War Scythe: Shadow's Harvest, Unveiling Modern Conflict Tactics

By Fouad Sabry

What is War Scythe

There is a type of polearm known as a war scythe or military scythe. This type of polearm has a single-edged blade that curves inward and has the cutting edge on the concave side of the blade. The war scythe is a purpose-built infantry combat weapon that retains a superficial resemblance to the blade of an agricultural scythe, from which it is assumed to have evolved. However, the war scythe is completely unconnected to agricultural tools and is a weapon that was designed specifically for use by soldiers. In addition to having flats that are proportioned in a regular manner, the blade of a war scythe has a thickness that is comparable to that of a spear or sword blade, and it has a tiny curve along its edge as it narrows toward its point. There is a distinction between this and farming scythes, which have blades that are extremely thin and unevenly bent. These blades are designed specifically for cutting grass and wheat, and thus are not appropriate for use as blades for improvised spears or polearms.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: War Scythe

Chapter 2: Polearm

Chapter 3: Halberd

Chapter 4: Sabre

Chapter 5: Dao (Chinese sword)

Chapter 6: Scythe

Chapter 7: Bill (weapon)

Chapter 8: Sickle

Chapter 9: Glaive

Chapter 10: Kopis

(II) Answering the public top questions about war scythe.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of War Scythe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 24, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: War scythe

One type of pole weapon is known as a war scythe or military scythe. It is characterized by a single-edged blade that curves inward and has the cutting edge located on the concave side of the blade. The war scythe is a purpose-built infantry combat weapon that retains a superficial resemblance to the blade of an agricultural scythe, from which it is assumed to have evolved. However, the war scythe is completely unconnected to agricultural tools and is a weapon that was designed specifically for use by soldiers. In addition to having flats that are proportioned in a regular manner, the blade of a war scythe has a thickness that is comparable to that of a spear or sword blade, and it has a tiny curve along its edge as it narrows toward its point. This is a significant departure from farming scythes, which have blades that are extremely thin and unevenly bent. These blades are designed only for cutting grass and wheat, and therefore are not suited for use as blades for improvised spears or to make polearms.

When compared to a fauchard, which is thought to have originated from the war scythe, the blade of the war scythe has the cutting edge on the concave side, similar to the edge of an agricultural instrument. On the other hand, the edge of a fauchard is located along the convex side.

As a weapon for infantry, the military scythe had a variety of practical applications, including offensive operations against enemy infantry as well as defensive operations against enemy cavalry.

The scythe and the pitchfork are two examples of farming implements that have been used as weapons by people who either had the financial means to purchase more expensive weapons or did not have access to those weapons. Other examples include pikes, swords, and later firearms. It was common practice for furious crowds or groups of enraged peasants to carry scythes and pitchforks during times of uprising. The method often consisted of reforging the blade of a scythe at an angle of ninety degrees, tightening the junction between the blade and the shaft by adding an additional metal pipe or bolts, and reinforcing the shaft in order to better protect it from cuts caused by blades belonging to the adversary. There were instances in which a blade from a hand-operated chaff cutter was utilized rather than a blade from a scythe.

War scythes were a weapon of choice and a chance for many peasant uprisings throughout the course of history.

An ancient Greek historian named Xenophon wrote a treatise called Anabasis in which he discusses the chariots that Artaxerxes II used, which were equipped with scythes that projection.

Later, Jan Žižka's Hussite warriors, predominantly drawn from the peasantry, scythes that had been modified.

Called originally 'kůsa -scythe' and later sudlice, It was a weapon that could be used for both stabbing and cutting, developing later into the ušatá sudlice—Bohemian earspoon, due to the presence of side spikes (ears), are better suited for warfare, serving as a means of exit, It was not able to penetrate very deeply, Therefore, it was simpler to draw from defeated adversaries.

It was common practice for Polish and Lithuanian peasants to make use of war scythes during uprisings that occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries.

During the Swedish invasion of Poland in the 17th century, often known as The Deluge, Polish peasants employed battle scythes.

The battle of Sedgemoor, which took place in 1685, James Scott, One of the Dukes of Monmouth, a peasant force consisting of 5,000 individuals and armed with battle scythes was sent.

It was during the Transylvanian peasants' Revolt of Horea in 1784 when they were utilized, Cloşca and Crişan, in the war in the Vendée by royalist peasant troops, The First War of Schleswig, which took place in Denmark in 1848, and again in various Polish uprisings: the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794 and the battle of Racławice, in which individuals armed with scythes were able to successfully charge and bring down Russian artillery.

The year in question saw the publication of a field manual by Chrystian Piotr Aigner, Notes on the Pikes and Scythes: A Brief Treatise, information regarding the training and operation of forces that are armed with scythes, the very first and most likely the only book of its kind in the annals of military history.

On a subsequent occasion, during the November Uprising in 1831, war scythes were utilized, In the year 1863, the January Uprising, in 1921, the Silesian Uprising took place.

In Poland, the term scythemen was used to refer to a military unit as late as the year 1939; however, It was hunting weapons, not scythes, that were used by the Gdynia kosynierzy in their violence.

With its great range and powerful force (owing to leverage), the war scythe is a pole weapon that is distinguished by its characteristics. They might be used to make slashing or stabbing strikes, depending on the build and tactics of the weapon, and with their unusual appearance and significant strength, they could have a psychological impact on an adversary who is not adequately prepared. Their limitations, however, were similar to those of the majority of pole weapons, namely their weight (which might quickly exhaust the user) and their slow pace. Following the German Peasants' War, which took place between 1524 and 1525, a fencing book authored by Paulus Hector Mair detailed, in the year 1542, the many strategies of the use of a scythes.

Jean-Joseph Weerts's Mort de Bara, which was created in 1883, is an illustration of the usage of the scythe.

The Kucie kos (also known as Forging of Scythes) was created by Artur Grottger during the January Uprising.

The Polish 7th Air Escadrille's roundel, which has battle scythes that are crossed over one other

Persian scythed chariot.

Unsheathing the War Scythe: A Study in Military Science

In the annals of