View Full Version : Could the nodachi be effective in battle?
Skomatth
03-12-2003, 04:53
Point: I assume that soldiers cluster together for protection in battle. Since they do could the nodachi, a primarily cutting weapon, be used in battle in a massed formation, or was its use as a secondary weapon only used if your primary one broke.
Counterpoint: As far as I know (was looking into doing kendo for a while) nodachi cuts originate from above the head, reducing the room needed to cut. Romans also used a space of three feet I believe, if the japanese had something similar it would be enough room to chop. Furthermore, the troops wielding them were probably elite and didn't need to huddle together.
Muneyoshi
03-12-2003, 05:09
No-Dachi a secondary weapon, thats a good one http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif A no-dachi was about 3-3 1/2 feet long, wasnt exactly a light weapon and had to be used using two hands.
And three feet would hardly be enough to fight as you'd be cutting your m8s. Also, very little (if any) armor was worn, so they had full range of movement and could attack better, this obviously would cause problems from arrows and bullets and the preferred formation would of been a loosely based on so their was less chance of getting hit.
Hakonarson
03-13-2003, 00:21
The No-dachi is completely outclassed in battle by the new generation of infantry weapons, and its lack of AT capability is a major shortcoming these days.
Mind you it WAS quite effective a few hundred years ago.
I find it hard to envisage a unit of no-dachi doing well against a determined unit of spearmen. One on one, the no-dachi could be formiddable, but in close formation I think they would be at a disadvantage. The preponderance of spear based units in history and the relative scarcity of those with great weapons would seem to support this.
Muneyoshi
03-13-2003, 01:36
Hak, LOL, he didnt mean modern day http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif
And Simon, you'd be an absolute fool to send a unit with no armor or shield, and a large rather slow sword into battle against a spear with a man using it that is well trained.
Skomatth
03-13-2003, 01:38
Well I meant in feudal japan not now of course http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Anyways weren't polearms with blades attached favored by samuri, if so why would that be more effective than nodachi and if they were wouldnt nodachi be too?
Hakonarson
03-13-2003, 02:58
Oh gosh - was he really meaning in Medieval Japan? Heck - and here was me thinking that the question was forward looking............so you think he really meant "WAS the no-dachi effective in battle?"?
Skomatth
03-13-2003, 04:26
*confused* stupid
Muneyoshi
03-13-2003, 04:55
No worries Sko, he just misunderstood, thats all
Hakonarson
03-13-2003, 05:07
No he didn't - he was just making an obtuse comment about the wording of the question......so obtuse no-one appreciated it http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif
Muneyoshi
03-13-2003, 05:19
Ah well seeing as how No-Dachis arent used in battle and havent been for quite sometime, you have to use some common sense m8 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif
Ithaskar Fëarindel
03-13-2003, 16:16
I too would have thought No-Dachi would beat spears, but I see your point Simon/Muney. Would the same be true for the Naginata?
Muneyoshi
03-14-2003, 00:36
Nagi's were actually well armoured. It was sort of like that of a Knights (very little areas where they could be effectively hit and do any damage) and they also had a spear of their own in sense, so they would generally destroy the less armoured and less equiped samurai (and they didnt have to worry about archers as much like a no-dachi) Though they were rather slow, they should of been able to beat samurai with relative ease
I guess Naginata's are not a million miles away from halberds and other polearms? From what I've read, the halberd seemed to be very popular and effective in later medieval warfare, especially against heavily armoured foes. Most of the many skeletons excavated a climatic battle of the War of the Roses apparently had severe crushing headwounds, probably from polearms. With the advent of plate, the development of Western foot soliders without ranged weapons seems to have branched out into either pikemen or halbardiers.
Muneyoshi
03-14-2003, 03:12
Which werent in Japan though I might add http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
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