Nanoha Manga Discussion

[al103]

Am I only one that find this picture AWESOME!!! ?

[00-Raiser]

Well Signum's main problem is that, aside fromt he magic cancelling thing, Laevantine wasn't durable enough to survive repeated hits against the Eclipse's hardened skin. So any upgrade would have to address this. So either make it really hard so it'll survive, or turn it into a katana so it will cut rather than smash.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by 00-Raiser

Well Signum's main problem is that, aside fromt he magic cancelling thing, Laevantine wasn't durable enough to survive repeated hits against the Eclipse's hardened skin. So any upgrade would have to address this. So either make it really hard so it'll survive, or turn it into a katana so it will cut rather than smash.

Pretty much this(two times in a row xD!). Signum's main problem is that Laevateinn doesen't resist the battle, Cypha only wons by being immune to Signum attacks(because she's pretty unable to stop them on first place) and also the eye-patched maniac was only able to land a hit on Signum after she gets disarmed. So yeah a reforged-more powerfull Laevatein is what she needs to deal with that smug snake.

Your theories about the modifications are good Raiser, i've thinked also on a new mode foi Laevatein, allowing Signum to concentrate her fire magic on the blade making it for a super-hot slash that cut and melt at the same time.

[SNobleJr]

I don't think a shield would be inherently wrong for Signum, it's just that that particular design is quite oversized for her combat style. A smaller shield strapped to her forearm, or maybe even just a heavy vambrace, would work better. Combine that with an upgraded Laevateinn, and that could be decent AEC equipment for her.

[Keroko]

Originally Posted by al103

Am I only one that find this picture AWESOME!!! ?

Heck no, gief! Design needs a bit of work, and it's a bit bulky, but I'll take any Signum+shield image I can get.

Originally Posted by Akiyoshi

This is most likely the pivotal reason, a shield will look really out of place on Signum,

I know most of this is subjective and all... but out of place? She's a knight! The first thing you think of when you say 'knight' is an armored guy with a sword and shield, and Signum is the closest to being actual knight-ish of the entirety of Belka we've seen so far.

Besides, 'Signum is offensive, not defensive' is hardly a reason. Shields aren't purely defensive items, they are as useful in a charge as they are in a defense.

*sigh* It's a pity so few anime show this, otherwise this idea could have been wiped from existence with a handful of examples.

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by 00-Raiser

Well Signum's main problem is that, aside fromt he magic cancelling thing, Laevantine wasn't durable enough to survive repeated hits against the Eclipse's hardened skin. So any upgrade would have to address this. So either make it really hard so it'll survive, or turn it into a katana so it will cut rather than smash.

Yeah I was saying that before, too. But as Keroko said, you can easily have an AEC that handwaves it somehow.

I feel that if Signum does get a shield for an AEC, it should be like the 00 Qan[T]'s shield. Maybe even give it bladed edges reminiscent of the GN-Sword Bits.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by Keroko

Besides, 'Signum is offensive, not defensive' is hardly a reason. Shields aren't purely defensive items, they are as useful in a charge as they are in a defense.

*sigh* It's a pity so few anime show this, otherwise this idea could have been wiped from existence with a handful of examples.

It's not matter of how effective a shield is, your examples are good and i understand how good a shield is but it doesen't suit to Nanoha franchise's flashy style of combat xDU. So, in the end giving Signum a shield will be "Boring but Practical".

Shields are good but there are few awesome and/or spectacular stuff you can do with them xDU. We're talking of recover lost badass points here.

[Tiresias]

It's not like Signum can only get a shield; Nanoha got two new toys remember? Beefed up Levantine+shield! (IIRC many Gundams use them, so the "anime writers weren't familiar with it" excuse doesn't really work)

[Keroko]

Originally Posted by Akiyoshi

It's not matter of how effective a shield is, your examples are good and i understand how good a shield is but it doesen't suit to Nanoha franchise's flashy style of combat xDU. So, in the end giving Signum a shield will be "Boring but Practical".

Shields are good but there are few awesome and/or spectacular stuff you can do with them xDU. We're talkinf to recover lost badass points here.

And this is exactly the misunderstanding that needs to be worked out of existence. Shields can be very flashy if choreographed properly. It's like saying gun battles are always boring. They're not, not if the person drawing/directing the battle does a good job with the choreography.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by Keroko

And this is exactly the misunderstanding that needs to be worked out of existence. Shields can be very flashy if choreographed properly. It's like saying gun battles are always boring. They're not, not if the person drawing/directing the battle does a good job with the choreography.

Agreed with the gun battles part, so far gunfights are "OK" at best in the Nanohaverse, if they want to be cool i hope to see Teana doing some Equilibrium-esque gun kata, THEN gunfights will be awesome.

Talking about Teana, all indicates that Signum is the new Tilda Lanster xDU

*hoping for a teenage, sword wielding Miura trying to prove Signum's style is not worthless *

[FRS]

Originally Posted by Nanya01

As the Samurai would tell you, and since a lot of Japanese have their ideals from the Samurai, just like how a lot of the West gets ideals from Knights, the Shield was seen as a sign of weakness and cowardice.

"You go into battle, prepared to die, thus you will come out alive."

Besides, they used giant clubs to break shields.

Edit: The reason that the West has no problem with shields and it makes us wonder why Japan doesn't use them, is because EVERY culture in Europe has used shields in various forms. Spartans, Romans, Athenians, Macedonians, Celtics, Vikings, English... All of them used some form of shield. It's in our very nature to know about and use shields. Even today, police officers use shields (at least in the bigger cities) to deal with Riots.

Well if you look at every continent you will find a culture that used shield in warfare, the japanese are one exception, one explication i saw was the evolution of the japanese armies.

They started as a core (the nobles) of mounted archer supported by levy armed with spear, when not using a bow they were using spear or a sword that could be used two handed under those condition a shield could be considered an hindrance.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Akiyoshi

It's not matter of how effective a shield is, your examples are good and i understand how good a shield is but it doesen't suit to Nanoha franchise's flashy style of combat xDU. So, in the end giving Signum a shield will be "Boring but Practical".

Shields are good but there are few awesome and/or spectacular stuff you can do with them xDU. We're talking of recover lost badass points here.

I found the samurai getting bitchslapped by the Spartan's shield in the Deadliest Warrior Special hilariously awesome. He was like "omfg y cant i get around the shield?"

[Keroko]

The main reason Japan didn't develop into a shield using culture has more to do with the fact that they had crappy metal. That's why they perfected their swordcrafting to it's current cult status, to make working swords that wouldn't shatter if you so much as breathed on them. Shields, however, didn't get the same treatment (since that'd be rather expensive and hard) so the Japanese shield crafting lagged behind other cultures.

[NorthernFallout]

I'll admit that shield has a very strange design that doesn't suit Signum. But Signum using a shield? I'd want to see that! Her Shield Smash must be quite the truck...

[dahak]

Originally Posted by Keroko

The main reason Japan didn't develop into a shield using culture has more to do with the fact that they had crappy metal. That's why they perfected their swordcrafting to it's current cult status, to make working swords that wouldn't shatter if you so much as breathed on them. Shields, however, didn't get the same treatment (since that'd be rather expensive and hard) so the Japanese shield crafting lagged behind other cultures.

Shields are usually made of wood rather than steel. Plywood and leather with some fittings made of soft metal. Nothing the Japanese didn't have.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I found the samurai getting bitchslapped by the Spartan's shield in the Deadliest Warrior Special hilariously awesome. He was like "omfg y cant i get around the shield?"

Proves my point, that would've an easy but boring(or by your telling, comical) battle for the Spartan guy.

Right now i'm lacking of examples but the only cool "non-mecha" character i remember doing awesome stuff with a shield is Captain America xDU

[Nanya01]

Originally Posted by Akiyoshi

Proves my point, that would've an easy but boring(or by your telling, comical) battle for the Spartan guy.

Right now i'm lacking of examples but the only cool "non-mecha" character i remember doing awesome stuff with a shield is Captain America xDU

His shield is special.

And you forget Batfink!

"My wings are like a shield of steel!" XD

[Nightengale]

I didn't want to get into the shield discussions considering it's pure speculation, but c'mon, this is a magical girl series. Assuming that's the route they go, ( assuming ) shields don't need to look practical, they can be as 'unpractical cool' as they need to be.

Heck, they could even turn Signum's scabbard into a shield-scabbard or something if aesthetics or design fundamentals of Signum clashed with holding a 'shield.' Or something.

Spoiler for eg of rule of cool:

[Akiyoshi]

As Alvane says on the image thread, Signum is a Lightning Bruiser(good AGI, good STR) giving her a shield will probably slow her down to Mighty Glacier territory(low AGI, full DEF, good STR), as the fight with Cypha shows, one of the best Signum's assets is her speed coupled with good timing and reflexes, an actual shield can't do a better job than Laevateinn does. In fact, if her sword wouldn't got destroyed the outcome of the battle will be much less clear because Signum is perfectly able to defend herself with her own sword by that point.

Now bringing up the Lamia puns, i hope she don't receive a cape, her long hair is stylish enough for a wind-blowing effect, a cape will be too excesive(unless they decide to go with my suggestion of giving her an "Important Haircut", then the cape will fit just fine xD), and continuing with the Vysaga, apparently a new sword is almost unavoidable ;_; ...i only hope they still avoid putting those Wolverine-eaque claws on her, that will be narmtastic.

[Rising Dragon]

Not seeing how giving Signum a shield would slow her down.