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I remember Meg Foster being terrorised by a sickle-wielding maniac in an 80s horror film called The Wind. But that's about it.

The mere fact that you people underestimate and write off the Scythe makes it a terrifying weapon that will seal your DOOOOOOOooooooooo.........m

Slarg232 wrote:The mere fact that you people underestimate and write off the Scythe makes it a terrifying weapon that will seal your DOOOOOOOooooooooo.........m

Only if I don't have a shotgun, or barring that, a good hockey puck and something called hallways.

Frazzled wrote:

ShumaGorath wrote:No, scythes are farming implements that stayed on the farm. They're logically terrible weapons in virtually every capacity. They do nothing that isn't better done with a spear, sword, or poleaxe.

chain axes are basically giant clubs wielded by science fiction supermen. Farming scythes as weapons are just the worst thing dungeons and dragons ever tried to make mainstream.

Full on scythes yes, Short hand scythes are not as bad however.

There's also the war scythe.

AustonT wrote:I m surprised that this thread has so many responses and not one of them has pointed out that Scythes have been used in military action on several occasions.

When?

N/M

how do I delete a post?

dogma wrote:

Frazzled wrote:

ShumaGorath wrote:No, scythes are farming implements that stayed on the farm. They're logically terrible weapons in virtually every capacity. They do nothing that isn't better done with a spear, sword, or poleaxe.

chain axes are basically giant clubs wielded by science fiction supermen. Farming scythes as weapons are just the worst thing dungeons and dragons ever tried to make mainstream.

Full on scythes yes, Short hand scythes are not as bad however.

There's also the war scythe.

Which is really just a spear. So if you want to make a wepaon out of a scythe, turn it into a spear...

Skip to about 1:00.

The Lochaber Axe is similar to the scythe in that it resembles a tool, but a far more practical weapon of war.

The only time someone would ever use a scythe as a weapon is if either:

A) They are attacked by someone while already holding a scythe in their hands and don't have time to grab anything else.
B) They're not particularly used to using weapons, or a scythe, and think it would be a good weapon. The first time they try and use it, it's a tight race between him realizing how bad of a weapon it is and him being killed.

Scythes in fact have been used as weapons (I can only think of one instance). During the Seven Years War scythes were used to knock aside pikes. Are they common weapons? No. Technically the Halberd does the same thing and does it better.

There is also the War Scythe, but its really more of a spear modified from a Scythe than a Scythe itself.

biccat wrote:Skip to about 1:00.

The cudgel instructions are fairly amusing.

"I should hit whoever I'm fighting with this big stick? Damn, that's what I've been doing wrong."

Also, this was kind of fun to watch.

Wow they looked like idiots.

Using a scythe like you would use a quarterstaff would be pretty effective tho.

foes wearing full body armor were not a common sight so the scythe's armor piercing problems is not such a big deal

VegRAWR wrote:Using a scythe like you would use a quarterstaff would be pretty effective tho.

foes wearing full body armor were not a common sight so the scythe's armor piercing problems is not such a big deal

A pretty effective way to commit painful suicide, yes.

ShumaGorath wrote:

VegRAWR wrote:Using a scythe like you would use a quarterstaff would be pretty effective tho.

foes wearing full body armor were not a common sight so the scythe's armor piercing problems is not such a big deal

A pretty effective way to commit painful suicide, yes.

please do explain?

The scythe has found it's way into use in fiction as a weapon through centuries worth of misinterpretation of images which depict death or the grim reaper. Which in actual fact has nothing to do with it's use as a weapon but more to do with the grim reapers' descendency from the roman god of agriculture, Saturn, and the idea that he is the harvester of souls.

Considering this, it shouldn't be expected to make the best case for a weapon.

LordofHats wrote:Scythes in fact have been used as weapons (I can only think of one instance).

I don't think anyone is claiming that a scythe has never been used to take a life, just that it is not a practical weapon. Unless it is changed to the point of being another weapon, like how the War Scythe is more spear than scythe, it doesn't make sense unless it is a desperation move. In D&D a Scythe is 2d4 +2 Proficiency, which is just terrible.

VegRAWR wrote:

ShumaGorath wrote:

VegRAWR wrote:Using a scythe like you would use a quarterstaff would be pretty effective tho.

foes wearing full body armor were not a common sight so the scythe's armor piercing problems is not such a big deal

A pretty effective way to commit painful suicide, yes.

please do explain?

The blade is curved inward. Handling the scythe like you do a quarterstaff (other than being practically impossible giving the weighting and shape of the weapon) would result in you goring yourself.

ShumaGorath wrote:

VegRAWR wrote:

ShumaGorath wrote:

VegRAWR wrote:Using a scythe like you would use a quarterstaff would be pretty effective tho.

foes wearing full body armor were not a common sight so the scythe's armor piercing problems is not such a big deal

A pretty effective way to commit painful suicide, yes.

please do explain?

The blade is curved inward. Handling the scythe like you do a quarterstaff (other than being practically impossible giving the weighting and shape of the weapon) would result in you goring yourself.

Seems fair enough to me. Effective/practical or not, certainly not impossible.

Ahtman wrote:I don't think anyone is claiming that a scythe has never been used to take a life, just that it is not a practical weapon.

Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it hasn't been used as a weapon in a military manner. 'Practical' is a rather messy word in a military sense. Lots of impractical things become weapons, wicker, a random stick, the Panzer I

Sickles are also a farming implement and were developed into weapons on several occasions (Egyptian Khopesh was based off a sickle). The Thracian Flax has a similar origin. None of them were very practical weapons. Hard to make, resource consuming, rather unweildy, but then the Halberd is also rather impractical as a weapon because its so absurdly top heavy. In the end though they ended up being practical. Sickle shaped swords could grip shields or go right around them. The Flax's shape allowed it to cut right through heavy armor of the time. Halberds being so heavy cut through pikes and effectively stop a horse.

Not that I'm saying the scythe is a great weapon but it could have military application. Its problem is probably that any use I could think of for it is probably already taken by other more ideal weapons. Though I suppose there's always the rule of cool

In D&D a Scythe is 2d4 +2 Proficiency, which is just terrible.

I know little of D&D but if they did that as a joke it's hilarious

ifStatement wrote:

Seems fair enough to me. Effective/practical or not, certainly not impossible.

Iff he was to swipe that most of the time the enemie would hit the shaft. he would then have to pull off some maneuver to hit him with the blade.

hotsauceman1 wrote:

ifStatement wrote:

Seems fair enough to me. Effective/practical or not, certainly not impossible.

Iff he was to swipe that most of the time the enemie would hit the shaft. he would then have to pull off some maneuver to hit him with the blade.

Like a quarterstaff then? The point was it doesn't seem "impossible" like ShumaGorath says.

ifStatement wrote:

hotsauceman1 wrote:

ifStatement wrote:

Seems fair enough to me. Effective/practical or not, certainly not impossible.

Iff he was to swipe that most of the time the enemie would hit the shaft. he would then have to pull off some maneuver to hit him with the blade.

Like a quarterstaff then? The point was it doesn't seem "impossible" like ShumaGorath says.

How does anything he described sound like what you do with a quarterstaff? Last I checked quarterstaves don't have giant knives on the end of them. Also, typhus isn't even holding a scythe. The handle to that thing is practically touching the blade. Theres absolutely no purpose for the lengthy shaft if he HAS to hold it up there. It's basically a really awful one handed axe.

Thats also a tiny toy based on a thousand pound demon infested superman in giant superarmor.

He's wielding a scythe like you would a quarterstaff. Something you claim is impossible.

I'm not refuting the idea that it's a stupid thing to do so.

ifStatement wrote:He's wielding a scythe like you would a quarterstaff. Something you claim is impossible.

No, he's holding like you would hold an elongated piece of wood if you're standing in that exact position. Since his frozen pose is lost in time we can't really tell how he's wielding it.


Also, HES NOT REAL.

Didn't the Polish use scythes - some of their military has a scythe as their logo IIRC?

ShumaGorath wrote:

ifStatement wrote:He's wielding a scythe like you would a quarterstaff. Something you claim is impossible.

No, he's holding like you would hold an elongated piece of wood if you're standing in that exact position. Since his frozen pose is lost in time we can't really tell how he's wielding it.


Also, HES NOT REAL.

I'm sure if you allow your imagination to run slightly past the fact he isn't real you might be able to understand that with a similar anatomy to that model a human being is able to hold and wield a scythe like a quarterstaff. It being a stupid idea or not.

Point is, it's not "impossible"

ifStatement wrote:I'm sure if you allow your imagination to run slightly past the fact he isn't real you might be able to understand that with a similar anatomy to that model a human being is able to hold and wield a scythe like a quarterstaff. It being a stupid idea or not.

Point is, it's not "impossible"

Theres a fundamental breakdown here since he's not wielding anything. It's a depiction of him holding something and he's not holding it in the way you would handle a stave in a confrontation. He has very little leverage on it in places you would want. He's also not holding a scythe, he's holding something the artist made to kinda depict one. Its hand holds are positioned entirely wrong, the weapon would be useless for farming. Hell, for all we know he's putting that thing on a shelf or throwing it in the trash. What he's certainly not doing though is handling a scythe (which it's not) like a quarterstaff (which he's not).

Also he's heavily armored and not proportioned like a human.

ShumaGorath wrote:

ifStatement wrote:I'm sure if you allow your imagination to run slightly past the fact he isn't real you might be able to understand that with a similar anatomy to that model a human being is able to hold and wield a scythe like a quarterstaff. It being a stupid idea or not.

Point is, it's not "impossible"

Theres a fundamental breakdown here since he's not wielding anything. It's a depiction of him holding something and he's not holding it in the way you would handle a stave in a confrontation. He has very little leverage on it in places you would want. He's also not holding a scythe, he's holding something the artist made to kinda depict one. Its hand holds are positioned entirely wrong, the weapon would be useless for farming. Hell, for all we know he's putting that thing on a shelf or throwing it in the trash. What he's certainly not doing though is handling a scythe (which it's not) like a quarterstaff (which he's not).

The model isn't pivotal to the point that it is not impossible to wield a scythe like a quarterstaff. A cat flying to the peak of killamanjaro while playing the flute, that's impossible. Wielding a staff with a blade on the end like you would a staff without a blade on the end, that's stupid yeh, difficult, yes. Impossible? No.