Hello,

as the title says. I have an OC and I want to design armor for her. I'd like this outfit to be grounded in realism. It doesn't need to be strictly historical because it's a fantasy character so the design can be totally eclectic, but I'd like it to be realistic enough to really work as a protection.

Some details to consider:

1. The armor would be worn by a woman who wasn't trained in battle nor she's a knight and her armor would be mostly torn off some corpses with some small adjusts. I need something that's easy to wear and fit without any help. Also something that could be worn in a journey. She needs armor for survival to protect herself from bandits etc, but she wouldn't take part in big battles, she's not a soldier or mercenary. She's quite tall and athletic for a woman, but she's not of extraordinary strength so there would be many enemies stronger than her, even just an average man would be stronger. Considering that, I need something to maximize her survival strategy (including the possibility of quick retreat).

2. The main fighting style would be shield (preferably some bigger one, like kite shield maybe) and short spear - after some brainstorm I thought that this combo could be something that would work best for someone untrained for battle. I personally would like to hold a spear to keep my distance from enemies, and some good shield would always be great for protection. Swords and axes are fine, but I think that someone who just wants to survive wouldn't like to engage in closer combat if it's not necessary.

3. I'd like to keep the armor in medieval Europe (in vast period, it's a fantasy setting so it doesn't need to be strict, it can be X age but it can be XIV too, or even a mix of various ages).

4. I still want something that would look cool - so just average infantry gambeson may be easy to wear and it works just fine, I'm totally not against gambesons, but it's not exactly a good fit for a main character. I'd like something that could still be fashionable. It's a design anyway. :D

What would work in this case? Would a plate armor or some plate elements make sense in such setting? Maybe just a hauberk and mail collar would be enough? What about scale armor? I know it's super popular in fantasy, but was it really used in Medieval period? What about wearing leather over chainmail? It's also popular in fantasy, but does it make sense? There are many things to consider, and I'd like to know you opinions.

I’m currently trying to find references of Bulgarian and Serbian arms and armor to do some research. I’m looking but I can’t really find much, any help or resources would be appreciated

Hello! I thought this would be the right place to ask.. what is the most accurate depiction of medieval arabian armor? like, around 600 AD? is there enough information to tell what they would have looked like? im more specifically asking anout helmets, but I would appreciate people who are more informed to maybe also give me some ideas on the weapons used by arab armies at the time! :)

Hello! I thought this would be the right place to ask.. what is the most accurate depiction of medieval arabian armor? like, around 600 AD? is there enough information to tell what they would have looked like? im more specifically asking anout helmets, but I would appreciate people who are more informed to maybe also give me some ideas on the weapons used by arab armies at the time! :)

If I’m not wrong the lil manuscript on the bottom left is from late 15th or around 15th century. I added my own creative ideas to it GUNS 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

Yall think we can feasibly reskin European gear to look eastern?

This will have to pass AC visual checks for Buhurt.

Made fully out of galvanized iron. I wanna remove the lead covering for a more dark greyish iron underneath but I'm afraid of losing it to rust, how can I maintain it

So I'm autistic and have a special interest in weapons , mostly non guns but like trying to figure out a system to use other weapons in the realm of modern concealed carry.

And I'm having trouble finding a community where I can talk about my theoretical designs without people taking things way to seriously or just fall into gun daugma

https://preview.redd.it/qcmro2sqs4ge1.png?width=470&format=png&auto=webp&s=5e37c0d2e75ff33aaa1888b25572d476500b1e8e

Got a question, I chose this armor as they looked cool, but I was wondering what kind of pants are they, this is from Baldur's Gate 3 btw, but I was wondering if there are some real world influences similar to this.

Any thoughts?

Most videos or articles on making a heater shield use plywood. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think plywood was a thing back then.

My question is: are there any articles or videos showing the authentic process of making a heater shield with authentic materials and techniques?

Would be an interesting thing to see!

Hallo everyone. I am a blacksmith and I am preparing to create a mediëval crossbow but i am not sure what the disctance between the rolling nut and the string, the distance between the string and the front, the length of the bow, ect should be. Does anyone have a good source on these measurements?

I'm interested in doing a gladiator kit, a murmillo to be specific, and I would like to know names of good Armourers for the job, also, does anyone know what this padded part is?

Mainly I wanna know about the type of skirt part of the chainmail shirt that's meant for riders and what kind of chainmail pants they use and how they keep it up

I’m back again with this depiction of the Battle of Baia from Chronica Hungarorum.

This time, I have a new question: what type of shields are shown here?

Some seem to have a simple rectangular, curved shape (though I think this might be because the painter simplified them when repeating the design).

The one in the top left, however, has a more interesting shape.

What kind of historical shields do these resemble?

Any help is appreciated!

https://preview.redd.it/3k6xp1686rfe1.png?width=614&format=png&auto=webp&s=a7000130c606a8159ee5e345c6534ef481c0a5a4