Murderstrikes and Halfswording

[baron arem heshvaun]

When you grab the sword by the blade and fully bash somebody in the face with the pommel, that's what is known as a murderstrike.

When you grab the blade to help direct a sword thrust, that's halfswording.

Sounds like a recipe to cut off your fingers.

I was a little skeptical at first, but the video does show its not far off. Great versus skeletons and armored cavaliers.

More detail on murderstrikes and halfswording.

Maybe not Feats but Combat Traits.

For those interested the National Geographic Medieval Fight Book.

[Dustin Heaton]

It would probably help how you think of them to remember that the people using those techniques would be wearing gauntlets. Less cutting your own fingers off that way.

[baron arem heshvaun]

That part I readily visualized, it was more the "awkwardness" of the maneuver and the body weight combined with hand articulation needed to back that kind of attack which made me raise my eyebrow.

I've taken fencing in the past so I have familiarity with foils and épées, quite different weapons than those above to be sure, but there are some rudimentary thrusting moves that would seem difficult to execute with a double edged sword, the murderstrike in particular. But my skill level is not like the masters described in the video.

[Hama]

Also, the first foot or so of a greatsword was usually blunt.

One handed swordfighting cannot prepare you for two handed.

Murderstrike is pretty easy to learn, half swording almost natural if you need to aim.

[David Neilson]

You can more or less do this with the versatile weapon feat. It lets you do bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing with a weapon with which you have weapon focus.

[Kalshane]

Half-swording isn't just for thrusting. You can also use it for bashing with the pommel and a variety of different maneuvers for driving your opponent to the ground. It was typically used when facing an opponent in plate, as good plate can take longsword (a real longsword, which is closer to a Pathfinder bastard sword) blows all day long. You'd go half-sword so your thrusts have more oomph (which gives you a better chance of punching through the armor) and accuracy (to aim for the chinks in the armor) with the main goal of wrestling your opponent to the ground and finish him off there.

Same idea behind the "murder strike". Your sword blade will likely bounce off. But your pommel or quillions might dent his helmet in and, at the least, stun him, if not crack his skull.

[Hama]

Kalshane wrote:

ord, which is closer to a Pathfinder bastard sword) blows all day long. You'd go half-sword so your thrusts have more oomph (which gives you a better chance of punching through the armor) and accuracy (to aim for the chinks in the armor) with the main goal of wrestling your opponent to the ground and finish him off there.

Actually, swords weren't made to punch through plate armor. Half-swording wasn't used to add thrust (it actually reduced it), it was used to help a man aim a 4 foot sword into a place where the opponent WASN'T armored. Like armpits and some parts of legs.