To all Lords and Knights:
Cold winds carry rumors from the North. By the campfires of Alnwick Castle, debate over a new weapon has never ceased. Some claim it belongs only to ironclad heavy knights; others declare it the nimble blade of skirmishers.
By order of the War Council, the whispers are silenced and core intelligence is released: The Bastard Sword fights alongside every suit of armour. Whether you wear light armour for mobility or heavy armour to hold the line, this sword adapts to your tactical style.
I. The Inevitability of History
The Bastard Sword did not arise by chance; it is a direct answer to a brutal battlefield.
As steel hardened and metallurgy advanced, plate armour spread across the field. Against these moving fortresses, the old pairing of single-handed sword and shield rang with powerless clatter. The field demanded a new answer—and the Bastard Sword delivered:
The art of the thrust: its keen point precisely finds the seams of plate armour, striking under the arm and at the visor.
The power of leverage: a lengthened grip invites two hands, generating tremendous torque—able to parry mighty blows and, in the clinch, wrench an enemy disarmed.
A tactical wager: on horseback it may be wielded one-handed; on foot, two hands unleash its full might.
It is a dance that shifts between gathering and release—two hands to bank power, one hand to release reach. With agile thrusts, tear open the line; then with a two-handed, crushing stroke, smash the foe’s helm.
II. Motion Reconstruction: The Swordmaster’s Doctrine
To carry this epic weight into reality, the War Council consulted ancient texts and invited veteran swordmasters to assist with motion capture and reconstruction. We are not merely restoring techniques—we are restoring command of the body.
From the Arsenal’s test footage, you can see: When the Bastard Sword performs light attacks, the lower body steps and shifts often, yet the torso remains as steady as a mountain—upright and unbowed. This posture is not for show; it preserves your centre of gravity. Only with absolute stability can you, amid the chaos, read an opening, turn the enemy’s force against them, and deliver a lethal riposte.
III. Frontline Call to Arms: Vanguard Trial
The Vanguard Proving Ground at Alnwick Castle now stands open. Words on parchment slay no foes. We invite the keenest Lords and Knights to take charge of this new armament ahead of the rest.
Click the Call to Arms below and sign your name on the muster roll.
https://forms.gle/RM5TAS9DpAe85UsR7
Go and feel, for yourself, the weight of steel meeting steel.
— The War Council