Trading Coins For Shellcasings

[David Coppercloud]

I like that Sanderson changed things around a bit, and tied in the western theme with what readily available bits of metal Wax could employ as a Coinshot, rather than having him throw money around the place. It has been awhile since I read the book, but does anyone else think that a discarded bullet casing would roll along the ground when acted upon by a magnetic push from above, instead of acting a strong anchor?

And in that case might a coin, also, slid along the ground, if it where pushed from an angle other than directly above?

[Voidus]

I did think that when I first read AoL too, coins would work though I think because they have patterns engraved into them which provides a stronger source of friction

[Kaymyth]

I've thought for a while that the roll potential of both of them was rather inconvenient.  Granted, a good, hard Steelpush is going to flatten the casings pretty quickly, but still.

 

Something more along the lines of a scales (as in scale mail pieces*) would work extremely well.  The leaf-shape would prevent rolling, and them being concave would give some extra grip to any roughness in the ground.  Add in the little hole punched in one end, and you could keep them on strings.

 

 

* Yeah, I have chainmail and scale mail pieces just lying around the house, giving me ideas.  I might have a costuming problem.

[Dunkum]

Well, bear in mind that I don't think we've seen paved roads in mistborn as yet, so for the most part, the steelpush also pushes the metal into the ground some, which would help to anchor it. that said, yea, I had that problem any time I thought to hard about it while reading any of the mistborn books: anything that small would probably slide a bit more than Brandon was accounting for, which would completely throw off the jumps.

[Kaymyth]

Well, bear in mind that I don't think we've seen paved roads in mistborn as yet, so for the most part, the steelpush also pushes the metal into the ground some, which would help to anchor it. that said, yea, I had that problem any time I thought to hard about it while reading any of the mistborn books: anything that small would probably slide a bit more than Brandon was accounting for, which would completely throw off the jumps.

 

Well, as of Alloy of Law era, we have automobiles, which means that city streets are paved.  Probably not much more than that, though.

[Dunkum]

I think early automobiles ran on dirt roads, since that is what they had. I don't recall seeing a description of the roads in AoL, but I assume only the biggest, most traveled roads in the city would be paved at that point in their history (roughly equivalent to late 19th century America)

[Lord Pifferdoo]

I'm still hoping for either Hemalurgic Bullets or a Lurcher somewhere to shoot a bullet into a guy and then Pull it back to kill a separate guy.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Lord Pifferdoo

[Kaymyth]

I think early automobiles ran on dirt roads, since that is what they had. I don't recall seeing a description of the roads in AoL, but I assume only the biggest, most traveled roads in the city would be paved at that point in their history (roughly equivalent to late 19th century America)

 

I remember pretty distinctly Wax taking out some paving stones with his shotgun when he was bouncing around in the mists.

 

I've also got it in my head that there's a part where he's thinking derogatorily about cars and the pavement they required, but that may have been in the Shadows of Self preview.

[physicskid]

the roads around the field of rebirth are specifically described as being paved in asphalt. it is strongly implied that this is unusual, implying that other roads are usually cobbled or dirt/gravel.

[Dunkum]

the roads around the field of rebirth are specifically described as being paved in asphalt. it is strongly implied that this is unusual, implying that other roads are usually cobbled or dirt/gravel.

Thanks. This is about what I would expect. moving a bit back onto the topic then, most roads, you might be able to push the metal into the dirt a little bit, and get more traction that way. even asphat roads you could theoretically do that, but I think a normal steelpush wouldn't be sufficient for it. maybe Wax could, if he tapped his ironmind during the initial push to force it down further. Edited February 14, 2015 by Dunkum

[Oudeis]

Remember most ground, paved or not, isn't exactly a flat surface. With the downward vector providing additional friction, even if the ground itself were slippery, coins or shell casings wouldn't necessarily travel very far laterally before simply finding something they can't get over. Asphalt might be one, but as has been said, asphalt is rare. Cobbled or paved surfaces are basically a patchwork of enormous cracks eager and willing to grab coins, shell casings, or anything else you drop and hold them tight against pretty much anything higher than a direct vertical push.

 

My feet aren't directly below my center of gravity, especially when I walk. When I walk, most of the time, I've only got one foot on the ground as my weight shifts all over the place. Front, back, a bit to the side. The ground does a decent job, most of the time, of keeping my foot in one position as long as the vector is mostly downwards, just like a steelpush would be.

[Bort]

And in that case might a coin, also, slid along the ground, if it where pushed from an angle other than directly above?

 

In The Final Empire, when Kelsier is training Vin, this is one of the tricks he uses. She drops a coin and pushes off it. He pushes the coin away before she can get any real height.

 

I believe it also happens again when she is fighting allomancers at the beginning of Hero of Ages.