3 Types Of LARP Swords To Take To Your Next LARP Event

Who doesn't love some real life action and adventure. LARP swords allow you to travel to fantasy worlds of books, movies and anime and bring your inner sword wielding warrior to the forefront.

You can take any kind of foam sword to a LARP event as long as it is a LARP friendly sword. Generally, most LARP swords are inspired from video games or medieval era weapons, so choosing the ideal LARP sword for yourself can be tricky. Luckily, we have picked out three different kinds of LARP swords for you to choose from.

Katana  

A foam katana is a perfect LARP sword for any LARP event center around medieval battles and hard core combat. If you are confused which LARP sword to take with you on your first LARP event, you will never go wrong with a katana.

A slightly curved short sword, katana embodies the blood and sweat of the legendary samurai warriors of feudal Japan. 

From 11th all the way to the 17th century, a katana was worn as a symbol of high power, authority and warriorship of samurai.  Making a katana your LARP sword will definitely transfuse that formidable swordsmanship to you.

A LARP sword needs to be slightly functional. You don't want your war weapon to lose elasticity in the middle of a LARP battle. Buy a katana that is made of high quality polyurethane foam. These foam swords have a fiberglass core that gives inherent strength to these LARP swords at the same time making them LARP friendly and safe to cosplay with.

A perfect katana replica sword is a bokken-a wooden katana- but it might not be allowed at many LARP events, so go with a foam katana as your LARP sword just to be safe.

Scimitar

Want something out of the box as your next LARP sword? Tired of the same old longswords replicas that all your friends possess? We present you a perfect LARP sword for your upcoming cosplay event or convention. A foam scimitar.

Scimitar is a highly curved sword and most popular out of all middle eastern swords we know of today. The distinctive half moon curve is reflective of the Arabian origins of this medieval sword. Not many people would opt for a scimitar as their LARP sword but that's where you can stand out-by taking a unique LARP weapon as your battle sword.

Foam replica swords based on scimitar won't have a great balance since the shape of the curved blade itself makes this LARP sword inherently stable and weighty. You can enact a lot of slashing with this type of sword though as it is the signature action of a scimitar.

Scimitar as a LARP sword coupled with a matching Prince of Persia costume will complete your LARP look. You can also have some truly amazing combat movies with this LARP sword.

For example, the curved shape can be used to hook on to your opponent's robes and then with your secondary weapon, preferably a dagger, you can 'kill' them or disarm their sword too.

Medieval Longsword

We get it. This is not the most innovative LARP sword option on the list, but an English longsword or its variants are such a popular category in cosplay swords that we just couldn't help but mention it.

You have a tremendous choice of replica foam swords here. Depending upon the LARP event theme, you can opt for a William Wallace foam sword or a highlander sword replica. Either of these swords will make an ideal LARP sword for a medieval battle live action role play.

If you want your LARP sword to also act as a cosplay sword at parties or conventions, then go with a more traditional claymore sword which will fit anywhere and everywhere.

A Robin Hood replica sword can also make a perfect LARP sword if the event is jungle themed but you have to look for a realistic foam replica as the Robin hood sword has very specific filigree on its blade and crossguard.

Look for foam swords that don't have a lot of molding lines on the blade as most cheap foam swords tend to do. A hollow grind is preferred in most LARP swords as it provides light weight and ease to brandish your replica sword around.

Hope you found the ideal LARP sword. Have fun LARPing!

Read Also: 5 Cosplay Swords To Enhance Your Costume

Design, Advantages, And Disadvantages Of The Crusader Helmets

Crusader helmet is a form of the mask worn by the European knights in the medieval Crusades. Crusades started within the 11th century and continued until the 15th century.

During these centuries, these helmets evolved a lot in terms of their design and shape. The most famous of all the helmets that the crusaders used was the great helm. This great helm offered significant advantages to the knights, but it also came with certain disadvantages. 

So, in this article, we are going to discuss the unique design, advantages, and disadvantages of this ancient helmet. Stay with us till the end!

Design

The design of this helmet is such that it offers maximum protection to the wearers. It is designed with iron weighing around 10 pounds and is heavily built for protection.

In the early years, these helmets were also made with steel and some brass decorations. 

Usually, the helmet was designed with a flat top and several small spots for eyes and mouth, known as occularium.

Some crusader helmets were designed with a curve in it at the top so that if the wearers received the blows, they would be able to resist it.

These helmets are designed with iron due to which they rapidly heat. During the later period, cloth pieces were added to the helmets, which prevented the exterior from sun rays.

These helmets were also designed with certain signs related to religious affiliations. These signs showed whether the knights belonged to Christians, ancient Greeks, and others.

Amazing Uses

This helmet underwent severe evolution during the 13th century, and it received fame during the mid-13th century. The European knights regularly wore it. This helmet is highly effective against blows and was essential to wear during that period.

Once they were hit during the initial clash, crusaders used to remove the helmet and continued fighting while wearing the iron or coil skull cap they wore underneath it. 

During the 15th century, the importance of crusader helmets was over, and people believed in bassinet during the combat.

However, these helmets were still in use during non-combat situations like knight tournaments.

Advantages

The crusader helmet offered several advantages for the wearers, which include:

· Protection:

The purpose of the helmet was to protect the wearers physically. 

· Prevention Against Blows:

The solid construction of the helmet seemed highly effective in preventing blows to the wearer's head. 

· Openings Preventing The Piercings:

The overall structure of the helmet featured several openings for the eyes and mouth. This made it impossible for the wearers to pierce through it or identify the opponent.

· Protection Of The Head:

The wearer who chose the crusader helmet was guarded against both heavy blows and piercings. It completely protected the head of the person who wore it and offered perfect safety.

Disadvantages

Although the helmet seemed very useful for the wearers, it came with disadvantages as well.

· Extreme Weight:

The heavyweight of the helmet was the top-most disadvantage of this helmet, which the wearers hated. 

· Blocked View:

The second disadvantage includes the blocked view of the peripheral vision because of the multiple small holes for eyes.

The knights were unable to visualize the battlefield adequately while wearing the helmets.

· Prone To Overheating:

This helmet was very prone to overheating because it was heavily built with iron and had limited openings.

The crusaders usually faced this problem during the battle fights that were fought during the hotter climates. 

· Difficulties In Communication:

The crusaders faced difficulty communicating with each other during the battlefield because of the small openings in the helmet.

The tiny openings for the mouth in the helmet were so small that it led to breathing issues in most of the knights.

To Sum Up!

Crusader helmets did gain fame during the 11th to 15th centuries. These helmets, however, offered numerous pros and cons listed above. 

Nevertheless, the interesting thing about this helmet is that it is still used as a décor item. Yes, medieval enthusiasts love to have such things.

So, if you are one of them and want to buy the replica of such helmets, look at the exclusive collection of medieval helmets offered by a top dealer’s store online.

Read Also: Look At Some Special Swords From The History

4 Reasons Cosplay Masks are Essential Collectibles

Cosplay masks refer to the masks that are often worn by the cosplayers. They have become extremely popular as of late and can be used for several different purposes. These are not ordinary masks, these are specifically designed masks for wearing on special occasions. 

For example, these are often worn by the roleplayers when they are playing specific roles on stage. So, this has made them very popular among cosplayers. 

Whether you are a roleplayer or not, you do need to have a few cosplay masks in your collection. These are essential collectibles in 2020 for the following four crucial reasons:

1. Halloween Costumes

Cosplay masks can serve as halloween costumes in 2020. In modern days, Halloween comes as an event for everyone to celebrate. To celebrate this special occasion, you need to wear a costume. The most comfortable and beautiful costume can be a mask. You can get one of these masks and wear it on halloween as your halloween costume. 

2. Cosplay 

Cosplay masks are the most popular masks among the cosplayers. They often need to wear them when playing certain roles on stage. To complete their costumes, they have to wear these masks. So, they have become essential things in the collections of the cosplayers.

3. Fashion Wear

Cosplay masks are not just the masks for cosplayers and halloween lovers. You can wear them anytime you want because they can allow you to make a fashion statement. You can become a trendsetter by wearing these masks on routine days. They are beautiful and give some badass appearances. 

4. Decor

Cosplay masks can also serve as decor items. You can just place them on the desks in your offices. Also, they can be just placed in the display cabinets in your living rooms. Similarly, you can hang them along the walls to beautify your houses and offices!

Read Also: Karambit Knife - The Philippines’ Combat & Self Defense Knife