War Hammers - Fantasy VS History

An overview of the War Hammers how they were used VS what is shown in games and on TV.
More War Movie Content: / johnnyjohnsonesq
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Movies/Video Games featured:
Warcraft 2016
The Avengers 2012
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (video game)
Old Boy 2003
Braveheart 1995
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2000
Robin Hood 1973
The King 2019
Monty Python and The Holy Grail 1975
Mordhau (Video Game)
Shrek 2001
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies 2014
Game of Thrones (HBO Series)
The Punisher 2017
Kingdom of Heaven 2005
Assassin’s Creed (Video Game)
Maximilian 2017
Conan The Destroyer 1984
Gangs of New York 2002
Rob Hood: Men in Tights 1993
#warhammer

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Re-post. Apologize if you've seen this. Had to fix a copyright issue.

[@ccdc7058]

Copyright issues must be challenging. Could be a video topic for another channel maybe. Or Copyright issues in the Movies. Yeah idk about that.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

@@ccdc7058 Just something I'll always have to deal with on this channel. That an issues with anything flagged as too violent given that I cover war topics. Overall I'm okay with it and understand the need to monitor such things. Most of my subscribers have been pretty supportive of my annoying re-posts lol

[@LiteralmenteUmaMulher]

Those bastards

[@warpartyattheoutpost4987]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq, I thought that you got so hammered that you forgot that you posted it.

[@kmorris180]

Great video, brother.

[@User_Un_Friendly]

Johnny, I wish you had included Indian bludgeons. Some of them, due to the much higher quality of Indian crucible steel, (Wootz) were constructed using a hollow head. The most likely reason was to intimidate opponents, because the sight of an armored warrior swinging around a steel hammer or mace that would have been impossible to wield, had it been made of solid steel, was quite frightening. As you’ve pointed out, most actual steel bludgeons were made as light as possible, to make them actually usable. 🐶

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I have a video on the gun stock war club which covers Indian bludgeons pretty well. EDIT:😆 Sorry stupid comment. Will cover an Indian weapon soon.

[@User_Un_Friendly]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq 🤣🤣🤣. Not Native American, but from India. 😛. Indian (in India) all steel maces were built with a hollow head, so they could be intimidatingly large, but still light enough to use. 😉

[@johndoe70770]

This actually sounds like something that would scare me shitless. Some dude grabs a cinderblock sized head of an hammer, I laugh because it should be incredibly hheavy and slow. And then that guy starts whirlling like it's some nunchuck...

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

@@User_Un_Friendly lol sorry I didn't give this comment proper attention. Okay I'll see if I can do something Indian in the near future.

[@User_Un_Friendly]

@@johndoe70770 yep. Me too…I’d feel like I Isekai-ed into a LOTR universe, and I was facing Sauron…😵

[@haritsrifai4549]

" FOR THE EMPEROR "

[@bigblue6917]

There was the the knight who was hit on the head with a hammer for his own good. It was when he had taken part in a tournament in France. These were not the jousting tournament shown on television or in films but an area about the size of twenty golf course where two squads of possibly 200 knights. This knight was William Marshal and he built quite a reputation in these tournament. In fact in his first tournament he captured three valuable knights including the King of Scotland. From this he gained valuable four destriers or war-horses, several lesser horses known as palfreys and packhorses. You could also take the knights armour so William would make sure his band to capture knights with the best armour. These were usually new knights who were at their first tournament who lacked experience. And now the story of why he had someone hitting his helmet with a hammer while he wore it. At the tournament in Pleurs, William was seen to be the best knight of the tournament and should have been awarded a pike as his trophy but William could not be found at the end of hostilities. A search was carried out until someone heard a banging on metal at the blacksmith's forge. When they investigated, they found William with his head on the anvil and the blacksmith trying to hit his helmet back into shape so that the helmet could be removed. Several years ago a skull was found at the site of one of the battles of the War of the Roses which had a square hole in the side of it. It was suggested that the hole was made by an arrow but looking at the size of the hole I think it more likely caused by the spike on a war hammer. The hammers head could bend plate armour which could cause fractures as well as blunt force trauma. The face of the hammer head could also have a short spike to add to any injury. But the back of the head would often have a long spike which was capable of penetrating plate armour such as on a helmet causing a large square hole. So I think this man was probably hit with a spike on a war hammer rather than an arrow.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Ouch...

[@bigblue6917]

@@eamonnclabby7067 Are you ok William. What? I cannot hear you for the ringing in my ears.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@bigblue6917 Conn Iggulden,s books are worth a look

[@Riceball01]

One thing about swords, they didn't really fall out of favor with the advent of plate armor, they were every bit as prevalent, It's just that instead of a single handed arming sword, knights and men at arms started to favor longer and pointier 2 handed longswords. However, historically, the sword was generally never a primary weapon of any warrior, it was, more often than not, a sidearm like a pistol with modern day spec ops troops, something to be used when your primary weapon can't be used. Even Roman legionairries only used their swords after throwing their pila first. And while pop culture likes to show samurai using their swords a lot, in reality they started as mounted archers, then moved to fighting more on foot using spears, various other pole arms, and eventually guns.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

This is a much appreciation comment. Great and accurate info and fills some gaps in my presentation.

[@raulpetrascu2696]

You make it sound like the pilla were the primary weapon of the Roman legion lol. That was just a throw or 2 before closing distance

[@_-KR-_]

The simple geologists hammer or cement hammer are good examples of how a hammer can be relatively small but extraordinarily effective and concentrating force... say in a zombie apocalypse, aha.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Or the FAB4...Maxwell's silver Hammer...creepy and fun...

[@boogaloobaloo]

Ball peen hammer go brrrrrr

[@smashmeatchunk2995]

Holding a sledge near the head is a good point which rarely makes it's way into media. Huge exaggerated swings are a great way to get shanked in the throat or simply disarmed. In self defense, any implement like a bat or stick should be held similarly and use jabbing motions rather than swings. Proper use of polearms would be a neat video in the future.

[@celtictemplar]

There was also by the mid to late 16th century, some war hammers were transformed into being used as firearms, such as one Italian war hammer, that was used in the Italian wars, mainly used by cavaliers. I'd love to see you do a video on these forgotten combined weapons of war, such as the wheellock mace used in the 16th century, or as well the flintlock boarding axe used in the early 18th century.

[@gungho1345]

I've a fine hardwood sheleliegh, a twisted, hard knot at the head. Can be used as a walking stick if needed.

[@stevemercer952]

Great video! I thought you might have included the scene from the opening battle in Gladiator against the Goths. Head Goth guy was very keen on his hammer! Thanks again for a great video.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Entertaining and informative...top stuff....cheers, Johnny...E...

[@battlejitney2197]

Man, your output lately is impressive. Almost hard to keep up with! You’re doing great, Johnny!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks so much. Love the support. I'm going skiing for Christmas so trying to pump some stuff out before a break. 🙏

[@kikolektrique1737]

This is perfect, this is what i needed to see. A clear description that overwent all the appropriate hammers there were

[@lelandgrubson2736]

"It's hammer time🔨" Any nerd out there

[@eamonnclabby7067]

We are everywhere....

[@silverjohn6037]

The larger heavier mauls 3:25 were tools made with wooden rather than metal heads which is why they look so big and bulky. They were mostly used for driving fence posts or the like into the ground and the wood was not only cheaper, but it was less likely to damage the wooden post. They were also used by old time carnivals and circuses for driving in the tent pegs and it was from there they entered popular consciousness when people used them for the old side show staple of the carnival strength game (see link below). kzbin.info-8lVv7xZToo

[@johndoe70770]

Always enjoying this. And your video kinda acts as a movie recommendation too. Thanks Johnny.

[@doublep1980]

That mace/hammer weapon from Bombaata, in the Conan the Destroyer movie is actually pretty cool and would have been effective against armor or shields. It's basically a spiked mace on the one side with a longer ''beak''-nail on the other.

[@bongodrumzz]

Great video Johnny; the thought of trying to differentiate between a warhammer and a war-axe is going cause a debate, both are deadly (in the right hands) and seemingly there are many examples of crossovers between the two weapons. Perhaps a great place to start would be the Imperial War Museum in London. One of the only places I took my sons to that actually kept them quiet and stopped them running around, boredom got wiped out that day! They loved it lol. So if you want some ideas or inspiration for further topics I suggest there or similar places, chock full of war plate and weapons too.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I was lucky enough to visit this Museum last time I was over! When my kids get old enough I'll have to take them too.

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

Mr. Johnson, thank you for pointing out how Monty Python and The Holy Grail { one of my favourite movies and one of the funniest I have ever seen } got some things right. Also, am I the only one who thinks that because that movie got some things about history and the original Arthurian Legends weirdly correct { Terry Jones R.I.P. was even a an Arthurian scholar himself } , that makes the movie even funnier?

[@ComissarYarrick]

Warhammers are so popular in fiction, there are even two fantasy universes created around them ;)

[@mhos6940]

Another great video Johnny! Would like you to do one on my favorite dark aged weapon. The Halberd!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Absolutely

[@HandyMan657]

I'm surprised you didn't use footage from The Patriot or Last of The Mohicans. Both movies contained effective hammer usage. Also, The Revenant comes mind. Either way, interesting episode as usual. Take care man.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Will have to for a future tomahawk video

[@SB-qm5wg]

Thorgrim's hammer

[@cody-en7nt]

I've always loved the brute strength it takes to wield a warhammer....I have one that weighs about 14lbs or so and it's rough swinging it. Can't imagine though how much damage it would cause to a person, even if they tried to block....

[@ChristnThms]

One thing you didn't touch on at all, but informs on a lot of this is that the evolution of armor made shields less and less significant. If you don't need to carry a shield, a two handed weapon is more usable- but also more necessary, since your opponents are probably similarly armored. This is all in a martial context. In a personal defense or criminal context, where armor was usually completely nonexistent, blades still reigned supreme. Certainly clubs and hammers were used, but not chosen over blades in most cases.

[@paleoph6168]

You've been uploading a lot more videos lately Johnny. Take it easy. 👍 I'm trying to keep up!

[@andrewwillard5625]

There is just something about smashing enemies with a massive hammer in Valhiem!

[@maximusdriver6234]

Cool topic, I like unique weapons that aren't always the ones that go pew pew bang but rather swish swooch and bonk. I think wrist crossbows are cool and I see them a lot but I don't know how effective they would be.

[@HappiKarafuru]

Basically often when both were armor and it sword v sword, it turn into a more semi hand to hand or wrestling in full body armor

[@HATECELL]

Depending on shape hammers and especially maces may also be easier to use than swords or axes. Edge alignment is often brought up in discussions about swords, but the general concept is applicable for all weapons that aren't radially symmetrical. If you hit a target at a weird angle part of the momentum will be converted into torque twisting the weapon in your hand. For bladed weapons this can be the difference between a deep cut and the blade twisting and hitting with the flat side. Even a mallet can encounter this issue, though the effect isn't as great. This is why so many maces were cylinders or spheres. And of course some other advantages are that a dull weapon doesn't need to be sharpened. And this also means the parts can be thicker than for example blades, meaning they are easier to manufacture

[@steamroddsroundhouse2080]

You should of showm Ultra magnus using his war hammer from both Transformers animated and Prime tv shows but I loved the video so much

[@hansmerker5611]

You could do videos on the Colt 1911, Walther P-38, Webley and Lance.

[@benitoharrycollmann132]

Hammer-girl from The Raid Two, anyone?

[@CGFIELDS]

Was expecting to see the huge war hammer from Conan the barbarian 😂

[@Jonathan-fi8yb]

You can also give your caracter in the game "Kingdoms of Amulur Re-Reckoning" a big War Hammer. Good short, informative and show whats meant to handle it in your video. 🙂

[@julienpellegrino5395]

Good

[@leecrt967]

3:28 3:36 Nailed it (pun intended) Very good. Two of the best examples in film right there.

[@user-dh8nf9wr5w]

Congratulations please contact me for your reward you are shortlisted in my giveaway 🎁🎊Gaming 🎉🥰🎁

[@mel0nman803]

I love seeing more mid evil stuff. Or just melee weapons in general

[@Riceball01]

Medieval, not mid evil. If you like seeing this kind of stuff, I highly recommend checking out the following channels here on YKZbin: Scholagladiatoria, Shadiversity, Skallagrim, and The Metatron. All very good channels that deal with a lot of Medieval and Renaissance weapons and armor. I'd also check out Tod's Workshop where he recently released a second video in a series where he tests a Medieval English longbow against plate armor. It's done using a historically accurate longbow of around 80 - 100lbs draw, shooting historically accurate arrows, against hand forged plate armor made of a similar quality iron to what was used around the time of the Battle of Agincourt.

[@fremenchips]

War hammers are definitely the way to go in Kingdom Come Deliverance. Jesus Christ be praised.

[@boogaloobaloo]

Brigands got you down? Heavy warhammer. Cumans trying to steal your money and your maid? Heavy warhammer. Dogs barking preventing you from "borrowing" shiny stuff? Heavy warhammer

[@robertfogelberg7538]

Very good i love it and i am a figurerà of hema

[@John14-6...]

Even being an Arnold fan myself, I have to admit Wilt Chamberlain AKA Bombaata would kick his butt in a fight.

[@matthewzito6130]

One problem with "Braveheart" was that great swords like the one used my Mel Gibson didn't yet exist at the time of William Wallace.

[@esem7195]

Not going to lie…kinda upset you didn’t say “it’s hammer time” but even if it’s a repost it’s my first time watching and of course another awesome video

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I dropped the ball on that one. I'll make it up in the next video...

[@k9turrent]

I'm still disappointed that Reinhart from overwatch didn't make the list

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

lol now I'm dissapointed in myself as a former Overwatch player...

[@rolfagten857]

Make a episode about the Black Sun!

[@user-dh8nf9wr5w]

Hello, ! 🌟Thanks for watching::You have been shortlisted for the ongoing secret giveaway contact address above on telegram, ❤️💯🏆, Thank you!

[@michaelcahan8675]

You missed the great sledge hammer duel in “Streets of Fire” Michael Pare vs Willem Dafoe.

[@Kochie11]

They are simplistic weapons but I’d never call them dumb weapons. Anyone can swing a hammer, a master can flow second or third attacks with the momentum of a first

[@rismarck]

All excellent films that used the warhammer perfectly

[@johnjacob2495]

Could you do a vid on black jack’s?

[@user-dh8nf9wr5w]

Hello, ! 👋🎊Thanks for watching::You have been shortlisted for the ongoing secret giveaway🎁🎁 contact address above on telegram, ❤️💯🏆, Thank you!..

[@Daniel4646]

Speaking of using sledgehammers as weapons: The Hong Kong classic 36 Chambers of Shaolin had a memorable scene in which a blacksmith uses a sledge to attack an impertinent Manchu official and his soldiers.

[@callsigntonks4029]

Ayy maybe first but keep up the cool videos :)

[@austinwatkins5228]

Are you gonna make a video about Battle axe

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Eventually 🙏

[@jacobrigby3172]

does anyone know of extant examples or artwork of Chinese Warhammers, it's kinda hard to search for them because the linguistics around hammers and maces are weird and or I get 40k fantasy stuff in Chinese. but I swear seeing one in somewhere

[@TheBuddel]

Saying monty python was a good example is a bit of an overstatement lol

[@user-dh8nf9wr5w]

Hello, ! 👋🎊Thanks for watching::You have been shortlisted for the ongoing secret giveaway🎁🎁 contact address above on telegram, ❤️💯🏆, Thank you!..

[@KennithBcringe]

johnnyyyyyyy

[@Demolitiondude]

Hammer time!

[@armorbearer9702]

(2:39) When you have stealth and strength

[@bobmetcalfe9640]

Remember "hammer girl" from the raid ii? 😀

[@iowa_lot_to_travel9471]

That rabbit is dynamite. We will not risk another frontal assault. 😅😅 Strong work brother man. 🔥💪👍

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Haha glad you have good taste in funny movies

[@angryeliteultragree6329]

Yay epic brew

[@Chiller01]

1:54 Man that gave me a migraine. I’m glad I wasn’t around for any of those medieval wars.

[@sidneysun5217]

u should do one for shields :p

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I got one of Zulu shields up but yes I need to do more :)

[@theanimalguy7]

Reupload?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Yah sorry about that. Something I gotta do about twice a month =/

[@BloodlessJG]

The king is a great movie 🍿👍

[@warpartyattheoutpost4987]

I'm a carpenter and I approve this message.

[@DavidCowie2022]

"You Were Never Really Here" is another movie with carpentry hammer action.

[@kingkoopa64]

What makes a hammer scarier than a sword. It never stop coming

[@Madjo-qj2ge]

Warhammer?! FOR SIGMAR AND THE EMPIRE!!! Also, Warhammer is the best weapon against Stormvermin alongside Axe and Mace

[@thekhoifish0146]

bonk

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Zonk

[@BratislavMetulski]

since you show 40k stuff.... everything you said in this video doesnt play a role there 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Sorry about that. More 40k next time...

[@cameronnewton7053]

No! You can't just use massive dual headed two handed war hammers! It's not realistic! Ha Ha, power armour go brrt!

[@KAHLIIWEST]

Alriiiiiight I‘m Johnny❤

[@LeBrow420]

You forgot the dude in Troy

[@geordiedog1749]

Also good for nails.

[@HIFLY01]

Personally I would take a halberd and an European war hammer into a zombie apocalypse for close range. Get distance with the halberd and the light but effective hammer

[@nicholasmckenzie1075]

Hammer go bonk

[@varovaro1967]

tangent

[@Will-sq3ip]

I think some weapons that are consider impractical to for normal Humans are designed to be wield by gods, demigods, and other non-Human races, etc.

[@bebedor_de_cafe3272]

the fact that there is no kcd makes me sad

[@peterlowell7963]

Ooga booga

[@adamcichon6957]

Fantasy weapons are designed or described by people, who may be skilled writers, but at the same time they don't know jack s*it about real ones. They maybe looked at pictures, but they never held and swing true ones. That's why we see in fantasy setting the most ridiculous things.

[@loganoldon8924]

I can see these in the hands of good souls who cannot wear an armament

[@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527]

You thinck a 20 pounds hammer is heavy ?:)) I train with a 66 pounds hammer lol.

[@castor3020]

People often think of bludgeon weapons as "Effective" against armored targets and think a strike at the head will do the job. This is not true, you can go see for yourself by googling the sport "Buhurt", Falchions, Maces and Axes (All blunt) are a mainstay weapon there and those weapons are used with maximal force. There is a reason polearms became very popular after plated armor became wide spread. You simply cannot impart enough force with a one handed weapon onto plate armor. Actually slapping an opponents head might be more effective at times: See "Ottoman slap" Source: I've been stricken by blunt weapons regularly when I did Buhurt. One weapon that can damage you pretty badly are actual proper spikes on warhammers (not the spikes on a morning start, those arent for penetrating) and two handed weapons. I will always respect a 120kg dude in full armor swinging at you with a dane axe, it was blunt but god damn that hurt.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for adding this. That would be a pretty fun sport to try out.

[@Nunnadismattas]

GODS I WAS STRONG THEN

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Get the breast plate stretcher!!

[@daredemontriple6]

overlooked here, but perhaps the biggest boon of any weapon such as a hammer or axe is that it is a tool at heart - no matter how much a hammer has been adapted for war, and how poor that may make it for anything else, it is still a hammer. If one thing in war hasn't changed since the dawn of time, it's just how much time soldiers spend not doing any 'war'. 99% of a soldier's life is spent off the battlefield, and in this scenario a sword is practically useless, being a weapon through and through. An axe can be used for chopping and shaping wood, as well as even butchering in a pinch. A hammer can be used for driving tent pegs and such into the ground or rudimentary joinery for shelters and barricades. Even a spear, a pure weapon, is handy for hunting one's next meal. A nice boar or deer would make for quite a feast! A sword however, or a dagger, or a mace or similar is really only good for killing men and is deadweight the rest of the time.

[@Del_S]

It's a shame all those Warhammers got "upgraded" to Age of Sigmar :P

[@user-dh8nf9wr5w]

Hello, ! 👋🎊Thanks for watching::You have been shortlisted for the ongoing secret giveaway🎁🎁 contact address above on telegram, ❤️💯🏆, Thank you!..

[@Autobotmatt428]

What no Halo Brutes?

[@funundercarkids]

First

[@yungdjango8001]

Monty Python and the holy grail are you insane?! What are you talking about here? You feel good spreading wrong historical information?

[@chengong388]

Sure a big heavy hammer would do a lot of damage, but a bladed/pointy weapon with the same weight and balance would do even more so why would you use blunt except for cost saving?

[@Riceball01]

Simple, because no matter how sharp your sword is, you're not cutting through plate armor, and very unlikely to cut through even mail. A pointy weapon stands a fair chance of getting through mail, but most pointy weapons are going to have a hard time against plate. Even though the metal used in the plate harness may only be the equivalent of modern mild steel and not all that thick, the shape of it makes it very good at causing pointy weapons to glance off of it. Check out Tod's Workshop here on KZbin and see his longbow vs. plate armor test videos. In it, he tests a historically accurate English longbow with historically accurate arrows (and even non accurate hardened steel arrowheads) against a set of hand made, historically accurate plate armor and the arrows consistently bounce off of it. Even with hardened steel booking heads, the best the longwo could do was to put a slight dent in the armor or barely penetrate in the thinner parts.

[@chengong388]

@@Riceball01 if you didn't go through the armor then it worked the same as a blunt weapon of the same weight. There's nothing to check out, this is simple logic.

[@Riceball01]

@@chengong388 In which case you'd be better off with a dedicated bludgeoning weapon like a mace or warhammer or something meant for armored combat like a poll axe. Both options are more effective, and cheaper than any overgrown sword that uses a lot more metal in its construction. There's a reason why kngihts and men at arms preferred things like poll axes and when they had to use their swords against another armored opponent didn't bother using the blades to strike at their opponents, instead preferring to either half sword and try to get the point into the gaps in the armor or do a murder stroke using the guard as a bl;udgeon.

[@chengong388]

@@Riceball01 no you're not, notice what I said, SAME MASS AND BALANCE

[@russellfisher1303]

@@chengong388STOP YELLING. Because a hammer focuses more pressure on a given point than an axe, and is less likely to glance off or break.

[@peterlowell7963]

All gun laws are infringements.