: Anyway, does any1 know why in the world there aren't any
: axe-wielders (excepting Journeymen, of course, but
: those axes are really just glorified shovels) amongst
: the light, while the Dark seems to be so very fond of
: them? Also, excepting Myrmidons and Brigands, and
: neither of them really count (Brigands are corrupt
: warriors, essentially, and Myrmidons are basically
: really really old corrupt Berserks), there aren't any
: sword-wielders amongst the Dark. I know why the Thrall
: don't use swords, because they're too clumsy. Why
: doesn't anything else?
Axe weilders among the Light: Dwarven Axe Warriors. Essentially though, probably the main reason why we don't see any human axe weilders is the same reason why swords were more common than axes in the Middle Ages: a decent battleaxe requires a lot more strength to use properly than a sword, which is why swords were more common as a standard-issue infantry weapon. Also, while an axe does more damage than a sword because it's heavier, that same weight makes it much more difficult to parry with, and your typical warrior is likely to me more concerned with staying alive himself than with killing the enemy.
Swords among the Dark: swords require an extremly high level of steel quality, since they need to be light but strong, and capable of holding an edge despite a high level of abuse. Axes, since they rely mainly on weight, are much easier to make. This means that you'd typically need a skilled blacksmith to make a good sword, and for the Dark, these are probably in quite short supply. Further, with the exception of the Myrmidons, whose gridaksma blades are their traditional weapons, few of the Dark troops are really suited to using swords: as you said, Thrall are too stupid and unagile to use swords. Though the Ghol cleavers do bear a marked resemblence to the Egyptian Khopesh, which was something of a hybrid between a sword and a sickle, but normally weilded using the same technique as an axe.
: Another question for you to mull over: Why aren't there
: any Myrmidons in Myth II? Were they exterminated
: during the war with Balor? Or did the gamewriters just
: think it gave the Dark too much of an advantage (what
: with having Myrkridia in M2, which could rip a Berserk
: to shreds one on one in the same way a warrior might
: kill a thrall, a Myrmidon might kill a warrior, or a
: Berserk might kill a Myrmidon)
The Myrmidons agreed to serve Balor in exchange for immortality. With Balor dead, they were no longer compelled to serve the Dark. GURPS Myth says that they wander in groups of up to several score, "but no living soul has been able to get close enough to observe them without having to retreat or slay them. Their habits when not attacking the living are little known."
: One last thing: how come the equivalent units in Myth
: aren't really very equivalent? For Example: In one on
: one combat: -Warrior vs. Thrall - Warrior wins
: -Bowman vs. Soulless (except for if Soles has good
: position) - Bowman wins
: -Berserk vs. Myrmidon - Berserk wins
: -Berserk vs. Myrkridia - Myrkridia wins
Because that's realistic. Shambling undead /are/ worse than warriors who've been trained for 18 months. It's the same historically: although a Gaulish Warrior might be considered the "equivalent" of a Roman Legionairre, the Legionairre would probably win hands down. Plus, having units that are equoivalent but different encourages combined arms tactics. While a warrior might beat a Thrall in one-on-one combat, in practice there'll normally be two or three Thrall for every warrior- but, if you're facing nothing but Thrall, you can use the superior range and speed of your Archers and Dwarves to kill them all while never even getting close enough for them to swing an axe.
: Actually, that makes me think of something else... This
: is my table of equivalents, sort of. Could you tell me
: anything I might have missed, or that you want to
: argue about?
: Warrior - Thrall
: Archer/Bowman - Soulless
: Dwarf - Ghol
: Journeyman - Wight
: Berserk - Myrmidon/Myrkridia
: Warlock - Fetch
: Forest Giant/Trow - Trow/Myrkridian Giant
: Heron Gaurd - Maul
: Avatara - Shade
Grunt Infantry: Warrior-Thrall-Spider Cultist-Brigand
Missile Infantry: Archer-Soulless-Hearthguard
Explosive Infantry: Dwarf-Wight
Elite Infantry: Berserk-Myrmidon-Forgotten-Dwarf Axe Warrior-Stygian Knight-Myrkrydian Hunter-Ghol Brute-Maul-Oghre
Darn Elite Infantry: Myrkrydia-Heron Guard
Light Infantry: Ghol-Spider
Magi: Journeyman-Fetch-Warlock-Dwarf Smiths-Lyche-Myrkrydian Pack Mage-Ghol Priest
Megadeath Magi: Avatara-Shade-Trow Iron Priest
OMG I KIK U: Forest Giants-Trow-Giant Myrkrydia
ME BIG TRO. U UTTERLY DED: Trow Iron Warrior. No equivalent.
