Decimator Hybrid - Inspiration & Design Concept Development
Decimator Hybrid LARP Weapon System
Inspiration, Concept Development, Sketching & Initial PPPs
The Decimator Concept
This is the Live Action Role Play weapon equivalent of a concept car and swiss Army knife all in one.
It combines combat systems for :
The Decimator concept was based on plans being put together for a super hybrid of the various weapon classes, mock combat techniques and innovative construction techniques that were innovated or on a drawing board to be incorporated at the time Merlin’s Armour was wound up as I moved to university first time. Collecting proverbial dust till resurrected as a product development project to show what I could do to impress at my Brunel University application interview and it worked.
- Distance
- Long range
- Medium range
- Short range
Combining a Combining:
- Axes
- Swords
- Daggers
- Staff
- Hooks
- Shield
- Projectile / Throwing Weapons
- Multi-Handle & Distance Weapons
close up to long range. - And to an extent a Tank
Full Design Process Report
Please click on the image for the full detailed design process development report for this project. The bottons cover the various elements that went into the design of the hybrid, the design decisions and project development
This was far more complex than any of the LARP weapons done before and many of the other projects here.
Stage 1 : Inspiration and Research - Hooks and Grab Weapons
The original idea that lead to the Decimator Concept All in One LARP weapon was experiments with claw weapons but to get there first regular weapons with the ability to hook were looked at.
These included the roman Sica curved sword (Top right), Egyptian Khopesh sickle swords (3 down left) and the
Chinese hook sword pairs and axes. The hook swords were of particular interest.
As can be seen in the black and white image these were useful for hooking and pulling away opponents weapons, exposing the opponents body for striking with a secondary weapon.
These included the roman Sica curved sword (Top right), Egyptian Khopesh sickle swords (3 down left) and the
Chinese hook sword pairs and axes. The hook swords were of particular interest.
As can be seen in the black and white image these were useful for hooking and pulling away opponents weapons, exposing the opponents body for striking with a secondary weapon.
Stage 1 : Inspiration and Research - Better use of Shields
Observations & having a go at Live Action Role Play games, films in the early 90s and before showed shields only used defensively, often clumsily. This is very different to current film and TV showing combat with such weapons.
Longer medieval shields were flopping a lot as held vertically not giving too much control. In particular, what was noticed was that when striking with the weapon arm, the shield was swung to the back opening the body to strikes. In particular the upper arm of the weapon arm is the most exposed when swinging and an easy target along with your shoulder. Modern fight scenes in movies and TV shows now tend to be far more graphically violent showing shields as a far more offensive weapon, especially using the edge. Bar the issue of weight and encumbrance of a bulky object, this seems to be a better place for shield. Looked at holding kite shields horizontally instead of vertically, this appeared to offer more offensive use.
What I wanted to look at was how to make the shield more of an offensive weapon in the mock combat sport game, much more like seen in film scenes like this one from the film Troy. Note how with the figure of 8-shield used by Achilles (Brad Pitt), the indents are used to hold weapons and catch opponents, as well at the shield edge.
This led to researching alternative shield types with more offensive attributes such as an Italian lantern shield.
(This is the picture with the gauntlet glove), those with pointed centre boss spikes and blades.
Longer medieval shields were flopping a lot as held vertically not giving too much control. In particular, what was noticed was that when striking with the weapon arm, the shield was swung to the back opening the body to strikes. In particular the upper arm of the weapon arm is the most exposed when swinging and an easy target along with your shoulder. Modern fight scenes in movies and TV shows now tend to be far more graphically violent showing shields as a far more offensive weapon, especially using the edge. Bar the issue of weight and encumbrance of a bulky object, this seems to be a better place for shield. Looked at holding kite shields horizontally instead of vertically, this appeared to offer more offensive use.
What I wanted to look at was how to make the shield more of an offensive weapon in the mock combat sport game, much more like seen in film scenes like this one from the film Troy. Note how with the figure of 8-shield used by Achilles (Brad Pitt), the indents are used to hold weapons and catch opponents, as well at the shield edge.
This led to researching alternative shield types with more offensive attributes such as an Italian lantern shield.
(This is the picture with the gauntlet glove), those with pointed centre boss spikes and blades.
The ancient Proto-Dipylon shields
was certainly of interest if it was to be used in a manner similar to the movie clip from Troy below. This shows a light weight highly manoeuvrable shield, much better suited to melee and one on one fighting, using the shield as a weapon and indents for weapons and grabbing opponents below.
Medieval Duelling Shields (Fast Forward to 1.10mins)
Long duelling shields with spikes and hooks were also interesting as something exotic. This was very much a system to hooks and grab opponents and their weapons. Please fast forward to a minute and 10 seconds to see how these would be used in particular the use of hooking techniques.
Inspiration and Research 1 - Twin Blade and Thrust Weapons.
As mentioned the Decimator idea was for an All - In - One LARP Super Weapon. It did however start with one of the first products I designed, a twin blade claw. This was based on a number of weapons I had seen from the claw weapon
in the movie Predator, to some ninja weapons I had seen on the back of video tapes, the roman Scissor
gladiator weapon and blade snapping katar daggers
from India
The idea being a confusing alternative weapon that could employ a sneaky trick of trapping your opponents weapon if they were not paying attention then use this to pull them down or disarm them. It would also work with less swinging and more small angle and thrusting movements more like fencing.
The idea being a confusing alternative weapon that could employ a sneaky trick of trapping your opponents weapon if they were not paying attention then use this to pull them down or disarm them. It would also work with less swinging and more small angle and thrusting movements more like fencing.
The Original Claw PPP Testing
The inspiration led to this, my original claw Live Action Role Play weapon. The first Proving Principle Prototype (PPP). This performed well in testing. Being something totally different to what opponents had seen before, being more of an acute angle thrusting weapon more like fencing and far more suited to your weaker hand (In my case left.) and moving very differently to your main hand opponents were confused and did not know what to make of it. This gave a distinct advantage to the user catching the opponents off guard. In particular they were not prepared for something where if not paying attention could trap and rip out of the users hand, open them out by pulling their weapon outwards or pulling it to the ground exposing their back if they did not let go to the users primary weapon in their strong hand.
However whilst granting the user’s weaker hand a precise and flexible handling quite unlike what opponents were used to and in particular weapon trapping ability, the marshals did not like it as this was due to the wrist joint and as being in a glove you would not be able to release it, if your fell and the blade stuck in the ground you risked serious wrist injury as the joint lacks strength. Basically it could stick in the ground like a pole vaulters pole only your wrist keeps going and possibly breaks.
However whilst granting the user’s weaker hand a precise and flexible handling quite unlike what opponents were used to and in particular weapon trapping ability, the marshals did not like it as this was due to the wrist joint and as being in a glove you would not be able to release it, if your fell and the blade stuck in the ground you risked serious wrist injury as the joint lacks strength. Basically it could stick in the ground like a pole vaulters pole only your wrist keeps going and possibly breaks.
The shield over the back of the hand seemed inefficient as well so the concept was put on ice whilst making all the other weapons for a few years
Initial Sketch Development To Determine Basic Decimator Form
The Decimator was to be a combination of all of these and more.
- Sketch ideation developed the form to follow function or it was shaped to do a job and the job determined the form.
- As you can see from the sketching the shield was moved to a horizontal orientation in line with the forearm.
- Spikes and hooks were added along with twin sword blades.
- An axe like boss blade was added to the front.
- Incorporation of some sort of projectile weapon system to shoot from a distance also started to be looked at to be attached or embedded into the shield.
First Proving Principle Prototype
Please see the video above. The next step in the Decimator Project was to turn the sketches into a rough card and bamboo mock up, a Proving Principle Prototype or PPP to test out the theory. This worked very well. The PPP appeared to work well, handling was good, disarming and trapping worked very well including a move which made the opponent spin around, drop to their knees with hand behind their neck if they did not release their LARP weapon.
Full Design Process Report
Please click on the image for the full detailed design process development report for this project. The bottons cover the elements that went into the design of the hybrid.
This was a complex thought out project with lots of elements.