I Introduction and signup

This class is meant to introduce you to the design and usage of the war hammer. While there are a lot of similarities in usage between war hammers, axes, and maces, this class is specific to the hammer. As a result, this class is good for your first point in war hammer only.

To join the class, please post with the following information: Full Name (IC): Rank: Email:

II Introduction and basic theory

“In this class,” said Kolvir Anderiam, looking over his students with a skeptical eye, “we will be looking at the design and usage of the war hammer. Start by taking a look at the weapon.”

As the students filed forward to the table where various examples of the weapon were laid out, Kolvir continued: “The first thing you will notice is that these are all designed for one-handed use. There are two-handed versions of the weapon, but they are fairly rare. Generally, if you are going to use a two-handed warhammer, you should go ahead and move up to the polearm versions, such as the Raven’s Beak. However, we will address the two-handed hammer at various points in this class.”

He paused, giving the students a chance to look over the weapons. “The first thing you must understand about the war hammer is that it was designed and used to defeat heavy armor. Nothing else about the weapon will make sense if you do not understand that. For unarmored combat, the sword is a notably better weapon - most swords offer greater reach, and a longer section of the weapon can be used to inflict damage. Generally speaking, though, most swords are incapable of getting through heavy armor, and this is where the warhammer (and related weapons like the mace, flail, and axe) come in.”

Pausing, he picked up one of the hammers. “As you can see, the weapon consists of two parts: a hammer-like head, and a back-spike. The spike is nearly universal, as it is essential to damaging someone wearing armor. The basic idea is that you use the hammer to stun your opponent, and then use the spike to pierce his armor at one of its weak points - usually a joint.

“War hammers were often used as secondary weapons by soldiers carrying spears or polearms. The one-handed versions were fairly common as primary weapons. They were usually used from horseback, where the extra height allowed for a powerful downward swing. On foot, they are usually employed along with a shield, so you may wish to study either shield use or mounted combat in conjunction with this weapon - or both. The two-handed versions cannot be swung properly from horseback, nor can you use a shield with one.”

Assignment: For this class, describe how your character will be using his or her warhammer.

III Grip, Stance, and Footwork:

Kolvir stood and looked at his students. They were still covering very basic material, but basics were what everything else was built on. A flaw in the basics would become a weakness in even the most advanced techniques.

Frowning - more from habit than because the students were doing anything wrong - Kolvir said, “Holding your weapon sounds like a simple thing. After all, you simply put your fingers around the handle and there you go, yes?” He looked around, but no one answered. No surprise there. “While that is basically true, there are some things to keep in mind. First of all, you don’t need to grip the weapon too tightly. You only need to hold it, not choke it to death. Your grip should be as light as it can be without the weapon slipping out of your hand - otherwise you will tire your fingers.”

He picked up one of the weapons and wrapped his fingers around the handle. “There are two basic ways of holding this weapon. The first will be familiar to most of you from sword-work: the little finger supplies most of the grip. The grip gets lighter as it moves up the hand, so that your thumb and forefinger grip very lightly - their job is to steer, not to hold on. This is the grip you will use for a solid swing, to deliver a heavy impact. There is, however, another grip that you can also use. This second one holds the hammer with the thumb and forefinger, and leaves the other fingers loose. This gives you a lighter grip, and if done correctly you should feel the handle bounce off the heel of your hand when you swing. It is used for lighter swings, where you don’t expect to connect solidly or where you need to move into something else as soon as you connect.” He paused to draw a breath. “I do not recommend one over the other. In time, you will learn to use each grip when you need it.”

Still holding the hammer, he picked up a mid-sized shield and moved forward. “Your stance will depend somewhat on how you have chose to use the hammer. As a general rule, you do not want to parry with it - its weight and balance make it a bit slow for that - but if you are using the hammer alone you may not have much choice. So, if you are using a one-handed hammer by itself, you will want to put your weapon-hand forward, with the hammer held up so that the head is directly above your fist.”

He demonstrated, holding the shield back and putting the hammer forward. “Now, if you have a shield - and even the vaguest idea of how to use it - it’s generally best to put the shield forward, and use it for defense until you see an opening. This means keeping the hammer back and ready to swing. The most common position for this puts the hammer head back behind your shoulder, with your fist close to your ear and your elbow pointed at the enemy.” Sliding his right leg back, he put the shield forward and the hammer above his right shoulder.

“With a two-handed hammer, you will not have a ‘guard’ position as such. Before a fight, you will want to have the head of the weapon back, so that you can swing it as soon as your opponent comes in range. Once the fight begins, you will continue attacking until one or the other of you falls. Your starting position can hold the hammer above your shoulder, like a wood axe, or horizontally with the head directly behind you. It can also be down and to the side. In any of these positions, you will have both hands on the handle.” He paused, then added: “This approach can be used with the one-handed hammer as well, if you do not have a shield. The shield allows for a better balance of attack and defense.”

“For footwork,” he continued, “I refer you to the unarmed combat class. Those of you who have not seen these movements already should practice them now. Those of you who have, may limit yourselves to demonstrating the grips and stances.”

IV Swings and Target Areas

“Everybody take a hammer.” Kolvir’s voice was abrupt. Today, the students would begin actually hitting things. Many of the students would be wondering why they had not already begun this, but the previous lessons were necessary groundwork.

“There are three basic kinds of swings, and we will look at all of them. The first is just a basic attack: you hit your opponent with the hammer. The main thing to remember here is that is not done with the arm alone, except on a short, light tap. For a powerful swing, you put your whole body into it, starting with the feet. The energy should go through the torso, which usually means turning the hips and shoulders in the same direction you are swinging.” He demonstrated slowly, so that his students could see how the actual pressure began in his feet and was transferred up through the body. Then he performed the movement more quickly, so that the individual pieces came together into a sort of whole-body twitch. “Remember to change your grip. For a lighter tap, use the thumb and forefinger. For a solid swing, grip with the lower fingers.”

Lowering the hammer, he continued: “In certain kinds of sword work, you will see attacks made by swinging the handle, and letting the blade follow. This motion is used for slicing with a blade, and so is not used to attack with the hammer. However, it can be used to hook with the hammer, so that the back-spike or the head can catch and pull on an enemy’s blade or the edge of his shield. Be cautious about this; trying to hook a sword blade is a good way to lose some fingers. Still, if you can catch under the guard you may be able to disarm your opponent.” He paused, then added: “Your fingers will be in considerably less danger if you are wearing gauntlets.”

Raising the hammer again, Kolvir continued: “The last type of swing is used if your weapon is already extended, or if you are too close for a more normal stroke. It is made by snapping your weapon from an extended position-” He demonstrated, bending his wrist so that the hammer followed the line of his arm. “-back to a more normal position. This can be used to reach around a shield, or to strike the back of the helmet in close proximity.”

Setting the weapon back on the table, Kolvir said: “In a moment we will try all three of these swings, using the stuffed targets in the Yard. Before we leave this room, though, I want you to see the basic angles of attack.” He motioned to a tapestry on the wall, inviting the students to gather around and examine it.

“You can make attacks along any of these eight angles. There are others as well; these apply mostly to pounding on your opponent with the hammer’s head. If you are trying to pierce his armor with the back spike, you will aim for the weak points: the inside of the elbows and under the arms, the visor, and anywhere you can get the point between the metal plates. In some cases it may be possible to put the spike through the armored plate, but that is almost always more trouble than it is worth.”

Moving back towards the table, he picked up his hammer again. “These motions can all be used with the two-handed hammer as well, though there are some small changes required because of the difference in grip.” He nodded towards the door. “Outside now, and try these things on the practice dummies.”

V. Defenses and Stepping

“Yesterday we discussed how to attack your opponent,” said Kolvir, beginning the class with his usual lack of ceremony. “Today we will discuss how to avoid his attacks. The hammer is not a terribly good parrying weapon - its weight and balance make it a little slow. Also, depending on the design, it will offer little or no protection for your hand. A shield - even a buckler - does a lot to make up for this. Armor does also - the stronger the better.”

Picking up a hammer, he thumped it absently against his palm. “If you have neither armor nor shield (or even if you do, really), dodging is your best defense. Step back or to the side, and keep just outside of your opponent’s range until you see an opening; then move in quickly. All of this is doubly true for a two-handed hammer.”

Once again, he motioned towards the doorway. “We will spend the rest of today’s class outside, working in pairs. One partner will attack, and the other will practice getting out of the way using retreats, side-steps, and pass-backs. This may not sound difficult, but I want you in the habit of moving around when you fight. Too many beginners just stand there and wait for their opponent to hit them.”

VI. Continuity of Movement

“This will be your last actual lesson.” Kolvir watched his students, but few betrayed any reaction. One looked relieved, another disappointed. Most seemed indifferent. “We have looked at how to hold your weapon and how to swing it, as well as how to avoid an enemy’s attacks until you can attack him. Now we will look at how to link your attacks together.”

Picking up one of the single-handed hammers, he moved to the front of the room. “If you are using a shield, then you can attack without too much risk. If you miss, you simply pull your hand back behind the shield and reset. The shield can be used to block - or even to move your opponent’s weapon out of the way so you can attack. It makes things much simpler.” He scowled. “Just remember not to leave your hand extended, or an opponent will take it off.”

He turned, putting the hammer forward. “If you do not have a shield - if you are using the hammer alone - then you have essentially two kinds of strikes available. You can make a light, snapping strike, using the thumb and index finger to grip the handle and the arm for power. This does not do much damage - not to armor, at least - but over time it can add up. The main advantage to this kind of strike is that it does not commit you too much. You can make a light attack and be ready to attack again almost immediately. For this reason, that motion also makes for a good feint.” He demonstrated, letting the base of the hammer bounce against the heel of his hand.

Shifting his grip, he continued: “You can also make a heavy attack - gripping with the lower fingers, putting the entire body behind it. This is almost as fast to launch as a light attack, but because of the hammer’s weight it is slower to recover. If you miss, it takes a moment to stop the hammer so you can try again. This is not as much of a problem for a two-handed hammer - the longer grip gives you better leverage, which helps - but it is still true. So, if you make a powerful swing and your opponent moves, what do you do?”

He paused to see if anyone would reply. “The answer is that you do not fight the hammer’s momentum. Instead, you let it continue its swing, and bring it around to attack again. Depending on what angle you were attacking, this may mean making a circle outside of your shoulder, or over your head. In polearm techniques, this is referred to as Closing the Circle. Once you have done that, you may continue into another heavy swing, or you may make a light swing and reset yourself.”

He smiled, then. “Today’s exercise will be practicing these techniques. We will be using practice armor and wooden weapons, but you will find that they are heavy enough that you know when you’ve been hit. I want to see you using both light and heavy blows, dodging your opponent’s attacks, and varying your own angles of attack.”

VII Conclusion and Final

This concludes the Introduction to War Hammer class. You have seen (well, read about) various elements of this kind of combat, any and all of which can be used in your own writing.

To complete this class, you should have a short spar in which you use a hammer. Your opponent may be using a hammer as well, but this is not required - any weapon is acceptable. Post the URL here when you are done.