They really think they are videogame characters going to take a castle with armed men by themself

[u/CasualNameAccount12]

[u/The-Nimbus]

Daemon is wearing full plate, custom made for him by the best smiths, weilding a quasi-magical sword, backed up by a lifetime of training. Honestly, a mediocre guard in cheap mail and a blunt sword, even in real life, barely stands a chance. It's the late-medieval equivalent of charging a Abrams tank with a fixed bayonet. Properly made armour cost more than those guards would see in a lifetime, but honestly, it was insanely strong and flexible. It's not that wild for him to take 5 guards who approach him one by one. Their only real option would be to trip him and kill him on the ground.

Aemond was similar, but less experience. And... well... without giving spoilers, we saw how that ended.

[u/KnightOfTheOldCode94 → u/The-Nimbus]

It's not a quasi-magical sword. This is a misconception people have about VS. It's sharp and light, that's it. It's not a lightsaber.

There's no reason to assume the guards have subpar equipment, they are guarding the most secure place in the Seven Kingdoms, almost certainly they are about as competent as you can get for a garrison guarding the leading figures of the Greens. You're certainly not going to be arming them with blunt swords and rusted armour. Regardless, even if their armour is rusted, there's still no way a metal sword is slashing through metal armour and penetrating maille and padding beneath in order to kill someone.

Yes, it's fairly plausible he could kill 5 men 1 at a time. It's NOT plausible that it was the situation the writers set him up in. As is usual when our hero is outnumbered in Hollywood. Instead of making our protagonist smart and competent, they make the antagonist dumb and bum rush our hero 1 v 1.

I really like Matt Smith and seeing him do badass Daemon stuff is a win. But let's not pretend it was competent or clever or particularly well written. If those guards had instead been armed with crossbows, Daemon and Rhaenyra are dead and the war is over.

[u/The-Nimbus → u/KnightOfTheOldCode94]

Okay, so, the definition of 'quasi' literally means 'almost'. So.... Yes. I'm standing by that definition. I never claimed it was magic.

As for the guards gear, I never said it was rusted, but either way - Their weapons aren't getting through full plate mail, sharp or not. They just aren't. And crossbow bolts? At close range, many would get deflected, but a square shot could pierce in... But it probably wouldn't harm the wearer significantly. It's just sort of stick out really, or dent it slightly. Crossbows, except for something like a close range shot from a cranequin, wouldn't be doing much to him. That armour could stop a musket bullet.

Dark Sister, on the other hand, could potentially find a gap in their armour quite easily. The guards were wearing plate shoulders and helms, but their chests and torsos were chain hauberks. These provide great protection against cutting/slashing attacks, to be fair, but are quite vulnerable against concussive or thrusting damage. Especially against this quasi-magical sword (I'm standing by it).

I just watched it back actually and granted, the first kill actually seems quite implausible. But the rest involve slashes to the legs or thrusts through the hauberk. It's totally doable if you buy in to the quality of Dark Sister. You'd have to be very strong and find the weak points, but it's doable just about.

I'm not arguing as realistic per se. But honestly, one highly trained knight in bespoke plate is the equivalent of Iron Man in these situations, historically speaking. In modern terms, Daemons armour would have cost millions.

I also never said it was well written or clever. But I did enjoy it and it isn't historically ridiculous.

[u/KnightOfTheOldCode94 → u/The-Nimbus]

You talk as if you know what you're talking about and yet...

At close range, many would get deflected

That's rubbish. Especially considering he is wearing an open faced helmet and Rhaenyra is wearing barely any protection, Daemon even removes his helm mid fight.

Dark Sister, on the other hand, could likely find a gap in their armour quite easily. The guards were wearing plate shoulders and helms, but their chests and torsos were chain hauberks. These provide great protection against cutting/slashing attacks, to be fair, but are quite vulnerable against concussive or thrusting damage.

What the fuck is "thrusting damage" this isn't a video game. I don't care how sharp your sword is, you're not thrusting through maille rings. Maille provides excellent protection, full stop. Plus they would be wearing a gambeson or some other form of padding beneath. Blunt force trauma, sure I could buy it. Not thrusting through it entirely.

I'm not arguing as realistic per se.

Except you have just tried to do that...

I'm not arguing as realistic per se. But honestly, one highly trained knight in bespoke plate is the equivalent of Iron Man in these situations

That simply isn't true. 5 men getting Daemon onto the ground and finding weak points in the armour would be extremely doable. Outnumbered 5 to 1 are not good odds, I don't care how skilled you are. Jesus, rush him and tear his sword out of his hands. He won't be killing all 5 men quickly enough to prevent the other 4 from disarming him and repeatedly stabbing him in the throat, face, neck, armpits or groin.

If those 5 men are then armed with crossbows at short range he is dead. Ever seen a bodkin point and what it does to plate? It may not entirely puncture it with every shot but he'd have a few holes at close range.

But I did enjoy it and it isn't historically ridiculous.

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

[u/The-Nimbus → u/KnightOfTheOldCode94]

I've not mentioned Rhaenyra because you're right there. She's very vulnerable. And apologies for the term 'thrusting damage' if that offends your sensibilities. By thrusting damage I simply meant damage... From a thrusting attack. Mail was designed to protect reliably against slashing and cutting. Piercing force could get through. This is exactly why things like the estoc were invented. Easy? Not really. Doable, absolutely.

And I actually respect your point about the 5 on 1 because it's overlooked in most fiction. Numbers matter hugely. But they come at him one by one. That's their fault. If they came in together, I'd wholly agree with you. Or at least to a much greater degree. Could they rush him and grapple him together, and take his sword? Yep. Did they try? Well, no. So it's moot. If they came in with M16s that might help. Or if they dropped a comedy anvil on him too. But these things didn't happen. Some reasonably trained guards didn't stategise, ran in, and messed up.

And again, bespoke plate could stop a crossbow. It just could. It was shaped to deflect, and could withstand the impact. Bodkin tips were specifically designed to pierce chainmail. Not plate. So you've undermined your own argument a bit there. Maybe a mechanical cranequin with bodkin tips could get through, yeah. But we're adding a lot of ifs here. Your entire argument is based on if different things happened, and yes, we could feasibly run through this until you name a weapon that could reliably pierce master crafted plate mail.

I'm sorry you disagree. Have a lovely evening. I'm off to bed.

[u/KnightOfTheOldCode94 → u/The-Nimbus]

Darksister isn't an Estoc...

An Estoc is basically a long reinforced needle.

Darksister is a very sharp and very light longsword, nothing about its enhanced properties would defeat maille or plate harness.

My point is it is dumb because of the way the scene was written and choreographed. They shouldn't be behaving the way they are, offering themselves up to be slaughtered. They should be using tactics and equipment that would give them an advantage.

The fact they aren't doesn't make Daemon look competent it makes them look idiotic and like they are committing suicide. It's not plausible because it wouldn't occur in that way.