Which MEDIEVAL adventure CLASS Would use a KATANA!?

[@CaedmonOS]

I can totally see a Bard wielding a katana. Not because it's any better than anything else, but because it was the most expensive sword in the shop.

[@MorgottofLeyendell]

That actually sounds right.

[@gcfournier3386]

Right on. Ornate and with a story to its name (it has a name), a story that seems to keep changing with every telling.

[@Jackal19x]

You make an excellent point.

[@Merilirem]

Yeah definitely a bard or fancy Boi weapon.

[@theguitarman5311]

Yeah katanas have a certain type of style and a bard is all about style and performance lol

[@PenumbranWolf]

It's funny that you mentioned that elves might like it, because in D&D there's a kind of obscure weapon called an elven curved blade which is described as a longer, more slender scimitar. It's usually depicted as very katana like.

[@Grabthar191]

Are those what Drizzt's Twinkle and Iceingdeath are?

[@PenumbranWolf]

@@Grabthar191 Considering that he dual wields those, probably not. The Curved Blade is a two-hander.

[@derekstein6193]

If you check the 5e DMG, you will find an equivalency chart that gives examples of what European counterparts that east asian weapons are equivalent to for mechanics purposes. Katanas are treated as longswords.

[@massey81]

so you mean like Orcrist?

[@angussharington2374]

@@Grabthar191iirc he is wielding scimitars, one of them he found in the lair of a white dragon, I don’t know if the dragon stole it from elves.

[@TalesofDawnandDusk]

Hi. Resident Classical Japanese literature enjoyer/translator here. Just want to say that I appreciate how honest and grounded Shadiversity's take on the katana and other Japanese swords is. Are they good swords? Yes, absolutely. Are they the best swords ever invented in all history? No. I love ancient Japanese culture and history but we need to be honest about things if we're ever going to truly understand it. Keep it up guys. And if you ever have any questions about old Japanese words and stuff, hit me up.

[@briancall5819]

Yeah, I haven't kept up with this channel very well but I remember seeing a deep dive Shad did on katanas and thought it was not only well done, thoughtful and spot on, but super sincere.

[@k9ine999]

What is better than the katana then?

[@briancall5819]

@@k9ine999 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4qboIB6ZbB2e5Ysi=mGgZgNTKJcQZzy-4 Here's Shad's extensive Longsword vs Katana analysis. It should explain everything fairly well.

[@YTKermitTheFrog]

​@@k9ine999 it literally depends what your using it for. What your preferences are. A lot really. Also depends on the quality of the katana. And the quality of whatever sword your comparing it to.

[@aaftiyoDkcdicurak]

​@@k9ine999 A weapon is a tool and however good a hammer is it means nothing if you need a wrench.

[@weonconpatasbreadcake6494]

The back and forth of theorycrafting and live test is fantastic on this one

[@great-wyrmII]

But hey, that's just a theory. A SWORD THEORY!

[@AncestorEmpire1]

Most likely the rogue class. For heresy points, I’m tempted to mix a Katana with a Spartan shield.

[@comlitbeta7532]

And a native American headdress

[@haxkztasy]

but wouldnt a rogue class use more like a Kusanagi instead of a Katana? cause a Kusanagi when sheathed is completely flush and there wouldnt be a guard that could drag onto the ground or anything, its pretty much a stealthy sword in that sense as you would normally dont need a guard on a sword when you're hiding in the shadows. (just my take on that)

[@EndurEndAll]

Samurai Jack reference?

[@matthewlong9369]

​@@haxkztasy Are you talking about a Chokutou or a Tsurugi? I am not aware of any type of sword called a Kusanagi, but there is a famous sword called Kusanagi-no-tsurugi that is a tsurugi sword. Tsurugi (and chokutou) are not particularly good swords, as shown by the fact that not many people outside of Japanese sword enthusiasts have heard of them, although the tsurugi was perfectly fine for the time and place. They saw hardly any use contemporary with the samurai.

[@haxkztasy]

@@matthewlong9369 Yes, thats what i was talking about... i simply know it as a "Grasscutter Sword" and used google to figure out its actual Name, cause "Grasscutter Sword" is prolly a term that not many know of lol. and to be fair... when talking about Classes, you're taking into consideration designs that might not be practical in actual Combat but take exactly those for Classes that usually dont go into Combat but still want a sidearm that gives them enough to go into a Combat. and there we'd talk about a Tsurugi for like a Rogue, who usually dont go into Combat and thus dont need a Sword with a Guard and is consealed as something like a "Neat-Stick" so it wouldnt get much attention by those who might see him.

[@GralofGaming]

you know. This video I Just realized just how much of a better swordsman Tyrenth (im sorry if I misspelled. I have never seen it written before) has become. I remember when he was just showing up on shadiversity, and he was quite a novice. He was mostly there for his other skills. And now he's clearly very comfortable handling and using swords. Shout out to the hard work Tyrenth has put into improving his swordsmanship, even though he didn't have to.

[@Giosuke_Giogashikata]

I’ve seen his name spelled as Ty-Ranth, if that helps at all.

[@waszner]

It's Tyranth, if you're still curious. He has a separate channel with that name if you want to check that out.

[@twobitmage]

Chinese archers had a sword similar to a long katana that they used as Their backup. It makes sense that an archer class would use it

[@phoxidas]

Indeed, the Yuan / Ming Dynasty loadout is pretty effective. So much so that Korea adopted it as well. I'm a sucker for the Jian Long though especially from the Tang to Song period when Wudang was at the height.

[@AllTheOthers]

Thoroughly agreed

[@irw3239]

Copy the shape, make it longer (bigger), change the steel to spring steel. Then you have an effective anti-katana weapon. So eazy!

[@robertbodell55]

Something similar happened in Europe where the duchy of Burgundy equipted longbowmen with longswords as defensive weapon for close quarters fighting

[@ChamChamRealSmooth]

Why not use the katana as arrows?

[@aaroncroxford7780]

In the opening battle against Sauron (LOR) it looked like the elf front line warriors were using a Nagamaki instead of pole-arms.

[@Peter-wj2hz]

Hi! Quick correction! At 22:00 Shad offhandedly mentioned the katana being worn for self-defence in the Meiji period. The spirit of this statement is right, but I think he meant to say Edo period. Carrying swords was banned for most of the Meiji period.

[@saphcal]

true but that wouldnt have stopped some people from wearing them but youre right he probably meant Edo.

[@aaftiyoDkcdicurak]

No he meant the Cheeto period 😂

[@kencoffman7145]

I think that this needs further exploration! Perhaps an obstacle course and distance trial. I spend an abnormal amount of time in the woods and find things tend to grab vines burrs branches etc.. I've also found that many things that feel like an acceptable weight at first are much heavier after carrying them for an extended period of time. Love the addition of professor Anachronism!

[@AllTheOthers]

I like this! If you've ever done a 15 mile ruck with 40+ lbs of gear, you know what it means to have something feel heavier after walking for so long. Armor, weapons, supplies, real adventurer style stuff. Katana's are awfully unoptimized, you need to consider all factors when analyzing a weapon. I think though, with the right steel, the right bladesmith, and the right class, a katana could be a good pick.

[@Merilirem]

@@AllTheOthers yeah when they spoke of shorter cross guards this is what came to mind. You don't really want any pointy stuff on your body when you are wandering through the woods. Snags suck and could kill. I might even want to make the tsuba smaller tbh.

[@RatchildUK]

Longsword and Bow, Shad sounds like a Ranger (Aragorn) to me with Lawful Good alignment and a Noble background.

[@phoxidas]

My thinking as well.

[@AllTheOthers]

I'd say more leaning to Neutral Good. Gotta think about some of his opinions, I mean, the guy likes weapons and weaponry isn't always lawful... Unless we're using the "Lawful" definition as "Being true to ones own laws." In which case, I'd be with you all the way, besides the Noble Background, Shad came into nobility, he earned it.

[@josuesepulveda6850]

Rangers have skill to survive in the wildernes,Shad nows how to use the sword and bow,the man dosent have any skills to survive in the wildernes.Shad is a fighter.

[@RatchildUK]

@@josuesepulveda6850 He traverses the wild web.

[@phoxidas]

@@AllTheOthers Lawful doesn't mean pacifist nor is it playdough that can be molded around like modern sensibilities would have one believe. Lawful is outlined very clearly in D&D...Compare Shad to others. He adheres to his faith, doesn't participate in vice of any kind. He doesn't break the covenants of Mormonism. He is lawful.

[@thomasmartyn65]

I play a High Elf Bladesinger Wizard who has a katana (kinda based aesthetically on Sephiroth) and I’d say that definitely works 😊

[@TheBlakReaper]

Great video, as someone else stated in the comments section, an obstacle course with different swords and gear loadouts would be very interesting to test and watch. I would definitely love to see what would be more comfortable to wear for, let's say, marching a certain distance, climbing, crawling, running, etc, etc.

[@StevenHouse1980]

An intresting D&D mix I plan to play soon is a clasic fantasy Viking-Northman/Dwarf Hybrid, trained as a Samurai.

[@tomjue5128]

Range classes or spear classes that switch to their side arm is faster than reloading

[@AllTheOthers]

Kind of exactly like how the Katana was historically used.

[@derekstein6193]

Kind of how a smart Fighter does battle.

[@FlightofTheHarpysHeart]

my character is an archer with katana.

[@Voxelowo]

How tf do you reload a spear

[@skyereave9454]

​@@Voxelowo You pick it up.

[@SanchezSr]

Hey shad just finished your book on audible and I must say I enjoyed it. I've watched your videos for years now so I felt a sense of pride when I finished it and heard your theme play. Keep up the good work with the crew. Can't wait to see the titan sword finished 😅😂

[@Thadicuss]

Would love to see a video about the effectiveness of coiled swords

[@AllTheOthers]

I swear there is a true historical example of what you are talking about, but can't recall for the life of me. The first thing that comes to mind for me is the Barmace, and the Epee. While not spiraled they certainly could be! I'm sure it could have historically happened.

[@nechocat1234]

12:26 the elven curve blade is somewhat similar to the katana when not going full sickle 14:30 depending on the fantasy clerics may be inclined to use a katana if the god they serve use favors that kind of weapon

[@derekstein6193]

Clerics of the primary elven deity, Correlion Lorintheon, might favor it as proficiency with longswords is common among all non-dark elves, and the DMG claims that the katana is functionally equivalent to the longsword.

[@juliuzz3225]

Thanks for all the good time you guys are giving us with your videos! I hope they will keep going because this channel became one of my favorites from the first videos I saw

[@infinitykiyen6270]

Shad the thing you mentioned about "knight that can uses range weapon" That exists... It's within the samurai classes because of the "Yagyū Shinkage-ryū" Their beliefs is any samurai that can only just uses a katana are not a samurai. Here's the 3 teachings 1) The Killing Sword = to kill 2) Life given sword = to protect or prevent conflict. 3) No sword = This is basically the master of all arms. The Yagyu style does not care if you use range weapons or even unfair weapons. They will even TEACH you to do so too. It is an art of warfare so of course they won't be going to focus on "soul of the samurai"

[@Kraleck]

Wizard (but not Sorcerer as much) and Ranger, but more as a backup weapon for when spell and bow have failed to do their job. Coastal regions, elven lands, and aristocratic types would likely see more use, especially if there is little use for or access to armor (can't swim well in armor, armor can be as clanky as it is clunky, and a shield can be ditched faster than armor if you need more mobility or less weight).

[@Slutlyfe]

I disagree, I would say the opposite as sorcerer can have access to more elemental based and enchanted magic as opposed to wizards moreso conjuring fully magically arms as they have no weight. I think that the katanas makeup would make it ideal for enchanting or even conducting elemental magics

[@outlawsamurai47]

The $2000 sword is a shobu-zukuri geometry that is better at thrusting because it doesn't have a ukotai line and the bevel sweeps into the tip thats why its different

[@SetsunaTheDevil]

Also for reference, at the start of the video when you guys displayed the katana, it is displayed wrongly because the cutting edge or the curved part has to face up not down because you could damage the edge as well as the interior of the sheath. Overall your videos are accurate!

[@robertpatter5509]

One design that a Bard could carry is the LK Chen Flying Phoenix Han Jian. Its quite lightweight, good length and bards normally stay in urban areas.

[@jonhudson8770]

In this episode, adventurer Shad discovers bushes have low AC

[@hurin1]

There is more in common between a Samurai and a Ranger than most assume. Samurai very often were also trained in using bow alongside the katana. They were a very versatile class of warrior. So the logic of why a Ranger would use a katana fits.

[@AllTheOthers]

This! Ranger units in the 1700s were scouting units which predominantly focused on woodland environments, which were again adopted later during the Revolutionary war. While the aspects of being versatile and long ranged combatants are consistent between the two, a lot of Samurai did opt to get in close and clash blades. Depends on the situation and time period in my opinion. But, do remember the Katana was typically a weapon to fall back on for the Samurai, not a primary pick. The bow may be replaced with a Naginata, or a Kanabo, or even an Odachi or Tachi. Whereas the Katana would be secondary, or perhaps a Wakizashi.

[@h0m3st4r]

@@AllTheOthers Most swords-including the katana-were, indeed, backup weapons.

[@BullMcCloud]

it made me so glad that Elden Ring made the dex class a samurai

[@hurin1]

@@AllTheOthers It would be better to refer to both Samurai and Rangers as skirmishing units. Able to engage at mid range and melee. Their roll is to ride into the battlefield and let loose a volley of arrows from mid range and then flee back into cover when the line breaks to pursue. Vary annoying units and very very good at what they do.

[@AndrianTimeswift]

Elite warriors in most cultures highly valued archery skills. Medieval Europe seems to have been the exception in this regard. If you look at tales of heroes in ancient Greece, in Egypt, in China, and in Japan (and a lot of other places), they run around wielding melee weapons like swords and spears, but also use bows just as much as those other weapons. The ideal warrior in those cultures was not one who specialized in either archery or melee combat, but one who excelled at both. A beautiful example of this is Heracles, who famously carried poisoned arrows, but also regularly fought with a sword or a club.

[@shiro4833]

14:49 the reason why clerics only used makes in earlier editions is because maces were particularly effective against corporeal undead like skeletons and clerics were meant to reflect that in their choice of weapon. Which raises the question: Quarterstaff? Idk, quarterstaff is the objectively best weapon for casters since it can be your arcane/divine/druidic focus and it can be your weapon. So the way to go is quarterstaff in your main hand, shield in the other, take the war caster feat if you're playing 5e and you can do anything you want and have superior protection. But clerics like maces apparently, even tho any weapon that deals bludgeoning damage would do. Actually, hear me out: A sakabato. Can cut when you have to, deals bludgeoning damage otherwise. And the blade is still fairly thin, so there's still a significant bit of force. Like no armor, getting that in the ribs or the skull if you're a zombie or skeleton? I'd say a sakabato would be 1d6/d8 (quarterstaff damage) bludgeoning damage with the versatile property and if you turn it around it's 1d8/1d10 slashing (longsword damage) but at disadvantage.

[@Ithirahad]

Technically the best ''weapon" for a caster class might be a long disc mace. The disc can be made of magically-conductive materials like hard crystals (chalcedony for instance might work if you find a piece without a bunch of internal flaws, your mileage may vary though) whilst still bonking things with great effectiveness.

[@phoboskittym8500]

Clerics in early editions could only use blunt weapons because it was considered more humane, it had nothing to do with undead, its only skeletons that are particularly vulnerable to blunt attacks to begin with. The classic Cleric in Plate armor and shield with a mace, is inspired by the Knights Hospitalars so warrior clerics of the Crusades...

[@aiwithbri]

Dude! Your videos are awesome!!! I'm not even into cosplay or swordfighting (yet), but here I am loving another of your presentations after cleaning out your castle vid's. Keep up the great work

[@MasterMewtwo239]

I just reflavour a Longsword, since it has the two-handed option, into a katana by making its description akin to a single-edged blade. The scimitar and shortsword also get a new flavour by way of changing it into a wakizashi. To that end, I don't bear a shield and I pick up Two-Weapon Fighting.

[@ManiusCuriusDenatus]

I'd be ok with Conan wielding two Katanas.

[@Thewatcher-vp7uh]

Bro that would be epic

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

I would prefer Valeria or Subotai doing so 😂 Ok so that's just for the movie not the stories

[@cappinjocj9316]

And nun-chucks in his teeth.

[@brianmoyachiuz905]

Isn't that Inoske 😂

[@HeroClone99]

When Conan was trying under the finest sword masters(thematically asia) he trains with a single edged blade, technically it wasnt a katana, but a somewhat similar, yet different blade.

[@BobT36]

Love the tip! Looks more intimidating.

[@bolggamer]

So glad he mentioned the rapier

[@michaelcamu625]

I think a ranger would definitely use the falchion more than the katana, because either way it’s probably a secondary weapon that they will mostly only use for clearing brush. This means that the katana’s extra length will be a less significant advantage since they’re using it in combat less often, and will just make it less comfortable to wear around.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

They only cut brush when you might be up in a dense forest, chopping tree branches, limited movement, a free hand to push Flora away why you walk through.

[@michaelcamu625]

@@majesticgothitelle1802 Maybe, but the whole reason Shad did the brush cutting test was because a ranger in particular would be in a dense forest quite often, certainly more than other classes. But I guess that just depends on the setting, and where any given ranger likes to adventure.

[@saphcal]

I was reminded recently of the Highlander films which is a very european MC and setting, with a Katana. Never realized how strange a combo that was back then. Just reminds me of the discussion in this video.

[@aaftiyoDkcdicurak]

In the earlier version he had a European sword.

[@saphcal]

@@aaftiyoDkcdicurak yeah i just thought it was funny that in one of them he used a katana. i had completely forgotten about the movie til the other day.

[@frankbruder3097]

It's treated as strange in the original film. In the present-day part of the film metal fragments found on a crime scene are analysed in a lab and found to be folded steel like the blade of a katana, but are dated to be older than that production technique is thought to be. To the female lead character who is called on as an expert by the police, that sword immediately becomes more interesting than the whole murder case it's involved in. In the beginning Sean Connery's character is just a man who has travelled far in his many years and carries a sword by a master blacksmith from a far-away country. But then it's acknowledged that it's not just from far away but also the first of its kind ahead of its time and made by not just a master but an innovator.

[@saphcal]

@@frankbruder3097 its been so long since i saw it that i forgot the details i just remembered the katana.

[@matthewlong9369]

If you are talking a European late medieval setting, a katana is possible (I seem to recall evidence of one or two making the trip, but they were not common at all) but would probably be used by nobles or others with the money to afford one. If you are talking about just plain class effectiveness, it would be rogue. There were techniques for crossing moats, climbing walls, and carrying out various rogue like activities with katana, wakizashi, and other accoutrements (yamagatana, saya, udenuki, sageo, etc.) and the opponents a rogue would most likely be fighting would be unarmored, which is in the katana's intended target use. I am assuming that the rogue is choosing the fight here, since most people don't wear armor around the house or when sleeping unless they are imminently expecting assassination. It would still give enough length to at least stand a chance if confronted by a guard, as there is more there to block with than a knife so you can make your escape. Now what DND really needs is the torimono sandogu. Players could be endlessly frustrated by guards pinning them helplessly against a wall with a sasumata.

[@BluegrassKnight]

I'd have to say as a piece of art (basically a wall hanger), this katana would be ok if you have the money and like it, I would never pay that much for something I can't use no matter how much work or materials that go into it's construction! Great video all the same Shad!

[@crozraven]

Well there are other series with fantasy classes like Samurai & Ronin. If there are no such classes, then a knight & a mercenary would practically the same. Maybe even a warrior monk that can may or may not based on eastern culture & stuffs.

[@jjkrayenhagen]

This was really fun. I hope this series continues. More types of weapons. More cultures. Maybe different types of armors and kits as well. Khopesh, jian, Macuahuitl, Iklwa, etc. Hoplite kit, Legionary kit, Samurai kit, etc. What about a little more advanced technology to incorporate fire arms to include Conquistadors and Musketeers.

[@Altlos489]

If you tend to fight in closer quarters a katana could potentially be better than a traditional longsword. And I do agree with Kramer thats the katana is more befitting of Elven craftsmanship and style. As for classes, I could see a rogue using not just a katana, but the full set of katana, wakizashi and tanto to match the various needs that they may run across and they could easily hand off the unneeded pieces to a party member if they would get in the way. Other than that, any character that prefers a single-edged weapon could easily substitute in a katana with little issue, although you would have to add in some rules for choosing a katana over say a falchion due to the lack of a cross guard.

[@Agent_Chieftain]

Bard. They could recite great epics about Glorious Nippon Steel during battle.

[@SirConto]

I like the idea of giving a katana to a bard. Also to other magic users. One of the biggest strengths of katana is, that is extremely well optimized to be quick to draw and attack with. That makes it a great pick for a backup/self defense weapon. When an enemy closes in on you, not giving you time to cast spells or sing, even that split second of difference between katana and other, especially larger swords, can become very significant. Historically, during the edo period, Japanese actually shortened most old tachis turning them into katana, precisely because they considered that difference in draw speed that much more important in the new circumstances (less battlefields, proportionally more ambush situations).

[@huldu]

When you bring in actual magic to the mix that's where I think the katana would be less favorable for a caster. They'd probably stick with something very basic and *light*, like a dagger. They wouldn't be fighting with it unless a last resort because they wouldn't be trained in it. I'm looking at the more traditional view of a caster of course, ie only wearing cloth armor and being very weak and not trained in weapons at all.

[@billstephens396]

Love you dedication to real swords and their abilities...

[@chrisjackson7669]

Hey guys, love the vids, just wanted to emphasize a point on the Ranger discussion, while the Falchion may be easier to use to cut brush (which would likely happen a lot more than monster fighting), the main thing to focus on IMO is that taking a little more effort to clear a brush won't kill you (or is very unlikely to, given this is a fantasy discussion after all) whereas the Katana being slightly better for actual combat may make the difference between you defeating a monster/creature vs ending up as its dinner. For one of the more obvious examples, consider a Large/thick hided creature; The Falchions profile (in general but especially that one) has a much stubbier tip and widens very quickly, meaning It could struggle IF it can't slice deep enough to cause enough damage (obviously it would slice deep but against a dragon? or a giant? I'm not sure it would really care unless you got an artery or something like that), in contrast the Katana is still long enough and thin enough to be used as a piercing weapon, therefore having a much higher change or penetrating deep enough to do serious internal damage to those sort of creatures, though maybe it may struggle a little more against things like goblins where it is close to the equivalant of clearing brush given size and numbers where exhaustion/being worn out might actually be the things that gets you killed depending on how many you're having to fight without chances to properly rest, however even then I suspect I'd still rather the slightly longer reach and peircing ability Vs a little big less effort to use (if this was between a 2h version of both than maybe I'd lean more to the less effort just because That's where I might actually notice it becoming an issue and a 2h Falchion would till be plently long enough).

[@lluch13]

Here's what I think, the edge is 1095, the cheeks are 1065 and the back is 1045. I think that's why it's so easy to bend. I don't know if for normal use that's a good thing, since you won't usually be cutting trees, but it's easier to fix. Also at 30:28 tyrant still has the balance wrong xd

[@AllTheOthers]

Perhaps a mix of different steel and differential hardening. All things considered the smiths of the time used iron sand, which cannot have a very high carbon content...

[@Roovka_]

I just like the idea of a Mage using a Katana in more of a SpellSword role. Cross classing could make this possible but I don't know how *traditional* you're willing to go.

[@randlebrowne2048]

I could see a wizard or sorcerer using a wakazashi even more so than a katana. They are less cumbersome and easier to use one-handed.

[@lastunicorn846]

Good to see Kramer here!

[@moukidelmar]

Idea for an episode: talk about the period of Fantasy, which as you point out is anachronistic. Analyze the armor, the design aesthetics of fantasy clothes, etc and come up with a video of WHEN does fantasy mostly take place

[@lukkaredwolf3534]

Recommendation for a show idea: Mall Ninja Redemption - gather up a couple of Mall Ninja weapons and have Tyranth try to redeem them to some degree of functionality.

[@nicholasking6066]

Food for thought, and I am not aware if anyone has figured out how to deliberately recreate this, but some old katanas made by some of the greatest masters have a double hamone and the way that the metal reacts with a double hamone is similar to spring steel which for a katana with an ultra hard edge and no temper is impressive.

[@BeaglzRok1]

As someone whose first character was an Elf Ranger, absolutely elves and rangers. It's practical first and grace second and those are your top two priorities. The party Fighter would give him guff about using his sword to prepare food, and his answer was "You have to carry a sword taller than you are to fight, and a knife to cook. I just have to carry this and do both." Fighter's response was to be careful he doesn't get any sword oil in the food XD Maybe also a Monk or a Bard, the former for the simplicity of the weapon while the latter for the style of it. Maybe a Warlock if it's one of those cursed swords with dark powers bequeathed upon them by their fell master.

[@strongtowerefuge]

Glad I saw a short of this because I didn't see it when it came out

[@RATLANTIS]

This was a really neat video! I like looking at it through the lens of classes like this, that's a cool angle.

[@insanitypepper1740]

Shad katana videos are my favorite.

[@BobT36]

5:30 Seki Sensei's video where he handles a longsword, the crossguard got stuck in his kimono! They theorised this might be why they went for the round Tsuba instead. Makes sense, and I'd never have thought of that.

[@morrigankasa570]

In D&D 5e a Magic-User can be trained in weapons depending on their Race. Certain Elves & Dwarves have training in weapons/armors as part of their Racial Features.

[@Gashren]

17:00 Funny you should say that, cause when the first Witcher movie was released (the Polish one, in 2001, go watch it, it still lurks somewhere on the Web), Geralt was actually using a katana-like sword there. The backlash from the fans were huge though, as it completely did not fit the world full of Slavic monsters, and at the time literally nobody would imagine him having one. It was akin to portraying Jim Bowie with a Khanjali dagger instead of his famous (nomen omen) Bowie knife.

[@oneparticularlysmartape]

So for the ideal Ranger Class sword we're looking for: - Little to no crossguard - Cuts like a beast - Relatively compact - Tough, sturdy. I believe, if were talking about more euro-centric aesthetics, we're talking about the frankish/"viking" style sword here then. Only drawback is it very much gives up the capability of being used two-handed. But everything else is there. In any case, it's fantasy you can make a two-handed "viking" sword like the ones sold online.

[@shelbybayer200]

3:17 The Shadiversity Katana has Blue Wrap Reminds me of a Katana the Protagonist of Conception/Conception plus uses His first Sword he uses is labeled as the "Imitation Katana" in the game

[@bocahcebol2815]

2:34 that's funny. Because last time i saw Let's Ask Seki Sensei channel about his opinion as samurai about european arming sword, and he love it

[@vegladex]

I've actually heard a rather cool reason for why Clerics are often associated with using maces and other kinds of blunt weapon, and that is that a holy man may be forbidden from "shedding blood". This puts clubs and other blunt weapons in a rather fun loophole where you can mash an enemy's bones into a fine paste, but so long as you don't break the skin you're still OK with God! (For the pedants: yes, in reality a heavy blow with a blunt weapon can easily split skin, and clubs and especially maces are often flanged or spiked to puncture as much as bash, but this is thematic and fantasy, so it still counts!) Alternatively, there's just the "Hammer of Wrath/God" imagery, which is still pretty cool, but less of a fun story.

[@SunnySidhu_TinyTauTsss]

BTW I love Kramer in Shad's videos. Shad and friends are like chaos and destruction all around while Kramer is cool like intelligent and elegant Elf.

[@python2228]

Ive always had a love for the Sirupate.

[@makeshiftmonk]

Love the channel guys!!! Kramer is super cool and very insightful and his polite demeaner is a welcome addition to the team! :::=^)

[@Recoil1808]

Personally I like how Fable handled katanas; back during the Old Kingdom, there was a trade route into Albion that caused a fair few to flow in from a land of warrior-monks that made katanas and greatclubs (giant kanabo), but the Old Kingdom fell and so did this route. Even cheap*, iron katanas are an exotic, rare weapon, with some low-quality attempts to emulate them by local blacksmiths centuries later.

[@Adym18]

Only today I realised you guys are in Australia. Now this is epic

[@nordicshredder4128]

my DnD character has a yogatana-style sword, which is an Eastern-style katana blade and European-style handle with a wand in the middle protected by the magic of tormented souls as well as its own and works well as it is a mix of a lot of things

[@KameSonRaijin]

I run Eldritch Knight/Abjuration Wizard. I agree stealth based classes would benefit from a smaller profile at the crossguard. A secondary weapon for a Ranger too. Elves would work for it too! Bards too, lol. Druids. I agree with everything you said. Great video, guys! Thank you! Sweet shoulder armor, Tyranth! “A tensile strength 10x more than comparable steel.” “But we do very stupid things with our stuff…” “You rarely reach that in standard sword use. If we braced this on something and just hammered down a sword, I think there’s a chance to chop through it.” “Yes and we do that a lot.”

[@Jackal19x]

Flavor-wise, it always felt appropriate for a wizard/battlemage type to carry one of these as a PDW with some mystical styling to it.

[@ScottKamlah]

I think that Shad brings up some good points as to why a rogue or Ranger could be using a katana.

[@darrenmunk7591]

Great video. Doesn't have much to do with the video, but D&D 3.5 is waaay outdated, though. 5e is by far the most common version played today.

[@EmperorsWrath]

Been checking out your lightsaber videos recently and I was wondering what your thoughts would be regarding the lightsaber pike/staff from the Betrayed cinematic trailer for the Old Republic game.

[@xia751]

I would say a charisma based character as katana is not a war sword but a side sword made to be conveniant to wear merchand would have the chance to cross path with a weapon from far away Or a noble (samurai were kind of a nobility and katana was a status symbole) but in western setting a noble would have a sword from his country

[@bluepiretfox8330]

I like the Look of that katana that blue and Black just looks good

[@ShrockWPS]

My first thought was rogue/theif. Great sneaky and stalking weapon. I could also so it as a nice backup weapon for a mage because of how well it cuts.

[@din_djarin4607]

I would love to see live streamed dnd campaigns from y'all. It would be super fun

[@ianhelyar6383]

It's been done, with lindybeige, Metatron, Scholagladiatora and Jason Kingsley from modern history channel.

[@fallenempress2679]

Funny thing about the Witcher - in polish tv series from 2002 Geralt did use a sword that resembled katana quite a lot.

[@JoeStuffzAlt]

Don't forget the Wakazashi, which is like a short katana.

[@samuelpatton5148]

I’m not sorry but that long sword on Shad’s back is just so much more aesthetically pleasing than a katana could ever, I couldn’t take my eyes off it the whole video.

[@jlan7844]

In D&D 3.5 the katana has actually become a traditional dwarven weapon of all things. The reasoning being that in areas where human cultures that have samurai border dwarven territories, the dwarves notice the very close similarities between the traditional samurai clans and their own clan structures. This leads to the dwarves imitating their neighbors and taking to the samurai way of life like they were born to be samurai from the start. Edit: Personally I'd probably have the dwarven katanas be the ones that end up being built with crossguards rather than tsubas, since dwarves tend to be very defensive in their fighting styles and crossguards are more defensive overall.

[@crosssansgaming4218]

Hey guys there’s something I would like to note that I haven’t seen you guys point out concerning the katana One of the major reasons the katana has a tsuba versus a cross guard is the same reason the saya is ridged, in iaido quickdraw cuts from a sheathed position are possible. Another thing to note is the bind which isn’t entered as much with other sword types. The fighting styles of the katana are as a result much more aggressive and less defensive as more parrying is involved. Hope that helps in the future

[@AndrianTimeswift]

I'd like to see you guys branch out a bit and take a look at weapons from outside Medieval/Renaissance Europe and Japan. I think the Chinese jian sword might be especially interesting, since it kinda has a crossguard, but it's very small, and a double-edged blade. I think they tend to be on the shorter side, too. A good comparison weapon would probably be a viking sword or a gladius.

[@crusadernikolai1996]

Fantasy also loves to pull single shot firearms, sometimes as far as revolver like mechanisms, for characters. Flintlock, wheel lock, breech loader. Fantasy truly covers a thousand year period on the stuff they employ

[@lachlanaulich3566]

Amazing video as always mate

[@Dr.Dreadzone]

I left a comment on some of the katana with crossgaurd videos, but I feel like I need to say this in a newer video, but there is a sword in Bloodborne called the Chikage It has a square suba with a small crossgaurd. I think that they should try it out if they can find one online.

[@noahsibahi-jackson8757]

Tyranth is looking clean with his new black leather pauldrens

[@WolfyLex-jj2ll]

I loved the theories about the possible Elven weapons and fighting style! In fact, I've got another one. How about Elves wielding light axes (and daggers/shortblades)? Wouldn't such axes be good both for branch-cutting your way through a forest and fighting (even somewgat armored) enemies? Or staves and polearms maybe, just because wood is so juch easier to gather in a wood compared to metals. If there is enough room to wield them, that is. And bows of course. Bows are a must for elves 😁

[@orcapodstudio-retronaut]

One of my fantasy world, since wands are stick extend from the body therefore, a horn helmet will be two wand on top of your head for two different spells at once, while caring a weapon combination of some sort, that also yours wand

[@mirsad7]

Shadiversity, lovely show, where shad is always right indifferently of other peoples opinions.

[@sharkchaos5160]

Great video.

[@СергейДиденко-ь4ы]

Thanks for good content

[@Abaddon6666666]

I would like them to do some wazakashi reviews. Everyone focuses on the katana to the exclusion of the other sword that is paired with it constantly. I know the guys have their preferences for melee weapons, but perhaps they can do some short sword reviews? There's a ton of short swords in history that noone takes notice of. A lot can be found in the same sword stores they get their longswords and katanas from. Also, a number of different chinese swords in history too. Noone ever covers those for review.

[@Harbinger359]

I want to offer a few points on the Rogue, because they were the first Class that came to mind: for starters, Ninja/Shinobi. That's a Rogue right there. Indeed, no crossguard means no quillons to trip you up, and as Shad pointed out it is a shorter sword, but it us still an effective two-handed sword, so any Rogue who needs to fence is going to appreciate it. And I do think Rogues would want a sword, for when they need to fight; sooner or later it is going to happen. Certainly less likely to get in the way than the Rapier they already get to use. Plus, where Rogues go the shorter length is a benefit.

[@StressLevel100]

Does shadiversity have an inbox where one could send a sword? LK chen has a more historically accurate rapier then the windlass ones. Also I'd pick ranger especially because of the quickdraw technic which is something i'd like to see compared on the channel against the draw-cut speed of a bastard sword.

[@outlawsamurai47]

0:41 i think rhe rouge and ranger class would be the ones to use them most chopping power can someitimes sub in for an axe easy carrir and low maintenance wirh just one edge i made this before watching rhe full video as for the time stamp

[@nobsherc]

Repeating what I wrote before, a bigger tsuba would solve the hand protection problem and was more common in the Sengoku/early Tokugawa era than the smaller one.

[@saluteadezio7893]

Fun fact about Witchers. In the original, polish Witcher Show Geralt used a Katana. In books he is given a special sword made by dwarven smiths and it represents that.

[@catcocomics1601]

Fighter/Ranger/Bard makes sense for a Katana user especially going into how each of those classes are highly skilled in a broad multitude of fields. Samurai historically were pretty much the Japanese equivalent to European Knights in terms of social-standing, wealth and power, and in their level of education. You'd also do well placing Paladins as one of the classes you'd see a Samurai being, though more likely to use an Odachi or a Naginata than a Katana. For Monk or Rogue, you'd sooner see them using something like a Tanto if they're carrying a blade at all.

[@RevanR]

Shad's bizarre adventure : Katana is unbreakable

[@matthewwriter9539]

11:00 He really nailed that on the first try.

[@Bigparr43]

For your next video, I would love to see you try out a shockingly functional gaming/movie weapon, the Ulaks from Riddick. You can buy actual sharp replicas for cheap and the design is simple.