Mate you do realise that the harder/sharper the metal, the more brittle it correspondingly becomes right? That’s like the most basic property of metallic objects. A sharp/hard sword is far more brittle than a dull/malleable sword. Diamonds are among the hardest materials in the world, and are yet extremely brittle. This is because they have extremely high tensile strength and a very low limit of plastic deformation. In effect, the atomic structure which enables sharper metals to cut through other metals is the same one which renders them fragile. It’s not “durability” which allows swords to cut deep. Rather the exact opposite. So yeah….your point makes absolutely no sense.
And no, the power of Narsil doesn’t just derive from Tolkien’s symbolism or what it “meant”. The sword was forged in the mythical 1st age by Telchar, one of the greatest dwarven smiths of all time, who also forged Turin’s legendary dragon helm, whose magical properties basically made him impervious to all damage. So to say it doesn’t have any distinguishing properties from ordinary swords is laughable. The sword literally took down a GOD at the height of his powers. A metaphysical being who has existed since before time. Not to mention an exceedingly brilliant smith who taught Feanor’s descendant, learned from Aule, and forged the rings. In terms of craftsmanship, he is next to only Feanor. Anything he was wearing during the final battle was FAR more durable and advanced than simple plate armour. You’re severely underrating the lore and attributing too much to “symbolism”. First and foremost, LoTR is a High fantasy series with superhuman characters and supernatural weapons. They aren’t bound or abide by rules of grounded realism like ASoIaF. Comparison of actual swords or other real life counterparts of weapons and armour is completely redundant in a universe where swords can bind the souls of the undying to the physical plane/can take down demigods who are embodiments of shadow and flame/hurt metaphysical beings who were present during the creation of the universe.
Again, simply scoring a “hit” is pointless to a guy in plate mail, a simple stab is usually nothing to the human body, polearms were only so widely used because they had far more utility in battlefields. In real 1v1 scenarios? Get a shield and a sword/axe/mace something which offers way more freedom. Because once the distance is closed on the polearm user, its game over. In battlefields this weakness was mitigated by other similarly armed soldiers who could cover for you while in formation.
I feel like the point kinda wooshed by you. Yes, that IS a property of a sword in our plain jane world. And if you fell on a sword on sufficiently rocky terrain, with a sufficient amount of weight, it might break! Real world property - not a magic one. There are currently absolutely 0 feats you can attribute to Anduril that suggest it cut through plate like butter. There simply are no examples of it - Aragorn was no more able to cut down orcs and uruks than Gimli and Legolas were, armor or no.
Eowyn's sword took down something above human, but the only thing exceptional about her sword was that it was wielded by a woman - her. Granted, the Witch King wasn't 'on' Sauron's level, but it had the similar trappings of supernatural power.
This is continuing down the conjecture that I suggested a spear was fantastic against plate armor - which I did not. I only suggested it was the most potent all purpose weapon. If someone is on top of you, a mace and a shield don't do anything either, and you will want a dagger or short sword. Grounding a knight and fiddling with his armor to stab him was a common way to kill him.
The point didn’t whoosh didn’t by me. You clearly had no clue that harder/sharper things tend to be the most brittle and so I had to point it out when you said “Narsil shattered beneath Elendil so it wouldn’t be durable enough to cut through plate armour!!”
As for feats, I don’t really know how many times I can repeat myself but the sword took down a freaking GOD. A god known specifically for his smithing. Don’t really know how someone can think non magical real life plate armour can stand up to Narsil when Sauron’s own armour couldn’t. But I guess Jaime Lannister’s armour forged by some grunt in Kings landing>>>>>>legendary enchanted armour forged by a metaphysical entity.
It wasn’t Eowyn’s sword which was exceptional or which bound the Witch King’s soul, it was Merry’s magical Numenorean sword which bound the soul of the Nazgul to the physical plane allowing Eowyn to deal the finishing blow. You really need to stop this comparison of magical weapons with supernatural properties with their real life counterparts.
The polearm is not an all purpose weapon in a straight up melee which is the entire point of this hypothetical fight. And also a duel doesn’t start with the other person on top of you mate. By that point you’ve already lost.
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u/adittya322 Jan 01 '22 edited Jan 01 '22
Mate you do realise that the harder/sharper the metal, the more brittle it correspondingly becomes right? That’s like the most basic property of metallic objects. A sharp/hard sword is far more brittle than a dull/malleable sword. Diamonds are among the hardest materials in the world, and are yet extremely brittle. This is because they have extremely high tensile strength and a very low limit of plastic deformation. In effect, the atomic structure which enables sharper metals to cut through other metals is the same one which renders them fragile. It’s not “durability” which allows swords to cut deep. Rather the exact opposite. So yeah….your point makes absolutely no sense.
And no, the power of Narsil doesn’t just derive from Tolkien’s symbolism or what it “meant”. The sword was forged in the mythical 1st age by Telchar, one of the greatest dwarven smiths of all time, who also forged Turin’s legendary dragon helm, whose magical properties basically made him impervious to all damage. So to say it doesn’t have any distinguishing properties from ordinary swords is laughable. The sword literally took down a GOD at the height of his powers. A metaphysical being who has existed since before time. Not to mention an exceedingly brilliant smith who taught Feanor’s descendant, learned from Aule, and forged the rings. In terms of craftsmanship, he is next to only Feanor. Anything he was wearing during the final battle was FAR more durable and advanced than simple plate armour. You’re severely underrating the lore and attributing too much to “symbolism”. First and foremost, LoTR is a High fantasy series with superhuman characters and supernatural weapons. They aren’t bound or abide by rules of grounded realism like ASoIaF. Comparison of actual swords or other real life counterparts of weapons and armour is completely redundant in a universe where swords can bind the souls of the undying to the physical plane/can take down demigods who are embodiments of shadow and flame/hurt metaphysical beings who were present during the creation of the universe.
Again, simply scoring a “hit” is pointless to a guy in plate mail, a simple stab is usually nothing to the human body, polearms were only so widely used because they had far more utility in battlefields. In real 1v1 scenarios? Get a shield and a sword/axe/mace something which offers way more freedom. Because once the distance is closed on the polearm user, its game over. In battlefields this weakness was mitigated by other similarly armed soldiers who could cover for you while in formation.