Poll: Blade vs. Plate

[Gloom]

I've decided that I'd prefer my very own Thunderclast instead of a set of Plate of a Shardblade.

[Arran]

deddinty:

 

Well I hope you don't pick Szeth to try your luck against.

 

Don't worry. There's got to be some isolated Shardbearers who have only a Shardblade in Jah Keved, instead of all Shardbearers being near each other and surrounded by armies as with the Alethi...

 

I'd personally prefer a blade myself.  I'd rather have a hidden weapon than a visible defense.

 

Well, if my scenario works as intended, I'd end up with both.

 

This is exactly what I was getting at - in a fight, having Plate is a bigger advantage than having a Blade. The advantage of the Blade is that you always have it on you and it can't be stolen, and is easy to hide, whereas Plate has to be cared for, costs gems/money to fuel and repair, and must be elaborately put on and taken off.

 

 

I wonder just how effective a Shardblade is without the added strength of Shardplate. All 'regular' Shardblades that we've seen are essentially greatswords, one might even say oversized greatswords. So they've got to be slow and heavy, even if they can cut through anything (thus negating the potential problem of fighting in tight spaces). Yes, the wielder will have the advantage of surprise if he attacks suddenly and/or his opponent doesn't know that he has a Shardblade, but if the Shardbearer misses, his intended victim can run. True, the Shardblade's wielder can let it dissipate, run after his enemy, and then summon it back... but if that enemy unexpectedly turns back and attacks while the Shardblade is still some heartbeats away, the Shardbearer is, for a few crucial instants, just a normal man.

 

You're right that Plate is expensive to maintain in peak condition and requires time to be put on, but if you have a suit of Shardplate, finding a rich patron shouldn't be too difficult. Dalinar and Elhokar would almost certainly gladly accept the services of a Plate-only Shardbearer, and aren't likely to try to have that Shardbearer slain to get his Plate for themselves.

[Gloom]

I would say that tight spaces would still be a very large factor to a Blade wielder. True, a Shardblade can cut through anything that isn't invested, but if you are carelessly swinging a six foot sword through walls and ceilings, those walls and ceilings will quickly fall on and around you. Both Szeth and Dalinar have used this to their advantage.

[FeatherWriter]

Shardblades are MUCH lighter than regular swords of their size.

 

“Won’t matter a bit if we get you into a set of Plate and give you a Blade,” Dalinar said. “The armor makes any man strong, and a Shardblade is nearly as light as air itself.” 

The Way of Kings, Ch. 18

 

While Dalinar does say earlier that a six-foot long blade might be unwieldy outside of Plate, but the length is the issue, not the weight.

 

Six feet long from tip to hilt, the Blade would have been unwieldy in the hands of any man not wearing Shardplate.

The Way of Kings, Ch. 13

 

[Mailliw73]

Unless you have Szeth's type of blade which is smaller and more wieldy.

[Kadrok]

Shardplate and a gun.

 

Brings back all sorts of Fallout 1 feelings. Unfortunately it would mean I would have to have access to a world with guns on it (or be a visionary polymath) both of which are unlikely. Without a gun, I'd be more inclined towards a Shardblade, since Shardplate is less convenient.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Kadrok

[Shardlet]

I think I would have to go for a blade.  The convenience of having it with you all the time plus the absolute usefulness in yardwork.  You could use it to kill weeds to their very soul, they would not return. Trimming trees, cutting just about anything.  So useful!

[Cheese Ninja]

I hadn't even considered how good it would be for weeds.  Way better than Round-Up.  Thistles, dandelions, clover... Can't really use it if the weeds are interspersed with the plants you want to keep, and you'd always have to be careful to avoid nicking the roots of other plants.  But it's great for breaking down a fallen tree into manageable chunks without resorting to a chainsaw.

[Shardlet]

Like butta'!