Weapon Core

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Core flex.jpg

A Weapon Core is an essential part of constructing any Red, Green, and/or Yellow weapon in Dagorhir. The core provides both rigidity and structure, and it is upon this core that the weapon's foam is adhered. There are many types of cores, and each has its own inherent pros and cons (such as weight, flexibility, and price/availability).

Weapon

Kitespar

Filament Wound Epoxy Tubes (aka "FWET") are commonly referred to as "Kitespar." Kitespar is the most common core for Blue weapons and Javelins. The most common size of kitespar used is .505" (called "five-oh-five") and .524" (called "five-two-four); the sizing here refers to the outer diameter (OD) of the hollow fiberglass tubing. While kitespar is fairly durable and rigid, longer kitespar cores are more susceptible to breaking or flexing out. Kitespar is generally not used in Red weapons.

Solid Fiberglass

Fiberglass rods and pultruded tubes are the most common cores for Red and Blue weapons as well as Javelins due to their availability and reasonably low price.

Solid Fiberglass (Round)

Solid round fiberglass is the most commonly used weapon core, due to its relatively high durability, low flexibility, and low price. It is used in the construction of Blue weapons, Red weapons, and even some shorter Green weapons.

3/8" Solid Fiberglass (Round)

This core is commonly used in Blue weapons. However, it can generally only be used to construct weapons with core lengths of a maximum of 30". Longer core lengths frequently result in the weapon flexing out. 3/8" round solid fiberglass rods can frequently be found sold as fiberglass fence posts at stores such as Tractor Supply Co.

1/2" Solid Fiberglass (Round)

This core is commonly used in longer Blue weapons and minimum-length (48") Min-Reds.

5/8" Solid Fiberglass (Round)

This core is commonly used to construct Red weapons 48-60" in length.

Solid Fiberglass (Square)

Solid square fiberglass is less flexible and more durable than solid round fiberglass, which means it can be used to construct longer weapons than solid round fiberglass (assuming the same diameter).

1/2" Solid Fiberglass (Square)

1/2" solid square fiberglass is the gold standard of solid fiberglass cores because it can be used to construct Blue weapons of any length and Red weapons up to 60" in length.

Bandshoppe Poles

The thick hollow fiberglass rods sold by the company Bandshoppe as flag poles are colloquially referred to as "Bandshoppe Poles" and come in 5', 6', 7', and 8' lengths.<ref>[1]- Bandshoppe</ref> These Bandshoppe Poles are primarily used for long Red and Green weapons such as glaives and spears.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber cores are relatively new to Dagorhir and as such, there is a lot of research still to be done to determine effective sizes for various Reds and Blues.

Graphite

Graphite is the lightest core that is readily available, but unfortunately it is generally considered too brittle for use in Dagorhir combat. It is frequently used in other "lightest touch" games, however, since their weaponry does not take as much abuse as in Dagorhir combat. The most common source for graphite cores is a golf club (with the head removed).

Bamboo

Bamboo is not frequently used in the construction of Dagorhir weaponry due to its weight (thick bamboo is necessary to withstand Dagorhir combat).

Wood

Wood is not frequently used in the construction of Dagorhir weaponry due to its weight (thick wood is necessary to withstand Dagorhir combat). However, wood is the primary core material used in the construction of Cored Shields.

PVC

PVC is cheap and easy to acquire, but it is generally considered the worst weapon core due to its flexibility and fragility.

Shield

Wood

Plywood of various thickness is the most common type of core for shields.

1/4 inch to 1/2inch plywood is used depending on the size and role of the shield.

Coreless

A coreless shield refers to the practice of constructing a shield purely of foam, other than the grip.

Coreless shields are typically constructed in 1 of 3 ways.

Slab foam

Layered Foam

Combination

Plastic

Notes

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