but since I was a young whelp just getting into “Fantasy RPG’s” back about 1983 or 84 I’ve always been partial to the mail of chain over the mail of plate. Must have read somewhere the virtues of the one over the other, whether it was a rule book, history book, or book on armor types.
Outside of being heavier and not doing much against a blow or those pesky bodkin point arrows. Other than that.
Games give plate a bad rap. It does not restrict your movement, I’ve seen a guy do a cartwheel in full plate. A suit of plate is lighter than a full chain hauberk. And you bear the weight over your whole body not just your shoulders and waist.
The only armor I own are a Viking helmet, an M2 helmet, and the boss for a viking shield I plan to build.
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Any narrow tipped weapon was a danger to chain mail, as were heavy blunt weapons or heavy bladed weapons such as the war axe (or great axe as it’s sometimes called). Normal arrows ceased to be a danger when welded link chain came around, but armor piercing arrows were soon developed. Barred and double-barred mail stopped that, but added to the weight considerably. Earlier, the Military Pick and the morning star were made to counter chain, later the epee and fencing foil made it obsolete.
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Never watched the video of someone putting on plate mail have you? It is attached over a suit of full chain mail, which is over an arming suit (padded or leather). Cheap guard’s plate weighed about 40 pounds total, Maxamillian type full plate 70+ pounds. Whoever you saw doing the cartwheel in it probably didn’t have the chain and arming suit on under it just for the video. It wasn’t nearly as restrictive as many believe, but it did take a decade or more to become used to the weight and movement restrictions (for knight’s plate and heavier) to use it effectively. Guard’s plate was lighter and easier to move in, but lower quality and thinner plates were usually used.
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Actually I have. It depends on the era of plate. In the case I saw there was chain oinly in places like the armpits. The armor was attached to an “arming doublet”, with ties and pins. There was no single weight bearing area. Knees, thighs, waist, shoulders, arms.
You did hear the part about this being what only the richest could afford? This was worn by kings and dukes, not by knights and soldiers. This is Maximilian plate or “Full Plate” as some games called it. It was carefully fitted to an individual and for that individual only. There probably weren’t 300 suits of this quality ever made historically. This isn’t the “Plate Mail” of fantasy games in general. Fantasy games are generally based on “Guard’s Plate” as I described before. Some include the heavier “Knight’s Plate” or “Field Plate”, with better protection and more weight that came with it. The majority of games are based in Ancient through medieval times, not Renaissance period, when Full Plate was first made. (Though being fantasy, they may merge and muddle timelines if they choose to, that’s part of the fantasy genre).
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I personally worn & performed in a mail hauberk and in plate. I much rather do so in plate, it’s not even a close decision. The mail felt a lot heavier & more restrictive than the plate. I sweated profusely the entire time I’ve worn mail.
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Nice gear. As a former backpacker I can tell you exactly why. It is all in how the weight is carried. At 16 I was hefting a 40 pound pack all day. It did not feel that heavy because of how the ridged pack frame worked. Chain is like a rucksack with no frame thrown over your shoulders, The 40 pounds will kill you. Plate is like the ridged pack frame, it redistributes the weight.
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Thank you. I am fully aware of how the weight of a load is distributed will help determine how difficult it is to shoulder the load. I had to march with a 75lb. load out more than a few times.
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You are, the average pseson is not.
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I hope you were not referring to me, as I am also ex-military. I’ve also had an interest in archaic arms and armor for 52 years.
Then I’m not refering to you.
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