V9: Weapons

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This page is part of the Official Amtgard V9 Alpha-Playtest Rulebook.
  • The Amtwiki is the official home and primary source for Amtgard V9 Rules as of February 25, 2023.
  • These rules are currently in Open Alpha Playtest. See the Playtest Disclaimer for more details.
  • To learn more about Amtgard V9 Development, please visit Amtgard.com.
  • To view the current Amtgard V8 ruleset, please see the Amtgard V8 Rulebook.




Weapons

Striking your opponent with a weapon is the primary way to interact with them in combat.

All Amtgard weapons are divided into a broad category such as ‘Melee’ or ‘Projectile’ as well as category-specific subtypes such as ‘Short’ or ‘Long’. Weapons in the same category and subtype have the same gameplay rules during combat. For example, a ‘Short’ melee weapon made to resemble an axe will have the same gameplay rules as a ‘Short’ melee weapon made to resemble a sword or club or even an atypical weapon like a lute.

The specific construction requirements for each weapon category and subtype can be found in the Equipment Construction section.

Some game types and special rules will restrict the weapons a player can use. See Combat Activities for more information. V9: Universal Weapon Rules (Construction)

Melee Weapons

General Rules

Melee weapons represent swords, axes, spears, flails, pole-arms and anything else that can be used to directly slash or stab an opponent in close combat.

  1. All melee weapons require a rigid core.
  2. Approved melee weapons may be used to strike with their Strike-Legal surfaces and block or parry with any portion of the weapon.
  3. Melee weapons can never be launched or thrown as a form of attack. Javelins are the only exception to this rule due to their ability to act as both as melee weapon and a projectile.



Dagger



Short



Long

Two-Hand Armor-Breaking Variant



Great

Two-Hand Shield-Crushing Armor-Breaking (SCAB) Variant



Reach

Two-Hand Armor-Breaking Variant



Pike

Two-Hand Armor-Breaking Variant



Flail

Different styles of Flail

Flail Head

  • Must be equal or larger than a 2.5" sphere.
  • Must be entirely Strike-Legal.
  • Cannot contain a rigid core.
Flail Chain
Example Flail Chain
  • The combined chain-and-head portion may not exceed 18" in length when gently pulled taut.
  • Must be constructed using soft, durable, non-abrasive materials, such as a cotton rope. Actual chains are prohibited. A rope-like core is not required as long as this section behaves like a chain and is not at risk of tearing apart under the stress of the flailing motion.
  • If the chain portion is longer than 0.5", it must include small foam rings (or equivalent design) spaced no further than 0.5" apart along the entire length.

Flail Handle

  • Must be at least 12".
  • 50% of the flail handle must be padded.
  • The top 1/3 closest to the chain must also be Strike-Legal.
    • This padding must begin at point where the chain connects to the handle and extend down the length of the weapon on all sides of the core (i.e. it must be Omni).
    • The amount of Strike Legal required cannot be reduced by Heavy Padding or Super Heavy Padding.


Flail Combat Rules
Only the head of a flail can inflict valid strikes, even though the handle segment also has strike-legal padding. This extra padding is intended to allow a player to strike the handle safely against other equipment so the flail can wrap around without damaging the struck equipment.



Madu

A typical Madu
  • Must meet the Universal Equipment Requirements.
  • Total length must be between 18" up to 108" (9ft).
  • Is a hybrid Melee Weapon and Shield.
    • Any shield with weapons permanently affixed to it will be considered a Madu and must conform to these rules.
    • Any weapon segments must be easily recognizable as weapons, and the shield portion must be easily recognizable as a shield.
    • The division between weapon and shield segments must be visually distinct.


Various Legal and Illegal Madu builds

Madu Shield Portion
The shield portion must be a legal shield.


Madu Weapon Segments
Madu weapon segments are measured from the point where they extend beyond the shield.

  • Must not extend outward from the face of the shield.
  • Must not articulate or have a chain like a Flail.
  • Must not mimic or offer similar protective coverage to that of a shield. If this is a case, the offending segments will count as part of the shield, not a weapon, and be forced to adhere to shield construction rules.
  • Segments intended to be Stab-Only must be at least 6" long.
  • Segments intended to both slash and stab must be at least 12" long.
  • Segments that measure 18" or less must be entirely Strike-Legal.
  • Segments that measure greater than 18" must have at least 18" of Strike-Legal Padding and have Incidental Padding for the remainder.
  • Padding Substitution can only be used on segments greater than 18" and cannot reduce the amount of Strike-Legal to less than 18".


Two-Hand 'Great' Madu Variant
If the total length of the Madu is 72" (6ft) or less, the following variation can be used:


Two-Hand 'Reach' Madu Variant


Madu-Specific Combat Rules

  • Madus do not have access to the variant options or gameplay rules of other weapon or shield categories, even if parts of the Madu are constructed to mimic those weapons or shields.
    • Example 1: A Madu constructed with a small-size shield will still take up a free hand and cannot be strapped to the arm without a handle.
    • Example 2: A super-heavy padded Madu that is between 36" and 48" will not gain Armor Breaking when wielded 2-handed because that variant is only available to Long weapons.
  • A Madu can only be wielded if the player can wield both a non-staff weapon of the Madu’s total length (weapon portions + shield portions) and a shield equal to or greater than the Madu’s shield's size.
  • The weapon segments can be struck and affected by weapon-specific effects such as Weapon Destroying, and the Shield portion can be struck and affected by shield-specific effects such as Shield Crushing and Shield Destroying. Once affected this way, the entire Madu is affected, for better or worse. If the weapon or shield portion is destroyed, the entire Madu is destroyed. If one part of the Madu is restored, the entire Madu is restored.



Javelin

Warrior with a Javelin


Javelin Hybrid Combat Rules



Magic Staff

A Wizard with a Magic Staff.


Magic Staff Combat Rules

  • Cannot be used to strike. It can only block.
  • Is a weapon. Can be destroyed like any other weapon.
  • Does not take up a Free Hand when casting abilities.
  • Players can only wield a single magic staff at a time.




V8 border axe hammer.png


Weapons
General Rules · Weapon Construction Terms · Melee Weapons · Projectile Weapons · Siege Weapons
Equipment
Equipment Basics · Equipment Use Terms · Weapons · Shields · Armor · Color Code · Visual Indicators
Amtgard V9 Rulebook
Playtest Disclaimer · Introduction · Getting Started · Garb · Honor System · Safety · Core Combat Rules · Equipment · Classes · Abilities and Effects · Magic Items · Combat Activities · Rules Authorities
Appendix: Equipment Inspection Guide · Master List of Abilities · Glossary