Shardplate and Steel Feruchemy

[DoctaDajman]

So, I have always pictured shardplate as enhancing the movement of the user inside. But are there limits to this? Steel runners have to be careful about friction burns but I believe plate is pretty much immune to heat and insulates the user, at least from lightning. So, will the plate be able to move double the speed of other plate wearers if the steel runner inside of it was tapping double speed? 

Steel runners also have to be careful about the increased kinetic energy of strikes while moving faster as their body isn't necessarily strengthened for it. So, slapping someone at double the speed means double the force on all of those small bones. Punching a brick wall may break a hand at normal speed, double it and a steel runner is almost certain to destroy their own hand and arm. 

But Shardplate can withstand pretty dang significant amounts of energy. Look at Renarin diving headfirst into the ground in WoR after all. 

Does that mean that shardplate with a steel runner operating it would be able to withstand all of the impact forces of moving double time or even beyond? It survived its own 1300+ pound self crashing down form jumping off of a building. I couldn't find anything that said how tall the building was but it did say he jumped out away form it 10-12 feet I believe. 

Mass and velocity for even a 1 or 2 story fall would lead us to a pretty significant amount of energy the shardplate absorbed helm first without cracking. At least I think I remember him making that jump multiple times to prove to himself that the shards will protect him. 

So, If shardplate is capable of withstanding those levels of energy would a steel runner be able to safely move at double, triple, or even higher speeds and really open a can of destruction on things or is there going to be a limit somewhere in here? 

Also, I may need to reread but when Adolin wrestles the other shardbearer and it goes to a ground and pound, does anyone remember if his plated punches cause the other shardplate to break while his plate maintains itself? 

Edit: bonus question. 

How well do you think shardplate will move with an iron ferring tapping loads of weight? The plate is strong, but could a ferring move from 1500lbs in plate to 3000lbs in plate and because it is plate powering their movements it would be able to move the same speed as it normally does?  Where is the weight limit that plate would struggle to move the ferring at typical speeds?  

 

Either way, doubling weight or doubling speed should double momentum for nearly any strike. (Not necessarily KE as weight plays less role compared to speed right?)  

Edited December 27, 2025 by DoctaDajman