Mechanics

Weapon Construction

Print this page

Numina Weapon Construction Guidelines

First things first, let’s cover the sizes for weapons we use in Numina:

Numina Weapon Construction Reference Table

Notes:

• *These weapons are 2 handed weapons in Numina. There may be skills that will allow certain uses of these weapons in one hand.
• **These weapons require special skills to use in Numina.
• ***Thrown weapons conform to entirely different rules, discussed below

Construction Requirements

Next, let’s go over some materials requirements for Standard Construction weapons. Requirements for Non-Standard weapons will come along afterward:

Padding requirements:

• Padding on striking edges of weapons must be a minimum of ⅝’ thick Closed Cell foam (polyethylene foam pipe insulation or EVA/XLPE foam with a 2lb density rating) .
• Padding on thrusting tips must be 2’ thick on 1 handed weapons and 3’ on 2 handed weapons. This padding must be open cell foam (furniture cushion foam)
• Padding on ‘additional Head’ weapons may be made of either Open or Closed cell foam.

Core Categories :

A: .414 or .505 Filament Wound Epoxy Tube

• A1: ½’ CPVC
• A2: ¾’ CPVC
• ½’ Sched 20 PVC

B: .602 or .75 Filament Wound Epoxy Tube

• 1’ CPVC
• ¾’ Sched 20 or 40 PVC

C: .602 or .75 Filament Wound Epoxy Tube

• 3/4’ CPVC
• ½’ Sched 20 or 40 PVC

D: .75 Filament Wound Epoxy Tube

Discuss with staff if you want to build a weapon of this size with a PVC or CPVC core. The weight/flex of a weapon of this size creates specific difficulties.

Tip requirements :

All weapons must be able to pass an ‘eye test’. This essentially means that the weapon can safely be pressed against an eye socket without poking the eye directly. Rounded off tips are acceptable but Numina does not allow weapons that come to a sharp point. Numina requires padding on the Pommel end of weapons, but does not require a thrusting tip on pommels.

Crossguards :

Any weapon designed with a crossguard may not have any core inside the crossguard. There are no minimum or maximum requirements on crossguard size.

Finding Materials :

Filament Wound Epoxy Tube and Pipe insulation foam of the necessary sizes are not commonly available in physical stores in our area. We will provide a link for the needed materials for reference, but do not require materials be purchased from the provided links. View them as reference to ensure you are finding the correct materials. If in doubt, do not hesitate to reach out to our staff with questions.

• Filament Wound Epoxy Tube: https://goodwinds.com/product-category/carbonfiberglass/fiberglass/filament-wound-epoxy-tubing/
• Polyethylene Foam Pipe Insulation: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/pipe-insulation/pipeinsulation-1~/economical-flexible-polyethylene-foam-pipe-insulation/

Thrown Weapons

A thrown weapon should have at least one dimension greater than 6’. Thrown weapons also pose the same risks as packets, and must therefore conform to the same ‘Eye Socket’ test (it should be safe to press the weapon into an eye socket without hurting the eye). Thrown weapons should be made of the same foam used for striking weapons, but notably thrown weapons cannot contain any core or solid objects. This creates a fairly light weapon, so it is best to use closed cell foams instead of open cell foams unless the weapon is greater than minimum size. It is difficult to give a maximum size for thrown weapons because of the variety of shapes possible. While a long thin javelin may be a safe thrown weapon, a full size tombstone may be shorter but still be too large for safe use.

These rules mean that a great many purchased throwing weapons are not safe for Numina use. If you are unsure about your design for a thrown weapon, please do not hesitate to reach out to staff.

Non-Standard Weapons

Non-standard weapons covers a broad group of weapons from Home made ‘flat bladed’ weapons all the way up to Latex weapons. Numina allows the use of these weapons on a case by case basis, but we do have an elevated standard for these weapons. A cardinal rule of these weapons is that they must be inspected and approved prior to use. It is a good idea to know the materials used for the weapon, even if you commission the weapon and did not make it yourself. Understand that these weapons are subject to a higher level of scrutiny both at the initial construction and throughout their life. We really do not enjoy telling someone that they can’t use a weapon that they spend quite a sum of money on, but we have to consider the safety and comfort of our players first.

Please do not hesitate to work with our staff if you have a desire to build or purchase one of these weapons.

Some weapon construction rules are different for these weapons:

• Stabbing tips are not required. However if your weapon does not include a stabbing tip, then thrust maneuvers are not permitted. Sharply pointed tips are still not permitted.
• Non-striking edges can be less than ⅝’ thick. These edges should still be at least ⅜’ thick.

Home Made:

For home made blades, we encourage our players to make their own weapons and to experiment with new techniques and designs. However certain things remain:

• Striking edges must have at least ⅝’ of a closed cell foam with a 2lb Density rating.
• Thrusting tips (if present) must still meet thickness requirements)

Additionally, we recommend that striking edges have a greater than ⅝’ thickness of foam, due to the narrower impact width.

Purchased Latex Weapons:

Numina allows commercially purchased latex weapons with restrictions.

First, we cannot provide an approved list of weapons or vendors at this time. Without knowing the weapon, we don’t know if it has enough padding, or if the padding is soft enough. We will work to keep a list of any weapons we have seen and approved for use as time progresses.

Second, understand that using a Latex weapon requires a very different fighting style than using a ‘standard’ boffer weapon. Even the finest latex weapons hit harder than pipe insulation, weigh more, and get harder in extreme cold. A Light Touch combat system like Numina encourages speed more than power, and attempting to fight in the same style with Latex weapons will result in sharp hits that will simply hurt more.

No commercially available latex weapons have thrusting tips. Thus, you cannot thrust while using a latex weapon.

We cannot stress enough that we can’t approve Latex weapons for use at Numina without seeing them physically first. We don’t want players to be spending tons of money and then being told no, but this is a safety concern we cannot back down from.

Bows:

Rules on Bow Construction will be added later.

Buckler:

Rules on Bow Construction will be added later.

Shield:

Rules on Bow Construction will be added later.

Packets:

Two things govern safe packets: Cloth choice and fill choice.

Fabric

Numina requires packets be made of a fabric with stretch. Usually fabrics with a higher lycra or spandex content meet this requirement, and the cheapest broadcloths do not (sorry!).

Fill

Our two event sites have different packet fill requirements:

For Events at Camp Horizons we use bird seed that contains no large seeds. Safflower/Sunflower seeds are too large, so either purchase seed that does not contain these seeds or sift them out.

For events at Prince William Forest Park we require the use of Airsoft pellets. We recommend (but do not specifically require) use of biodegradable pellets. For reference:

https://www.amazon.com/biodegradable-airsoft-bbs-SportsOutdoors/s?k=biodegradable+airsoft+bbs&rh=n%3A3375251

Construction

We recommend packets be held together with rubber bands rather than sewn or tied with yarn.

Constructed packets should be slightly larger than an eye socket, usually a heaping tablespoon of birdseed. Packets smaller than that can be an eye hazard and packets significantly larger can hit with too much force. A properly constructed packet would stretch enough that you should be able to pinch your fingers together through the center of the packet.