Peek #7 into the lore with Ken Johnston

Weapons by Clan in 9Dragons

9Dragons is the martial arts MMO coming to America through Acclaim and to Europe through Persistent Worlds. The best way to describe the game is to first visualize House of Flying Daggers, then blend in some Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and add a splash of Kwai Chang Caine from TV's Kung Fu series.

Seeing a Sacred Flower disciple weaving her dance of death with a pair of flying wheels is an awesome sight and is often the last one seen by her opponent!

In 9Dragons, the world feels ancient (it's based in the Ming dynasty), the animals are ferocious, the land is swamped with bandits, and the monsters you'll encounter are of legendary proportions. To survive, you'll need to be armed to the teeth, and in this article I shall describe some of the weapons you should get your Kung Fu grip on as soon as possible.

The weapons themselves are authentic, based on our meticulous research of the actual martial armaments of the Ming Dynasty. In those ancient days, each clan specialized with specific clan weapons. It is therefore important to consider which weapons you wish to wield when you choose your clan. Take the Wu-Tang Clan, for example. They have a long, illustrious lineage of sword masters. Why join them if you prefer to fight with an axe?

You can choose to fight with any weapon you wish of course, but it makes more sense to join the clan that has the ability to teach you to master it, grasshopper!

Altogether, there are six categories of weapons:

Gloves and Claws

Staffs and Staves

Polearms

Swords

Axes and Spears

Daggers and Wheels

For those martial arts junkies out there who are asking, "Where are the shuriken and nunchucks?" Well, these weapons were originally from Japan and came to China after the Ming Dynasty. Sorry, but there is a small price to be paid for authenticity!

The basis for most martial arts comes from unarmed combat, and gloves are therefore vital for all of the clans. However some of the higher-level gloves have claws or blades built into them - watch out; some of these can be very nasty!

Staffs and Staves are the key weapons for those who join The League of Beggars. The League is famous for its Drunken Monkey Kung Fu, which boasts a variety of comical moves - the most popular staff is called "hit the dog". Their Kung Fu and weapons techniques were developed from useful skills that common beggars on the street once used, as beggars were often attacked by watchdogs.

Polearms, spades, maces, and cudgels are the weapons of choice for Shaolin monks. Polearms have been called the "father of all weapons" and are generally used by today's martial arts beginners. They have the advantage of being very long and can be used from a safe distance as compared to other close-range weapons. Paradoxically, though it is generally easier to use for a beginner, mastery of it requires more training than any other weapon, save for the sword.

Swords, my favorite, are the weapons of choice of the Wu-Tang Clan. They are the most difficult weapons to master, but then... it makes them that much more satisfying, doesn't it?