Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Korean Soldiers vs Streltsy Weapon Preview

Well folks, we're nearly halfway through with my current season. We've had some fun fights so far, but there's more fun fights to read! With that said, here's a preview for fight number 6, where mighty Korean Soldiers take on one of Russia's most infamous military forces, the Streltsy.

*
For the purpose of the Korean Soldiers, I'll be using soldiers from the early Joseon Dynasty, and as for the Streltsy, I'll be using them from the time of Ivan the Terrible.

Korean Soldiers Weapons
Ye Do: Asian countries always seemed to have a signature sword. China had the Jian, Japan had the Katana, and Korea had the Ye Do. The Ye Do had things in common with their neighbors: the blade was about as long as the Jian (3 to 3 1/2 feet), and the blade had a elegant edge and construction similar to the Katana, yet the Ye Do is it's own weapon. The scabbard always seems to be a tiny bit longer than the sword, with many of them going along with the blade in terms of curvature. When the Ye Do is pulled out, it is a single smooth movement, which also connects it to the Katana.

http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/images/3-korean-swords.jpg

Jangchang: Many Korean weapons are connected to martial arts, and the Jangchang is one of them. It is a rather long weapon, as it measure in at 4 meters. The majority of those meters was the wooden shaft, which was typically made from yew wood, but oak and chestnut could also be used. The tip of the Jangchang was a deadly spike of steel. While the Jangchang was deadly up close, it had the advantage of not being throw-able due to it's length.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jangchang

Hwatcha: Imagine this weapon as a Nest of Bees hopped up on steroids. First developed in 1409, the Hwatcha was created as a result of Korea's research in gunpowder, which was still under tight control of the Chinese. The construction of the Hwatcha was rather simple: the lower half of the weapon was a combination of cart/table, and the upper half was a rectangle filled with small holes. Each tube was loaded with a single fire arrow rocket (known as a Singijeon), and up to 100 holes were on the weapon. Each of the rockets were connected to a single fuse, and they all flew out of the holes when the fuse burnt down to the explosive package. The arrows impacted an area almost like a giant shotgun blast, and high casualties were often found in the aftermath.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwatcha

Korean Scaled Armor: Many of the Asian countries had a variety of armor, but Korea was one of the few countries that tended to stick to one type of armor with numerous subtypes. Korea stuck with scaled armor, which is made from metal scales (iron or steel) sewn onto leather. Korea scaled armor was designed with the concept of protection, and to allowed the wearer to perform fast attacks, fighting on the ground, and striking upward (which was the opposite of Chinese armor, which was designed to strike downward).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_armour

Streltsy Weapons
Sablia: Sabres are a common type of sword, found in many countries all over the world. They first appeared in the eastern part of Europe in the 6th century, due perhaps to the swords carried by the Mongols that invaded. In Russia, their sabre, the Sablia, came about through centuries of weapon evolution. Measuring in at 32 inches, the Sablia is a one-handed sabre that was primarily a slashing weapon. The Sablia was also good at thrusting, and was even more devastating if the user was riding on horseback.

http://deadliestwarrior.wikia.com/wiki/Sablia

Bardiche: This weapon became very popular in the hands of the Streltsy, who wielded it during guard duty or during the heat of battle. Rarely measuring above 5 feet long, the Bardiche's signature fixture was the giant axe head. Because of it's size, the Bardiche was used in a chopping manner, but because the top of the axe head had a wickedly sharp point, it could be used in a limited manner as a spear.

http://deadliestwarrior.wikia.com/wiki/Bardiche

Pischal: If the Arquebus was one of the first matchlock guns, then the Pischal was one of the improvements. The two had some things in common: they both required a fuse, and they both utilized more modernized gunpowder. However, that's where the two firearms are different. For starters, the Pischal had a larger flashpan, which allowed for a easy, fast reload. The Pischal also had a front sight on it, which allowed for more accurate shots than the Arquebus, which didn't have a sight.

http://deadliestwarrior.wikia.com/wiki/Pischal

Riveted Chainmail & Cloth Overcoat: The Streltsy were known for being some of the most heavily armored warriors in history. Despite the fact that firearms were starting to take center stage more often on the battlefield, armor of any type was still welcome to protect it's wearer. At the time, chainmail was still a cheap piece of protection, and also managed to protect the body. In Russia however, the weather was often unbearably cold, and having metal near your skin could sap the heat from your body. To make up for this, a cloth overcoat was placed over the chainmail to keep the wearer's warmth from leaving him. It didn't always work, but even if a little heat was kept inside the body, then all the better.

http://fromrustopeter.devhub.com/img/upload/saeferwreg.jpg

2 comments:

  1. The stretlsy were one of the most heavily armored in history? What? They only had their kaftans over the normal clothes, issuing heavy armor to every single strelets would be to costly as they were the most numerous men of the muscovite forces

    ReplyDelete
  2. Um...I'm pretty sure that Scale armor wasn't the only type of armor the ancient Koreans used...They also used chainmail and lamellar as well.

    ReplyDelete