#{{ flails }}

Ball and chain flails are a mainstay of medieval and fantasy movies, art, and games. You can find an interesting overview of historical and archaeological evidence for medieval flails as weapons at:

SOCIETY — 180/262 — Tools

Basic agricultural tools in a Czech medieval village included Henry’s trusty shovel (spade), and then adzes, hoes, spades, shears, knives, axes, flails, scythes, rakes, forks and also ploughing tools such as the beamed plough, turn-plough, ard-plough and harrow. Each craft had need of its own special equipment and tools. Later, agricultural instruments played, among other things, a decisive role in the hands of skilled farmers during the Hussite wars, when, with minor improvements, they proved surprisingly useful not only for threshing grain, but also enemy knights (Catholics). The versatility of the tools and also the ingenuity of the medieval people is evidenced by a preserved poem from the Jihlava (Iglau) region on the border of Bohemia and Moravia: Jihlava maidens are quite fine folks, they curl their hair with manure forks.

TRIVIA

— Among the tools that crossed from field to battlefield, the flail gained particular renown during the Hussite wars. Originally a simple agricultural tool used for to thresh grain, it consisted of a long wooden handle joined to a striking head via metal links, allowing for momentum. In its earliest combat use, the flail changed little from its rural form, but over time it was adapted for combat, with iron spikes or bands added to increase its impact damage.

The weapon became closely associated with the forces of the Hussite revolution, many of whom were recruited from the rural population and were already skilled in handling such tools. Its flexible joint made it difficult to parry, and gave it ability to hit an opponent behind their shield. Its striking head could injure even armoured opponents. Many depictions show flails with iron-studded heads or reinforced striking ends, showing a gradual refinement from not only a tool but to a weapon. Unlike the rigid weapons of trained crusader knights of Sigismund's army, the flail retained a certain irregularity in its use. So it is not surprising that their fame soon spread beyond the borders of the country. Bohemian flails (behemisch Drischel) are to be found listed one hundred years later in the arms inventories of the German Emperor Maximilian and elsewhere in the neighbouring lands. A flail, whose bat was covered with iron bands held in place by spikes, which did not extend beyond the surface of the bands, was recommended as a good military weapon by Konrad Kyeser, who was living in Bohemia at the time.

Medieval Weaponry, 2022

10 fights with Syr Goldbug 7/27/25 - learning flail

Advice from Bug after the fights: let’s work on not taking the bait from your opponent, and learning how to combo your own fake with a shot.

My observations: with flails, don’t bring shield in when the opponent strikes - work on pushing shield out to prevent wrap around and moving forward to counter strike. Footwork needs work. Don’t be afraid to move in to strike, ya got short arms dude; you need to close the distance.