Blunt weapons are more effective against plate mail. Swords and Axes tend to deflect when attempting to strike the armor as it’s designed to stop edges, however blunt kinetic force travels through and seriously messes up your internal squishy parts while only appearing to dent the armor itself. That was the most effective use of those axes possible at that point.
Well, recall that the whole impaling Harki on his own spear so he couldn’t get away could be considered a rather tactical move as well. Why not break the spear jutting from his chest and toss it aside so it doesn’t have the chance of getting in the way?
It’s pretty much implied that the one thing on Byron’s mind is KILL. So there is a thought. Since just wildly flailing at Frigg didn’t net him a KILL, I think the barest bit of tactical thought on how to best KILL her might come into play to satisfy the desire.
Actually there wasn’t much point in flipping the axes. Both hits were perpendicular so its unlikely they would have deflected. If they had hit edge on they would have either cut through or been stopped by the armour. In which case the cutting would become a blunt impact and have the same effect.
Only edge on, instead of denting up the plate it would have bashed a valley into it on both sides. Frigg would have been in even worse… shape.
Edge-on it likely would have shattered the axe blades, or at least badly chipped them. Same amount of blunt force trauma, but not all applied to the same target.
That said, we’re seeing a whole bunch of New Artist Physics throughout this sequence and I’ve given up caring about the fight scene specifics. Hopefully this ends soon so we can have some plot again.
Is anyone else besides me bothered by the fact that the entire environment has ceased to exist? Compare today’s backgrounds with http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-4/chapter-4-page-18/ — even when there’s nothing there, there’s something there. Whereas here, the background should be full of somethings, and instead there’s nothing.
Then again, maybe it’s because this one battle has been going on for 11 pages and isn’t over yet, while back in chapter 4, the same number of pages comprised a whole encounter and its aftermath.
To be fair, you should remember that the writers have not changed, John is simply drawing the storyboard script he is given, this is not a manga-ization, the script is being paced like this on purpose.
Wow, I hadn’t noticed until you pointed it out (bad reader). However, i feel like I have to cut John some slack. His incredible attention to character detail has given way to certain…sacrifices in other areas. I mean, its a free web comic updating three times a week. I’m not sure how much of his life he can really devote to this.
Eh, I haven’t really noticed. I’m here for the plot, after all, and as long as the art is somewhat acceptable I’m fine.
And besides, the page you linked to only has sky and clouds as the background for the “battle” panels. Likewise, this arena has a dirt/sand floor. So, it’s more of a point-of-view issue than it is “Manga-ization”. This also puts more emphasis on the characters and their reactions, making panels such as Syr’s close up more powerful.
Excessive diddling on the backgrounds would draw attention from the action. It is a legitimate artistic move, originating well the f*ck before anime.
So do please stop bitching about the “anime” art shift on this comic, friend.
Heck it could just be that Byron the Berzerking is into _brutally_ killing in addition to killing.
Regardless of the minutiae of combat I think it was a very cool move and we’ve seen for the first time a stunned and helpless Frigg. Not just physically, that’s happened with the nuns, but mentally, she’s terrified she wasn’t scared the entire time she was being tortured or ambushed alone or thrown in this pit in the first place.
At least eyes wide, pupils contracting, mouth wide open registers as terror to my brain. I don’t think it’s the pain or the wind knocked out of her she would most likely be grimacing or something.
New Art Guy has given me explicit permission to call him that, as long as I capitalize it. ;)
As for respect, I have expressed my opinion that he’s generally doing a great job several times. Like you, I mostly prefer his style to Erica’s, although she did a great job too. I just get perturbed when he has the characters not behave like themselves, and I have a right to say so in a calm, non-abusive manner.
Honestly, New Art Guy is a big boy. Do you think he’s going to cry on his tablet because some chick on the Internet thinks he makes Frigg look too scared sometimes?
dont forget. they are in a colosseum/arena thing . the ground may have pieces of splintered wood and maybe harkys pauldrons, but other than that, its naught but sand, unless the camera pans toward the audience.
Not bothered at all. I found the intricate backgrounds sweet but in this rage dripping battle would only confuse the panels for me so I’m glad the background was slackened a bit for the fight
I’m not sure you know what manga style art actually looks like. No background during a fight scene isn’t exactly unknown in other art styles – personally, I like the minimalist background because it highlights the fight scene.
Frankly, there are a lot more “manga-ized” webcomics out there. If you’re gonna be a dick about the art, could you not insult another art form at the same time?
I am also bothered by the chibi-Byron as depicted. In panel three his legs are way too short; his arms look like he can touch his knees while standing straight.
Since he is in a lunge, he is lower to the ground. If you were to straighten him out, you will see the proportion is actually pretty correct. His arm looks to fall around mid-thigh.
(Compare the sum of the lengths of the two parts of his bent arm with the sum of the length of his straightened leg and his from-hip-to-shoulder length.)
Damn right, we’re sensitive. We signed on to destroy things like a heroin addled version of Jake and Elwood behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile, and you keep telling us not to pull aggro from the tank?
Or, to honor a very special (and never invited back) member of a group, Why shouldn’t I be able to run up to the mob and spam Arcane Explosion? Tanks got aggro…damn tank! Do your job!
Sounds to me like you’re one of those Stupid DPS who doesn’t know shit about tanking. sometimes dps DOES need to stop facerolling their keys for a second or two. believe it or not, threat control is EVERYONE’s job not always just the tank.
You guys are the worst. Healers give the friendship speeches because they heal the HEART as well as the body! Its technically in the job description, as “healing” is a pretty broad term.
ouch, as a mage, i feel i must apologize for my brethren who fail to realize that poly is an efficient means of taking the fight out of someone. hell. it wasnt that long ago that in tempest keep you had mages assigned to chainsheep targets as they could self-break cc after just a few seconds. sad, sad state of affairs..
I dunno if anyone has ever seen the Record of Lodoss War TV series, but every since Byron started his berserk fit, all I can hear is “An Angered Berserker”, the music that plays when Orson flips his shit.
Man…Haven’t seen that in a long time. Well, until I checked your link. Yeah, honestly, I don’t think there’s a berserker I want to fight in any fiction.
Nice one, but for me it’s to slow for Byron’s Rage. I’d prefer “Down with the sickness” or some of the other metal songs posted here in the comments during the last days…
By the way: Am I the only one considering it funny, that “An Angered Berserker” is out of a Japanese score, using Latin lyrics (audibly sung by Japanese, I’d say) that are of Christian origin while borrowing Roman and Judean figures?
I am? Ok. [/rant]
I don’t know about that. I think Logen Ninefingers (a k a The Bloody-Nine) could show him a good time. He also a reluctant berserking master tactician, possibly possessed by something else.
To those sorting out Byron’s Berzerker Logic: I think that his tactics run so deep that he doesn’t “think” about them, he just acts, which makes him possibly the most frightening berserker ever.
Final Thought: Syr’ng is about to do Science, and the tear in her eye is touching, and seemingly foreshadows that things are about to change, in a big way.
yeah, just what they didn’t need – a bezerker who still has all of his tactical knoledge when he’s insane…
and about the axes, the advantage of using the blunt edge is it’s thicker, so it would do much more damage on bashing someone, and GA armour functions like real life armour or so it seems, not normal fantasy tissue paper plate, so i highly doubt two axes could penetrate steel
HLY, youre so right about real plate armour functioning different than thin, fantasy or movie armours.
Yet, using the blunt edge to bash plate has the exact same impact strength (Newtons or pounds force) as hitting edge first since the axes weight exactly the same and are swung with the same speed both ways.
BUT,
hitting with the edge obtains higher concentration of said impact (lbs force per square inch). So using the edge you have a better chance of crunching and deforming the armour as is happening on-comic.
I’m thinking those needles may be explosive, as I’m not too sure what else could possibly stop a guy who’s fighting with a gaping wound right through his torso.
Would by funny if Byron is actually possessed by a demon and he shrugs off some TNT as well.
The occurrence between Frigg and Byron reminds me of: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7movKfyTBII&NR=1”.
I can totally see Byron singing that song while he’s killing off his former comrades. The lyrics have an almost surreal connection to what’s been going on in the past few pages. It is one of those beautifully grotesque things that hits that spot where one’s heart should be. Indeed that dance was less safe than any of them could have imagined.
Man, our group’s in a lot of trouble here. Gravedust dying, maybe dead. Bandit, same. Byron in full-on teeth-gnashing blood-spitting frenzy. Let’s hope Syrn’j is up to the challenge.
That said, I figured Byron could probably take Frigg if it ever came to that. Nice to see I was right. I don’t mind seeing her get knocked down a peg or two.
The only thing about this page is the next-to-last panel; my eyes refuse to process that image of Frigg properly. It just looks like part of Byron’s axes stuck to her armor, or there was a joint of armor at her waist that didn’t show in the previous panel…or maybe I’m just visually misinterpreting the denting of the armor…? It looks odd to me, I’m not really able to articulate what I expected to see.
You are seeing an extra articulation point that isn’t in the other panels. It is possible from the way it is drawn that it was something that was around her waist and not visible to us that has been drawn up by the crumpling of the armor.
Did anyone else start thinking about the guy from Baldur’s Gate with the hamster here? Accidentally killed the crap out of my party so many times with that guy…
I don’t get why Frigg dropped without hitting Byron. “Oh shit, that hurt, and now I can’t breathe. I better drop my mace and get down on all fours, rather than knock you out with this attack since my arms are still functional and you aren’t in a position or frame of mind to block and then try to get out of this plate so I can breathe.”
I mean, I know she’s not the smartest, but I didn’t think she subscribed to SMMWIW. (Standard Mistakes Made When Injured – Weekly: The one magazine for all your melodrama and ineffectiveness needs.)
You try thinking logically when your brain’s just been forcibly switched to hamster-mode. I’d recommend that you experience extreme pain before commenting… but that would just be cruel.
Besides, I doubt Byron would get pissed at someone for calling him a “bitch”. I mean, no one sensible does. It’s a crappy insult. Now, a personal one, like, perhaps, an insult directed to his axes, would likely tick him off. So I guess we can say that Frigg was most likely avoiding straight out taunting.
Ooh, looks like that put a dent in her plans. I mean, failing like that? It probably took some of the air out of her. Then again, you have to ask yourself, does this make sense? Well, taking into consideration the Writers’ taste for drama, of corset does.
I think you’re missing the point that Harki thinks Byron is rabid (or some equivalent). I don’t think diseases of the mind are something trolls can just regenerate to get rid of. :p
Catbus noted a lack of background in this sequence. I think the background is there, but it’s just the wall of the arena. I do believe that they are close to the wall from looking at previous posts.
First off, the shock Frigg shows is totally believable.
The force of his blow would send a concusive force thru her so strong it stunned her and forced her to drop her weapon. Now she can’t breath and her mobility is severly limited. And Byron is stil moving like a dervish. She’s just realized she’s going to die. Truely die, and her friends will be dieing soon after her. And she knows it.
Second off, who really beleives hitting with the edge of the axe would have been advisable? Plate is designed to turn piercing and cutting attacks. True the longbow could pierce it. But you forget that it was large groups of archers firing so 1 or 2 might pierce and kill the knight inside. That armour is damn effective at deflecting anything designed to cut thru. By swtching to the blunt ends, Byron bypasses the deflective quality and still puts admirable force into the impact. It looks to me like the creators put in some good thought into this fight.
Hi NicolasRei
You got your historic and D&D facts messed up about plate armour effectiveness (specially the longbow bit).
But thats ok, this is a fantasy comic and us enjoying the “good thought the creators put into it” is what’s really important here.
If you want to rationally discuss pros/cons of plate armour in a historical battleground scenario, I’m all for it.
First of all, I think the whole point of the berserking, plot-wise, is to finally push Syr’nj and Byron together in a beauty tamed the beast moment.
Secondly, we don’t know that Byron’s berserker rage and Harki’s rant on the madness being in him are the same thing. From what we know so far, it could be just as likely be that Harki is misunderstanding the situation based off of a prior experience.
Hi, I know I´m a first time commentor, but normally, when I see a page everyone else already said everything that was to be said (I´m the kind of reader that waits at least a month between visits so that there´ll be plenty of pages to read).
But I can´t believe nobody said this yet:
Syr’nj got winner.
Waiting to see what she´ll do to winner is probably going to make me break my normal reading habits.
Not a good fighter, did you say?
Not a real berserk, did you say?
All talk, no action, did you say?
Useless as anything but a paperweight, did you say?
Who’s laughing now you little puny bitches?!?!
WHO IS LAUGHING NNNOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!…
…
*snaps out of it*
Ooo-eeerrrr… did someone say that The Madness was infectious…?
I just want to say to the Guilded Age creators, the events in the Death Pit have been shocking, dark, and powerfully moving. I think it was very clever of you to let things go so long without Byron ever going into beserker mode, so that I, for one, no longer took his possible beserker-ness seriously. Well done.
Sheeeeiiiiit.
Don’t make her do science to you, Byron.
Listen to her bro, science is some serious stuff!
Does Byron’s rage buff make him bigger as he goes further on his rampage? :P
At least his axes are growing.
Proportional to the time passed since the art(ist)-change :-p
I was more commenting on the panel 4 discrepancy that makes Frig’s head about the size of Byron’s teeth.
For his Beserker mode, Byron is pretty “smart” in dealing with those he rages against.
In this case, anyway. Too bad he wasn’t so smart when he had the chance to lop off Harky’s head. <_<
Frigg gave him a HUGE opening to attack her from the side.
agreed, those big wing ups will get you.
how embarrassing, wind up, not wing up.
Unfortunately, maces aren’t quite so good on the thrust as some weapons
Woah. Creative use of those axes!
She wasn’t using those ribs anyway.
Ouch, rib shot!
In freaking plate armor no less.
FRIGG! NO! FRIIIIIGG! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO ;A; *has been rendered into incoherent flailing*
PLATE CORSET
It’s so slimming!
I am a horrible person, for this made me chuckle uncontrollably.
All the rib-crushing benefits of a regular corset, with twice the durability! Order yours today!
You have a choice! You don’t have to be a gun!
Yes.
I wish this were the alt text. <3
Win!
+1
Yeah.
Wait… he hit her with the BLUNT ends? He could have just chopped her in half right there!!!
He’s already coming to and fighting his desire to kill!
*grasps for more straws*
No, seriously though…. he suddenly uses the blunt ends? There was conscious thought there.
Blunt weapons are more effective against plate mail. Swords and Axes tend to deflect when attempting to strike the armor as it’s designed to stop edges, however blunt kinetic force travels through and seriously messes up your internal squishy parts while only appearing to dent the armor itself. That was the most effective use of those axes possible at that point.
But he’s been all but blindly swiping at people up to that point is what I’m trying to say here. Suddenly he’s starting to THINK.
plus he’s no more foaming at the mouth..
Well, recall that the whole impaling Harki on his own spear so he couldn’t get away could be considered a rather tactical move as well. Why not break the spear jutting from his chest and toss it aside so it doesn’t have the chance of getting in the way?
It’s pretty much implied that the one thing on Byron’s mind is KILL. So there is a thought. Since just wildly flailing at Frigg didn’t net him a KILL, I think the barest bit of tactical thought on how to best KILL her might come into play to satisfy the desire.
blindly but rather effectively swinging.
Actually there wasn’t much point in flipping the axes. Both hits were perpendicular so its unlikely they would have deflected. If they had hit edge on they would have either cut through or been stopped by the armour. In which case the cutting would become a blunt impact and have the same effect.
Only edge on, instead of denting up the plate it would have bashed a valley into it on both sides. Frigg would have been in even worse… shape.
Edge-on it likely would have shattered the axe blades, or at least badly chipped them. Same amount of blunt force trauma, but not all applied to the same target.
That said, we’re seeing a whole bunch of New Artist Physics throughout this sequence and I’ve given up caring about the fight scene specifics. Hopefully this ends soon so we can have some plot again.
+1 again.
Is anyone else besides me bothered by the fact that the entire environment has ceased to exist? Compare today’s backgrounds with http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-4/chapter-4-page-18/ — even when there’s nothing there, there’s something there. Whereas here, the background should be full of somethings, and instead there’s nothing.
More manga-ization. I do not like this, Sam I Am.
Then again, maybe it’s because this one battle has been going on for 11 pages and isn’t over yet, while back in chapter 4, the same number of pages comprised a whole encounter and its aftermath.
To be fair, you should remember that the writers have not changed, John is simply drawing the storyboard script he is given, this is not a manga-ization, the script is being paced like this on purpose.
Wow, I hadn’t noticed until you pointed it out (bad reader). However, i feel like I have to cut John some slack. His incredible attention to character detail has given way to certain…sacrifices in other areas. I mean, its a free web comic updating three times a week. I’m not sure how much of his life he can really devote to this.
Eh, I haven’t really noticed. I’m here for the plot, after all, and as long as the art is somewhat acceptable I’m fine.
And besides, the page you linked to only has sky and clouds as the background for the “battle” panels. Likewise, this arena has a dirt/sand floor. So, it’s more of a point-of-view issue than it is “Manga-ization”. This also puts more emphasis on the characters and their reactions, making panels such as Syr’s close up more powerful.
Excessive diddling on the backgrounds would draw attention from the action. It is a legitimate artistic move, originating well the f*ck before anime.
So do please stop bitching about the “anime” art shift on this comic, friend.
Heck it could just be that Byron the Berzerking is into _brutally_ killing in addition to killing.
Regardless of the minutiae of combat I think it was a very cool move and we’ve seen for the first time a stunned and helpless Frigg. Not just physically, that’s happened with the nuns, but mentally, she’s terrified she wasn’t scared the entire time she was being tortured or ambushed alone or thrown in this pit in the first place.
At least eyes wide, pupils contracting, mouth wide open registers as terror to my brain. I don’t think it’s the pain or the wind knocked out of her she would most likely be grimacing or something.
…or it could be the plates of her armor pushing into her sides and leaving her unable to breathe; maybe some broken rips, perhaps even a pierced lung.
I’d say we need a deus ex machina, like, two strips ago.
I think that’s just New Art Guy making her look too scared again, which he also DID when they were first trapped in the pit.
Could at least use his name.
Jesus. Give the guy some respect.
“New Art Guy”: I really like your work. Actually, I think I prefer it to the original. Keep it up! :)
Jesus. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.
New Art Guy has given me explicit permission to call him that, as long as I capitalize it. ;)
As for respect, I have expressed my opinion that he’s generally doing a great job several times. Like you, I mostly prefer his style to Erica’s, although she did a great job too. I just get perturbed when he has the characters not behave like themselves, and I have a right to say so in a calm, non-abusive manner.
Honestly, New Art Guy is a big boy. Do you think he’s going to cry on his tablet because some chick on the Internet thinks he makes Frigg look too scared sometimes?
dont forget. they are in a colosseum/arena thing . the ground may have pieces of splintered wood and maybe harkys pauldrons, but other than that, its naught but sand, unless the camera pans toward the audience.
Not bothered at all. I found the intricate backgrounds sweet but in this rage dripping battle would only confuse the panels for me so I’m glad the background was slackened a bit for the fight
I’m not sure you know what manga style art actually looks like. No background during a fight scene isn’t exactly unknown in other art styles – personally, I like the minimalist background because it highlights the fight scene.
Frankly, there are a lot more “manga-ized” webcomics out there. If you’re gonna be a dick about the art, could you not insult another art form at the same time?
http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-4/chapter-4-page-22/ <- I'll just leave this here…
Yeah, pretty much.
I see your point, but it doesn’t bother me. I didn’t notice till you pointed it out, actually. I think it works. Just a different art style…
I am also bothered by the chibi-Byron as depicted. In panel three his legs are way too short; his arms look like he can touch his knees while standing straight.
Since he is in a lunge, he is lower to the ground. If you were to straighten him out, you will see the proportion is actually pretty correct. His arm looks to fall around mid-thigh.
(Compare the sum of the lengths of the two parts of his bent arm with the sum of the length of his straightened leg and his from-hip-to-shoulder length.)
Aye, that is most likely broken ribs, quite possibly piercing the lungs.
total party wipe
reload from last save
..ooOO
dont tell me! dont tell me!
It was all a dream!
(Dallas Reset)
Ba-da-bing, Ba-da-bam.
roll new characters, one level lower. this is why you need a cleric in the party. :P
“My dudes”?
Frigg! You DO care!
Syr’s looking so beautiful and sweet!
Good job John!
Why is it always the “healers” that give the friendship speeches?
Believe in yourself and you can do anything, Byron.
Lol, but seriously, that armor crunching has got to HURT! Broken ribs? Likely. Labored breathing? Definitely. Good in battle? Neither of those things.
I was going to say something abouut healers and feelings, but let’s be real:
There cannot be any class more sensitive than casting DPS.
Damn right, we’re sensitive. We signed on to destroy things like a heroin addled version of Jake and Elwood behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile, and you keep telling us not to pull aggro from the tank?
Or, to honor a very special (and never invited back) member of a group, Why shouldn’t I be able to run up to the mob and spam Arcane Explosion? Tanks got aggro…damn tank! Do your job!
Tanks are the most sensitive. You know how many of them lose their shit when DPS tells them to man the fuck up?
Me? That shit’s a fucking challenge, brah.
Sounds to me like you’re one of those Stupid DPS who doesn’t know shit about tanking. sometimes dps DOES need to stop facerolling their keys for a second or two. believe it or not, threat control is EVERYONE’s job not always just the tank.
Amen. Especially in the new expansion. Crowd control is back in fashion. I still get mages in PuGs who can’t find their damn sheep button.
You guys are the worst. Healers give the friendship speeches because they heal the HEART as well as the body! Its technically in the job description, as “healing” is a pretty broad term.
Durh.
Shoulda marked a burn target… kill the skull, by then i should have aggro on everything else and you nuke.
ouch, as a mage, i feel i must apologize for my brethren who fail to realize that poly is an efficient means of taking the fight out of someone. hell. it wasnt that long ago that in tempest keep you had mages assigned to chainsheep targets as they could self-break cc after just a few seconds. sad, sad state of affairs..
I’m the tank, you dolt.
She should direct this speech to Brayen and Bayen instead, they will listen more likely.
Love those axes. They’re named after the kinds of sounds he’s making right now.
Also, note the syringes in her other hand
So, is she gonna try to get Byron with those? Or is she just gonna buff herself into being a demi-god?
Syringe Demi-God.
Sounds like an awful metal band.
HAHAHAHA!!!! :D
Shit, dude, he’s gone to plaid!
I dunno if anyone has ever seen the Record of Lodoss War TV series, but every since Byron started his berserk fit, all I can hear is “An Angered Berserker”, the music that plays when Orson flips his shit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbmjE6Xuos0
Of course, Byron’s rage is much, MUCH more terrifying.
“It is said that where a berserker walks, only bodies remain…”
Man…Haven’t seen that in a long time. Well, until I checked your link. Yeah, honestly, I don’t think there’s a berserker I want to fight in any fiction.
Nice one, but for me it’s to slow for Byron’s Rage. I’d prefer “Down with the sickness” or some of the other metal songs posted here in the comments during the last days…
By the way: Am I the only one considering it funny, that “An Angered Berserker” is out of a Japanese score, using Latin lyrics (audibly sung by Japanese, I’d say) that are of Christian origin while borrowing Roman and Judean figures?
I am? Ok. [/rant]
you forgot the norse bit.
but yeah, sometimes pop culture is lol, you can totally hear the japanese accents.
Don’t ever compare Byron to the rest…they’ll all get sliced and diced.
I don’t know about that. I think Logen Ninefingers (a k a The Bloody-Nine) could show him a good time. He also a reluctant berserking master tactician, possibly possessed by something else.
“Eh… Slice ’em, dice ’em, no sense being nice to ’em! That’s my motto!” by an aggressive Wizardry 8 fighter.
Terrified look on Frigg’s face? Wow, that’s something new.
seems more like a ‘wind knocked out of look’ to me
Mamma said knock you out!
Don’t you call this no regular jam
I’m gonna rock this land
Called it. Three panels.
Called it. She was up for four panels :p
Survived three panels, smashed in the fourth.
Ooops, chapter ends this week!
To all the Byron . . . um . . . Bashers: Owned.
To those sorting out Byron’s Berzerker Logic: I think that his tactics run so deep that he doesn’t “think” about them, he just acts, which makes him possibly the most frightening berserker ever.
Final Thought: Syr’ng is about to do Science, and the tear in her eye is touching, and seemingly foreshadows that things are about to change, in a big way.
Cheers,
Cote
PWN!
yeah, just what they didn’t need – a bezerker who still has all of his tactical knoledge when he’s insane…
and about the axes, the advantage of using the blunt edge is it’s thicker, so it would do much more damage on bashing someone, and GA armour functions like real life armour or so it seems, not normal fantasy tissue paper plate, so i highly doubt two axes could penetrate steel
HLY, youre so right about real plate armour functioning different than thin, fantasy or movie armours.
Yet, using the blunt edge to bash plate has the exact same impact strength (Newtons or pounds force) as hitting edge first since the axes weight exactly the same and are swung with the same speed both ways.
BUT,
hitting with the edge obtains higher concentration of said impact (lbs force per square inch). So using the edge you have a better chance of crunching and deforming the armour as is happening on-comic.
But unless the hit is vertical the blade will just slide. Blunt hit lower, but sure.
you really should listen to your elfen safety officer.
Like Mister Heavy Weapons Guy would say :
“Ooooh !! This is baaad !! “
I’m thinking those needles may be explosive, as I’m not too sure what else could possibly stop a guy who’s fighting with a gaping wound right through his torso.
Would by funny if Byron is actually possessed by a demon and he shrugs off some TNT as well.
It is even funnier if you only read the left column.
Ha, clever. It makes it look like Frigg totally missed.
“I can do SCIENCE to you, or I can do LOVE to you. But I’d LOVE to do SCIENCE.”
The occurrence between Frigg and Byron reminds me of: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7movKfyTBII&NR=1”.
I can totally see Byron singing that song while he’s killing off his former comrades. The lyrics have an almost surreal connection to what’s been going on in the past few pages. It is one of those beautifully grotesque things that hits that spot where one’s heart should be. Indeed that dance was less safe than any of them could have imagined.
The ridiculousness… of… berserking… to the tune of Safety Dance.
So, whose friends don’t dance, exactly?
All the “normal” non-berserking friends of whoever Byron is currently killing.
actually ia m betting those are tranqs in the syringes
and if you look she is holding 4 of them which means papa needs to be “heavily” satatied
Enough of this fight. Kill Byron and go have some tea. And fudge. Oh! And dynamite!
Man, our group’s in a lot of trouble here. Gravedust dying, maybe dead. Bandit, same. Byron in full-on teeth-gnashing blood-spitting frenzy. Let’s hope Syrn’j is up to the challenge.
That said, I figured Byron could probably take Frigg if it ever came to that. Nice to see I was right. I don’t mind seeing her get knocked down a peg or two.
The only thing about this page is the next-to-last panel; my eyes refuse to process that image of Frigg properly. It just looks like part of Byron’s axes stuck to her armor, or there was a joint of armor at her waist that didn’t show in the previous panel…or maybe I’m just visually misinterpreting the denting of the armor…? It looks odd to me, I’m not really able to articulate what I expected to see.
Science, Syr! Science!!
You are seeing an extra articulation point that isn’t in the other panels. It is possible from the way it is drawn that it was something that was around her waist and not visible to us that has been drawn up by the crumpling of the armor.
Not entirely certain what you think you’re seeing, but panel 5 looks like Frigg’s holding her side. That’s her hand over the denting on her left.
Four? Bandit is one, if she guessed about Gravedust that’s two, and Byron would make three if she killed him. Where’s the four coming from?
She’s assuming 3 (counting him) if she takes him down, 4+ if she lets him kill others before he drops.
Did anyone else start thinking about the guy from Baldur’s Gate with the hamster here? Accidentally killed the crap out of my party so many times with that guy…
Hahaha. Good old Minsc.
Want that game. Want it SO bad.
Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES! YEARRRGH!!!
Buttkicking! For goodness!
I don’t get why Frigg dropped without hitting Byron. “Oh shit, that hurt, and now I can’t breathe. I better drop my mace and get down on all fours, rather than knock you out with this attack since my arms are still functional and you aren’t in a position or frame of mind to block and then try to get out of this plate so I can breathe.”
I mean, I know she’s not the smartest, but I didn’t think she subscribed to SMMWIW. (Standard Mistakes Made When Injured – Weekly: The one magazine for all your melodrama and ineffectiveness needs.)
Her armor had been dented into her diaphragm or ribs. She litterally cannot draw breath.
Ah, so you also just read the left half of the comic? :P
So much better that way.
You try thinking logically when your brain’s just been forcibly switched to hamster-mode. I’d recommend that you experience extreme pain before commenting… but that would just be cruel.
No, that would be cool. Hey man! Come and take a hit from me or two during a good night of dueling!
Ha! I laughed when she got the wind knocked out of her. Calling him a Bitch wasn’t a good idea. Who the hell tries to make a BERZERKER even more mad?!
She wasn’t. Frigg just talks that way.
Besides, I doubt Byron would get pissed at someone for calling him a “bitch”. I mean, no one sensible does. It’s a crappy insult. Now, a personal one, like, perhaps, an insult directed to his axes, would likely tick him off. So I guess we can say that Frigg was most likely avoiding straight out taunting.
Ooh, looks like that put a dent in her plans. I mean, failing like that? It probably took some of the air out of her. Then again, you have to ask yourself, does this make sense? Well, taking into consideration the Writers’ taste for drama, of corset does.
… I’m finished, I swear.
It took a while, but Byron is finally Berserking like a pro. It’s just too bad all the actual enemies are cowards and ran for their earlobes.
I mean really. You’re a troll. Walk it off and get back in there you big suck. They’re JUST axes. What’s the worst he could do with them, honestly?
You are a terrible Boss Monster and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Sir, I am in love with your chibi spartan avatar.
I think you’re missing the point that Harki thinks Byron is rabid (or some equivalent). I don’t think diseases of the mind are something trolls can just regenerate to get rid of. :p
Ouch, this reminds me of the advice given to me by an ex if I ever got into a fight with a psycho woman. Kick them in the boobs!
I fear Syr can kiss her arm goodbye
Great job on Panel 5.
Catbus noted a lack of background in this sequence. I think the background is there, but it’s just the wall of the arena. I do believe that they are close to the wall from looking at previous posts.
byron is shiva when he berseks in the first panel. poor frigg trying to take on the goddess of destruction
Ma, ma, ma, ma, maaaa Frigg
taught her four sons,
Ma, ma, ma, ma, maaaa Frigg
to handle their maces.
First off, the shock Frigg shows is totally believable.
The force of his blow would send a concusive force thru her so strong it stunned her and forced her to drop her weapon. Now she can’t breath and her mobility is severly limited. And Byron is stil moving like a dervish. She’s just realized she’s going to die. Truely die, and her friends will be dieing soon after her. And she knows it.
Second off, who really beleives hitting with the edge of the axe would have been advisable? Plate is designed to turn piercing and cutting attacks. True the longbow could pierce it. But you forget that it was large groups of archers firing so 1 or 2 might pierce and kill the knight inside. That armour is damn effective at deflecting anything designed to cut thru. By swtching to the blunt ends, Byron bypasses the deflective quality and still puts admirable force into the impact. It looks to me like the creators put in some good thought into this fight.
Sorry, end rant.
Hi NicolasRei
You got your historic and D&D facts messed up about plate armour effectiveness (specially the longbow bit).
But thats ok, this is a fantasy comic and us enjoying the “good thought the creators put into it” is what’s really important here.
If you want to rationally discuss pros/cons of plate armour in a historical battleground scenario, I’m all for it.
p.s. everyone needs to de-rant once in a while ;)
First of all, I think the whole point of the berserking, plot-wise, is to finally push Syr’nj and Byron together in a beauty tamed the beast moment.
Secondly, we don’t know that Byron’s berserker rage and Harki’s rant on the madness being in him are the same thing. From what we know so far, it could be just as likely be that Harki is misunderstanding the situation based off of a prior experience.
Quick question that suddenly came to mind.
… Frigg’s losing FOUR of her dudes?
I count TWO permanently(?) down. She was implying the potential need to kill Byron to stop him as a third death…
Who’s the fourth that they’d have lost if Frigg had killed him right there?
There are 5 party members so Frigg’s referring to everyone but herself. I doubt Syr would last long in melee with Byron.
Hi, I know I´m a first time commentor, but normally, when I see a page everyone else already said everything that was to be said (I´m the kind of reader that waits at least a month between visits so that there´ll be plenty of pages to read).
But I can´t believe nobody said this yet:
Syr’nj got winner.
Waiting to see what she´ll do to winner is probably going to make me break my normal reading habits.
I did say it in the previous page but no one cared. :(
control your rage you can do eeeeet!
i kind of want to see those needles hit him in the neck… i fear anywhere else might not be quick enough
Not a good fighter, did you say?
Not a real berserk, did you say?
All talk, no action, did you say?
Useless as anything but a paperweight, did you say?
Who’s laughing now you little puny bitches?!?!
WHO IS LAUGHING NNNOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!…
…
*snaps out of it*
Ooo-eeerrrr… did someone say that The Madness was infectious…?
I just want to say to the Guilded Age creators, the events in the Death Pit have been shocking, dark, and powerfully moving. I think it was very clever of you to let things go so long without Byron ever going into beserker mode, so that I, for one, no longer took his possible beserker-ness seriously. Well done.
… and I quote: “fuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUU…”