Guild Wars 2

Is it just me that doesn’t like how male humans hold their greatswords upright like a baseball bat? It just looks ugly to me I wish you could change the way you can hold your weapon

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

Hyper Cutter.9376:

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

The female stance is the more realistic and far more practical way of wielding a greatsword.

I like it and it looks better than the female one. Yes there are probably more practical ways to hold it but it’s in no way unrealistic. It’s a fantasy game anyway.

I’d prefer the female one. Whenever my character runs, all I hear in my head is the old 1980s Conan the Barbarian theme =D

Tolmos.8395:

I’d prefer the female one. Whenever my character runs, all I hear in my head is the old 1980s Conan the Barbarian theme =D

Between the time when the Sylvari first awoke, and the rise of the Pact, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Tolmos, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Kryta upon a troubled brow.

Sorry I couldn’t resist.

Maybe they could sell alternative stances in the gem shop. Because as a female who uses a GS, I know it’s the realistic way of using it…But ew.

AsmallChicken.9634:

Hyper Cutter.9376:

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

The female stance is the more realistic and far more practical way of wielding a greatsword.

I don’t have any experience with greatswords… But come on, dragging it with you is in no way practical in combat :P. You leave yourself completely open to attacks , and no matter how fast you are, you won’t be parrying anything from that position. Not even a super slow guy trying to hit you with one of those weights that you have to lift , that is actually too heavy for him to use :P.

Then again, I never held, or see anyone hold/use a greatsword. I’d imagine they’re atleast twice as heavy as an average sword, though.

edit: well, the dragging thing still looks cool. So I don’t mind at all in gw2, we don’t ever parry attacks anyway… Except maybe rangers with that one skill :P. Just dontgo around calli git realistic :/.

Alissah.9281:

AsmallChicken.9634:

Hyper Cutter.9376:

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

The female stance is the more realistic and far more practical way of wielding a greatsword.

I don’t have any experience with greatswords… But come on, dragging it with you is in no way practical in combat :P. You leave yourself completely open to attacks , and no matter how fast you are, you won’t be parrying anything from that position. Not even a super slow guy trying to hit you with one of those weights that you have to lift , that is actually too heavy for him to use :P.

Then again, I never held, or see anyone hold/use a greatsword. I’d imagine they’re atleast twice as heavy as an average sword, though.

edit: well, the dragging thing still looks cool. So I don’t mind at all in gw2, we don’t ever parry attacks anyway… Except maybe rangers with that one skill :P. Just dontgo around calli git realistic :/.

Take a look at the nebenhut stance:

http://www.thearma.org/essays/StancesIntro.htm#.UxA_6c5JVrw

Looks familiar?

Shifu.4321:

Alissah.9281:

AsmallChicken.9634:

Hyper Cutter.9376:

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

The female stance is the more realistic and far more practical way of wielding a greatsword.

I don’t have any experience with greatswords… But come on, dragging it with you is in no way practical in combat :P. You leave yourself completely open to attacks , and no matter how fast you are, you won’t be parrying anything from that position. Not even a super slow guy trying to hit you with one of those weights that you have to lift , that is actually too heavy for him to use :P.

Then again, I never held, or see anyone hold/use a greatsword. I’d imagine they’re atleast twice as heavy as an average sword, though.

edit: well, the dragging thing still looks cool. So I don’t mind at all in gw2, we don’t ever parry attacks anyway… Except maybe rangers with that one skill :P. Just dontgo around calli git realistic :/.

Take a look at the nebenhut stance:

http://www.thearma.org/essays/StancesIntro.htm#.UxA_6c5JVrw

Looks familiar?

Oh, I may have understood the term “greatsword” wrong :P.

I assumed greatswords to be massive, and like twice as heavy as a longsword. Because of that assumption, I also assumed greatswords were absolutely useless in most situations, and reall clunky to use :P.

But I guess ‘greatsword’ is just another word, and has the same meaning as longsword. I still think most ‘greatswords’ in gw2 are kind of oversized, though. I feel silly for not realizing it’s the same thing xD.

There’s nothing wrong with Nebenhut, I actually used that exact site before, and tried it out, but I prefer other guard positions :P.

I quite like the way the ladies hold the GS. The dude way doesn’t bother me either for that matter.

I prefer the female stance over the male stance.

One thing to note is that it’s not totally being dragged on the floor… you’d have to be one strong freaking woman to hold it that low in a position like that, dear god.

Purple Miku.7032:

I prefer the female stance over the male stance.

One thing to note is that it’s not totally being dragged on the floor… you’d have to be one strong freaking woman to hold it that low in a position like that, dear god.

In my experience it’s actually fairly easy to hold it that way. The higher you hold it the harder it is to carry.

Too much nerding it out in the back yard with me weapon…/nolife

Don’t like how my character has his weapon behind him and most of his body facing towards the enemy though. Kinda asking to get hit/stabbed w/e.

Anyone play Dark Souls 2 lately? A stance similar to the way the character holds a broadsword/longsword with two hands in that game would be okay. It’s a fairly neutral stance. The character also needs to look aggressive with the bent legs and wide stance ready to act look.

I’d pay for that stance Anet.

Edit: Just in case anyone wants to know, the female stance is a real stance. It’s called the tail/long tail/dragons tail stance. Plus all the other names I’m sure it has.

Alissah.9281:

AsmallChicken.9634:

Hyper Cutter.9376:

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

I don’t have any experience with greatswords… But come on, dragging it with you is in no way practical in combat :P. You leave yourself completely open to attacks , and no matter how fast you are, you won’t be parrying anything from that position. Not even a super slow guy trying to hit you with one of those weights that you have to lift , that is actually too heavy for him to use :P.

Then again, I never held, or see anyone hold/use a greatsword. I’d imagine they’re at least twice as heavy as an average sword, though.

Anyone inexperienced or lacking the strength or co-ordination to use one will be slow.
Compare the strength of a person who has only just begun lifting weights to someone who has been lifting for years. The ole gym veteran can lift way more weight up with ease that the newbie can’t even get off the ground. Thus being able to move more weight faster. Also there is your body knowing how to react through practice and such/experience. A boxer can throw a punch way faster than someone who does not train or is not as experienced. When it comes to bigger weapons more strength and training = more speed.

Plus many great swords are only around 3-7 kgs or something around those numbers.

This is through my experience and logic. Though someone might tell you something different.

Alissah.9281:

Oh, I may have understood the term “greatsword” wrong :P.

I assumed greatswords to be massive, and like twice as heavy as a longsword. Because of that assumption, I also assumed greatswords were absolutely useless in most situations, and reall clunky to use :P.

But I guess ‘greatsword’ is just another word, and has the same meaning as longsword. I still think most ‘greatswords’ in gw2 are kind of oversized, though. I feel silly for not realizing it’s the same thing xD.

There’s nothing wrong with Nebenhut, I actually used that exact site before, and tried it out, but I prefer other guard positions :P.

AFAIK “Greatsword” is a made-up word, or at least a word that did not exist before modern times. The correct (historical) term for a sword you need 2 hands to wield is Longsword.

D&D is a major offender in this case because it refers to 1-handed swords as longswords, and probably one of the main reasons people get medieval weapon technology terms mixed up.

calavel.6249:

Alissah.9281:

Oh, I may have understood the term “greatsword” wrong :P.

I assumed greatswords to be massive, and like twice as heavy as a longsword. Because of that assumption, I also assumed greatswords were absolutely useless in most situations, and reall clunky to use :P.

But I guess ‘greatsword’ is just another word, and has the same meaning as longsword. I still think most ‘greatswords’ in gw2 are kind of oversized, though. I feel silly for not realizing it’s the same thing xD.

There’s nothing wrong with Nebenhut, I actually used that exact site before, and tried it out, but I prefer other guard positions :P.

AFAIK “Greatsword” is a made-up word, or at least a word that did not exist before modern times. The correct (historical) term for a sword you need 2 hands to wield is Longsword.

D&D is a major offender in this case because it refers to 1-handed swords as longswords, and probably one of the main reasons people get medieval weapon technology terms mixed up.

Yup, I actually just realised greatsword pretty much IS a longsword. I assumed greatswords were these oversized anf weighted swords that gav you spear-like range… Which would be impractical. The way games portray “greatswords” also makes them look massively oversized.

Templar.3418:

Purple Miku.7032:

I prefer the female stance over the male stance.

One thing to note is that it’s not totally being dragged on the floor… you’d have to be one strong freaking woman to hold it that low in a position like that, dear god.

In my experience it’s actually fairly easy to hold it that way. The higher you hold it the harder it is to carry.

Too much nerding it out in the back yard with me weapon…/nolife

---

Don’t like how my character has his weapon behind him and most of his body facing towards the enemy though. Kinda asking to get hit/stabbed w/e.

Anyone play Dark Souls 2 lately? A stance similar to the way the character holds a broadsword/longsword with two hands in that game would be okay. It’s a fairly neutral stance. The character also needs to look aggressive with the bent legs and wide stance ready to act look.

I’d pay for that stance Anet.

Edit: Just in case anyone wants to know, the female stance is a real stance. It’s called the tail/long tail/dragons tail stance. Plus all the other names I’m sure it has.

Alissah.9281:

AsmallChicken.9634:

Hyper Cutter.9376:

I wish female humans held it like that, the way they drag greatswords behind them is sort of dumb…

I don’t have any experience with greatswords… But come on, dragging it with you is in no way practical in combat :P. You leave yourself completely open to attacks , and no matter how fast you are, you won’t be parrying anything from that position. Not even a super slow guy trying to hit you with one of those weights that you have to lift , that is actually too heavy for him to use :P.

Then again, I never held, or see anyone hold/use a greatsword. I’d imagine they’re at least twice as heavy as an average sword, though.

Anyone inexperienced or lacking the strength or co-ordination to use one will be slow.
Compare the strength of a person who has only just begun lifting weights to someone who has been lifting for years. The ole gym veteran can lift way more weight up with ease that the newbie can’t even get off the ground. Thus being able to move more weight faster. Also there is your body knowing how to react through practice and such/experience. A boxer can throw a punch way faster than someone who does not train or is not as experienced. When it comes to bigger weapons more strength and training = more speed.

Plus many great swords are only around 3-7 kgs or something around those numbers.

This is through my experience and logic. Though someone might tell you something different.

Historically accurate (2 handed) longswords wrigh fron 1.2 to 1.8 kilograms. Greatswords are as far as i know a made up term by games that are huge impratical chunks of metal.

Everythin you say regarding ‘having not enough strength slows you down’ is true, but anyone off average strenght can wield a longsword.

Speed in offense is pretty easy to master if you prqctice yhe techniques, but the recovery time after attacks is alot more difficult, and perhaps more important than ghe attack itself. If you use a normal weigjt weapon, strength isn’t an issue with recovery time, it’s all about practice, knowing where your sword is at all times, and knowing at which points to stop your attack and go back to a guard.

A common beginner mistake is to skip the recovery entirely, and just make a massive overswing, leaving yourself wide open. Or in some cases, slashing your own arm/leg O.o. I effectively killed myself in duels like that… Luckily it was in dreams… I just dont have the money to buy armor or anything else than a syntethic practice sword :P

There are swords that are much bigger than a longsword in the real world, they’re called Zweihander.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zweih%C3%A4nder

In its developed form, the Zweihänder has acquired the characteristics of a polearm rather than a sword. Consequently, it is not carried in a sheath but across the shoulder like a halberd

Nikaido.3457:

There are swords that are much bigger than a longsword in the real world, they’re called Zweihander.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zweih%C3%A4nder

In its developed form, the Zweihänder has acquired the characteristics of a polearm rather than a sword. Consequently, it is not carried in a sheath but across the shoulder like a halberd

Oh thats very interesting! But In what occasions would you actually use this over a longsword or a spear? It seems slower compared to a longsword, considering its 3+ kilo?

It’s written in the article. They were mainly used to destroy pike formations.
Wars of the past weren’t really fought and won through longswords wielders, fantasy settings put too much emphasis on the longsword. It’s kinda surprising how many of the more interesting weapons are missing from games like gw2, such as the whole polearms family (pikes, halberd, spears, naginata etc).
Swords were more of an auxiliary weapon rather than a main army driver. Zweihanders were the only swords that could fight against polearms wielders.

Even the Samurai which in contemporary days are overly pictured as katana wielders were mostly, in fact, spear users. Swords are overrated. And Zweihander aren’t a replacement for longswords, they are used in situations where longswords wouldn’t even be considered at all.

It’s slower than a longsword but it can destroy a polearm. Would you try to fight a pikeman with the reach of a longsword?

Nikaido.3457:

It’s written in the article. They were mainly used to destroy pike formations.
Wars of the past weren’t really fought and won through longswords wielders, fantasy settings put too much emphasis on the longsword. It’s kinda surprising how many of the more interesting weapons are missing from games like gw2, such as the whole polearms family (pikes, halberd, spears, naginata etc).
Swords were more of an auxiliary weapon rather than a main army driver. Zweihanders were the only swords that could fight against polearms wielders.

Even the Samurai which in contemporary days are overly pictured as katana wielders were mostly, in fact, spear users. Swords are overrated. And Zweihander aren’t a replacement for longswords, they are used in situations where longswords wouldn’t even be considered at all.

It’s slower than a longsword but it can destroy a polearm. Would you try to fight a pikeman with the reach of a longsword?

Definitely not… I have experience with sword vs spear… And it’s pretty much the GW2 equalavant of Ele vs Warrior.

I knew polearms played a big role in wars, but that’s where my knowledge ends :P. I only really have experience with 1vs1 situations(or sometimes 2, but then they’re complete beginners using a sword for the first time, and I’m using a spear, usually).

With ‘destroy’ a polearm, you mean counter, right? As far as I know, actually destroying a polearm in combat is pretty much impossible.

I really had no idea about tje zweihander, so thanks for that :o.

God would I love for us to have polearms. It was a huge disappointment to me when I started playing and discovered we only had underwater polearms.
I also wish we had more realistic weapon handling too.
We could branch off with soo many different sub-types of weapons for specific skillsets in the 1-5 bar.
Also, for the interested.

This is why I will never use a two-handed melee weapon, they all look so absurd when wielded.

Nightarch.2943:

This is why I will never use a two-handed melee weapon, they all look so absurd when wielded.

Do you mean in gw2?

I love the look of two handed swords… Shame I can’t really use them for combat :’(.

And in gw2… I spend the majority of the time spinning my greasword around and making purple lasers come out of it… So the stance doesnt really bother me :P

Alissah.9281:

calavel.6249:

Alissah.9281:

Oh, I may have understood the term “greatsword” wrong :P.

I assumed greatswords to be massive, and like twice as heavy as a longsword. Because of that assumption, I also assumed greatswords were absolutely useless in most situations, and reall clunky to use :P.

But I guess ‘greatsword’ is just another word, and has the same meaning as longsword. I still think most ‘greatswords’ in gw2 are kind of oversized, though. I feel silly for not realizing it’s the same thing xD.

There’s nothing wrong with Nebenhut, I actually used that exact site before, and tried it out, but I prefer other guard positions :P.

AFAIK “Greatsword” is a made-up word, or at least a word that did not exist before modern times. The correct (historical) term for a sword you need 2 hands to wield is Longsword.

D&D is a major offender in this case because it refers to 1-handed swords as longswords, and probably one of the main reasons people get medieval weapon technology terms mixed up.

Yup, I actually just realised greatsword pretty much IS a longsword. I assumed greatswords were these oversized anf weighted swords that gav you spear-like range… Which would be impractical. The way games portray “greatswords” also makes them look massively oversized.

Greatswords are NOT made up and are most definitely not a long sword…

Take a look at these:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/b/bb/Darksteel_Greatsword.jpg
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/e/e0/Aureate_Highlander_Sword.jpg

Both are quite practical and realistic compared to real life swords that were used. Maybe just a bit too large, but nothing more. The 2nd one’s handle is pretty long, but not ridiclious.

Greatswords ARE a thing. A longsword is 1handed.

Tamryu.5978:

Greatswords ARE a thing. A longsword is 1handed.

Those appear to be Claymores, which translates into something akin to Greatsword (claidheamh=sword Mor=sword in Irish I think). A one-handed European sword is called either an Arming Sword, A Knight’s Sword, or Knightly sword and is identifiable by its short hilt, large enough for a single hand to grip, and shorter blade (about the length of a Katana blade perhaps slightly larger). Longswords on the other hand have longer hilts that allow the wielder to use both hands to make more powerful swings as well as having notably longer blades. Certain types of Longswords can be used one-handed, if the wielder is proficiently skilled, however there are types such as the Zwihander and Claymore designed exclusively for two-handed use.

It’s interesting to know that the actual term longsword has only recently come back into contemporary usage (early 2000s), despite the fact it is derived from the German langes schwert (literally translates “long sword”) which was used in 15th century swordfighting manuals. In both cases, the weapons to which these terms refer require two hands to employ it properly.

While reading A Song of Ice and Fire, a particular sword which is given to one of the characters is referred to as a “kitten sword” or a “hand-and-a-halfer.” Reading the same wikipedia article I quote above will disclose this other class of sword as one which might be used with either one or both hands.

Amazing. The term which sounds like “Bast hard” is what I was trying to type when the sensitive text filter attacked my words and turned it into a harmless, mewling baby cat.

Tamryu.5978:

Alissah.9281:

calavel.6249:

Alissah.9281:

Oh, I may have understood the term “greatsword” wrong :P.

I assumed greatswords to be massive, and like twice as heavy as a longsword. Because of that assumption, I also assumed greatswords were absolutely useless in most situations, and reall clunky to use :P.

But I guess ‘greatsword’ is just another word, and has the same meaning as longsword. I still think most ‘greatswords’ in gw2 are kind of oversized, though. I feel silly for not realizing it’s the same thing xD.

There’s nothing wrong with Nebenhut, I actually used that exact site before, and tried it out, but I prefer other guard positions :P.

AFAIK “Greatsword” is a made-up word, or at least a word that did not exist before modern times. The correct (historical) term for a sword you need 2 hands to wield is Longsword.

D&D is a major offender in this case because it refers to 1-handed swords as longswords, and probably one of the main reasons people get medieval weapon technology terms mixed up.

Yup, I actually just realised greatsword pretty much IS a longsword. I assumed greatswords were these oversized anf weighted swords that gav you spear-like range… Which would be impractical. The way games portray “greatswords” also makes them look massively oversized.

Greatswords are NOT made up and are most definitely not a long sword…

Take a look at these:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/b/bb/Darksteel_Greatsword.jpg
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/e/e0/Aureate_Highlander_Sword.jpg

Both are quite practical and realistic compared to real life swords that were used. Maybe just a bit too large, but nothing more. The 2nd one’s handle is pretty long, but not ridiclious.

Greatswords ARE a thing. A longsword is 1handed.

“A longsword (also spelled long sword, long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use and a straight double-edged blade of around 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in).”

VitalSuit.1980:

Tamryu.5978:

Alissah.9281:

calavel.6249:

Alissah.9281:

Oh, I may have understood the term “greatsword” wrong :P.

I assumed greatswords to be massive, and like twice as heavy as a longsword. Because of that assumption, I also assumed greatswords were absolutely useless in most situations, and reall clunky to use :P.

But I guess ‘greatsword’ is just another word, and has the same meaning as longsword. I still think most ‘greatswords’ in gw2 are kind of oversized, though. I feel silly for not realizing it’s the same thing xD.

There’s nothing wrong with Nebenhut, I actually used that exact site before, and tried it out, but I prefer other guard positions :P.

AFAIK “Greatsword” is a made-up word, or at least a word that did not exist before modern times. The correct (historical) term for a sword you need 2 hands to wield is Longsword.

D&D is a major offender in this case because it refers to 1-handed swords as longswords, and probably one of the main reasons people get medieval weapon technology terms mixed up.

Yup, I actually just realised greatsword pretty much IS a longsword. I assumed greatswords were these oversized anf weighted swords that gav you spear-like range… Which would be impractical. The way games portray “greatswords” also makes them look massively oversized.

Greatswords are NOT made up and are most definitely not a long sword…

Take a look at these:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/b/bb/Darksteel_Greatsword.jpg
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/e/e0/Aureate_Highlander_Sword.jpg

Both are quite practical and realistic compared to real life swords that were used. Maybe just a bit too large, but nothing more. The 2nd one’s handle is pretty long, but not ridiclious.

Greatswords ARE a thing. A longsword is 1handed.

“A longsword (also spelled long sword, long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use and a straight double-edged blade of around 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in).”

Some more examples of real life greatswords/longswords.
Claymore
The average claymore ran about 140 cm (55 in) in overall length, with a 33 cm (13 in) grip, 107 cm (42 in) blade, and a weight of approximately 5.5 lb (2.5 kg).

Zweihander
Due to their size and weight — typically at least 1.4 m (4 ft 71?8 in) long and with a weight of over 2 kg — Zweihänders require two hands; as such they require at least 25 cm (9.84 in) for the grip.

Gerhardt.6091:

Amazing. The term which sounds like “Bast hard” is what I was trying to type when the sensitive text filter attacked my words and turned it into a harmless, mewling baby cat.

Tell me about it. You can’t even name the Venetian armory and shipworks without the filter going spastic on it.

I’ll just leave this hear to show why I have no problem with the way guys wield greatswords.

If you guys have a problem with how two-hander swords are wielded, you should play the Dark Souls series in which if one invests enough into strength, you can dual-wield them :P