Flails

Can anyone give any ideas on how to make these larp safe. I have an idea but I want some other peoples ideas and opinions on whether they should even be there…

Thanks

There are a couple of morning stars floating around. Add a long handle and it’s close enough to work.

As with all swung weapons, the key to making it safe is to ensure that all parts are as light (yet sturdy) as possible. By nature of function, much more energy is transmitted by a swung weapon than, say, a thrusting weapon (such as a longsword).

1: Use a PVC pipe as the haft, not wood.

2: Make the balls and spikes out of soft EVA (closed-cell foam). Use Ados F2 contact adhesive to keep the weight down (heat glue is a lot heavier and harder)

  1. Replace the chain with light cord or similar, and consider covering it with a mock chain facade made out of soft EVA.

Keep the length of the cord short. Long cords wrap around things and damage them, especially latex weapons. I recommend under 20cm or so.

If your swinging weapon becomes entangled in combat, NEVER pull it hard to release it. You may damage the thing it’s entangled in (for example, shredding latex and foam off a weapon), or injure a person that it’s in contact with. Better to just drop your weapon than to yank it.

Ok cool thanks for that, was maybe thinking of using a tennis ball inside the foam, like the og rocks, maybe not. Just thinking if it is only very light foam will it be able to be felt?

In my opinion don’t bother.
To much hassle to use effectively. All the advantages of a swinging weapon can’t be used with what we do, so why bother.
For example Swinging at full speed to be to fast for your opponent, is to fast for Mordavia. You can’t wrap around a limb or weapon and pull because as Ryan says it can be dangerous.
There are so many other cool weapons that we can use such as axes to a doubled headed spears like Mikes.
Also guaranteed someone will most likely make noise about it. One of my retainers got the string of a flail from the big fight at the end in her eyes in the last game, was not a pleasant situation.

Come along to the next Skirmish game (will be 18th March, announcement will be made shortly) and you can check out our menacing Ball & Chain.

It’s scary…

The only reason I asked is that it is quiet suitable for some of the character concepts for the warhammer larp, ie some classes signiture weapon.

I recommend making a “ball” out of a wad of cloth with some sturdy cord attached for the chain to a light stick. Then cover the whole think in one of those horrible grey school socks (wash it first).

This makes a “chain” that doesn’t give people rope burn when it wraps arounfd their forearm.

Oh, and take a big shield because nothing parries worse than a flail.

Seriously, cover the cord with something soft. I got Kia’s morningstar cord (which was rope) across the eyes during the last battle at Solstice. Ouch. (Mind you, I MADE that weapon, so its my own fault, but at the time I had never played in a LARP before so didn’t know any better.)
That one has the head made of lots of squares of foam (thats closed cell or camping mat foam), with the corners sticking out as points, with the cord running right through the centre hole in all the squares and knotted on the top (with another piece of foam over the top of that)

What about using plastic chain for the chain part?

People always suggest plastic chain, but I haven’t seen it done yet.

I suspect it wouldn’t be strong enough, and if it broke it would leave sharp edges. But I’d be happy to be proven wrong.