Gladiator's Arm
Gladiator's Arms are weapons used by 
gladiators and 
paladins. They consist of 1-handed swords. These typically give lower stats than equivalent item level weapons for other classes and jobs, because gladiators and paladins equip shields in the off-hand slot, which also boost stats. The combined stat boosts from the sword and shield are equal to those from equivalent item level weapons for other jobs.
In duties, players can roll for set items that, when used, will transform into the separate sword and shield. That way, players do not need to separately roll for the sword and shield.
| Item | Icon | Level | Item Level | Requirement | Damage (Type) | Materia Slots | Stats and Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aka Oni Scimitar | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9 
|
0 | |
| Augmented Hellhound War Pick | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Figmental Ladle | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Halicarnassus Sword | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Hellhound War Pick | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Obscure Hyposkhesphyra | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Radiance | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Tarnished Fanged Wolf | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Tropaios Sword | 
|
1 | 1 | PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Ultimum | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 9
|
0 | |
| Weathered Shortsword | 
|
1 | 1 | GLA PLD | 8
|
0 | |
| Bronze Bastard Sword | 
|
5 | 5 | GLA PLD | 11 12
|
0 | Strength +1 1 |
| Viking Sword | 
|
7 | 7 | GLA PLD | 12 13
|
0 | Strength +1 1 |
| Ash Macuahuitl | 
|
10 | 10 | GLA PLD | 14 16
|
0 | Strength +1 1 Vitality +1 1 Tenacity +1 1 |
Lore
Before mankind’s eventual mastery of metal in the waning years of the First Astral Era, crude blades of chipped stone, flint, and obsidian served as the sole means for separating fur from flesh and flesh from bone. When man realized that these tools could be turned to weapons to grant him dominion over his neighbor, their shape began to change. The blades grew longer, crossguards were added to protect the wielders' hands, hilts were wrapped in leather to improve grip. But it was not until the advent of bronze that what we know today as “swords” truly came to be. Since then, six Astral Eras have seen simple utility evolve into the all-purpose functionality found in modern-day blades.
There are almost as many types of swords as there are men and women who brandish them. To distinguish a common sword from a dagger or a claymore, a clear-cut definition is required. Gladiators' Guild doctrine mandates that to be categorized as a one-handed sword, the weapon’s blade must “be of a score or more ilms,” and its weight should “be as such that a Hyuran adult might bear it with little burden.” As for the manner in which one might wield that blade, there are no such restrictions, and as such, countless schools of swordplay can be found across the Three Great Continents, from the flamboyant style taught in Ul'dah’s gladiatorial guild, to the defensive parries passed down to the paladins of the Sultansworn; from the traditional Elezen methodology chosen by Ishgard’s holy knights, to the fluid battledance employed by the exotic Hingan samurai.
Prominent Designs
Spatha
Once a blade commonly worn by chocobo cavalry, it has since fallen into disuse, save amongst gladiators who oft purposefully choose weapons of past eras to begat Coliseum spectators.
Viking Sword
For centuries have the Sea Wolves of the Northern Empty carried these impressive weapons into battle, be it on land or on sea. While its twin edges are not known for their sharpness, the long, heavy blade serves more to bludgeon than to sever.
Bastard Sword
The bastard sword combines the balance and wieldability of a single-handed sword with the weight and reach of a two-handed blade, creating a weapon that, while excelling in none of these weapons’ stats, offers opportunities afforded by neither.
Broadsword
When wielded by one with sufficient strength, the extra weight added by the broadsword’s widened blade is transformed from a burden into a deadly driving force capable of severing a man from head to groin.
Falchion
Absent from Eorzea’s shores for centuries, this light sword made its return to the realm with the Hyur tribes during the middle Sixth Astral Era. Its curved blade allows for an extended edge, making it useful not only in battle, but also for clearing thick frontier undergrowth.
Shamshir
A traditional curved blade of Near Eastern design. Countless of these deadly weapons are believed to have passed into the hands of the Leal near the end of the Sixth Astral Era after the tribe's contact with goblin traders.
Break Blade
Relic of an age when little thought was put into the naming of weapons, the Break Blade was unearthed by the Sons of Saint Coinach at one of their many dig sites in Mor Dhona. Though discovered buried amongst other items of Allagan salvage, later research into the stone blade revealed it to be a spoils of war obtained in the subjugation of a people known as the Graese.
Burtgang
According to its creator, master weaponsmith Gerolt Blackthorn, Burtgang was forged at the behest of one of the Black Shroud’s greatest gladiators, Heimir the Simple. The finished blade was not rent in twain as it is today—the cleft a result of a rare lapse of focus during the final round of a Coliseum tourney. That he may never forget this blemish on an otherwise pristine record, Heimir resolved to leave the sword unrepaired.
Belah'dian Anelace
The intricate designs gracing the blades forte were long believed to be simply ornamental. An in-depth analysis of the sword performed by a Sharlayan scholar of ancient weaponry later proved that the markings are runes which, by means unknown, draw aether from the wielder and apply it to the blade's edges, significantly improving sharpness.
Homura
Its name meaning “flame” in the Hingan tongue, the crimson hue of this Far Eastern blade is the product of a unique Garlean alloy recently introduced to Othard. Homura’s atypical popularity in Eorzea can be attributed to Rowena’s House of Splendors and its shrewd decision to see the extravagant swords exported West.
Zantetsuken
Replica of the sword wielded by the elder primal Odin, Zantetsuken’s blade is forged with a peculiar metal alloy that resonates with the aether of its bearer, expanding or contracting until optimal balance is achieved. Though versatile, this alloy has the drawback of being lamentably soft, resulting in a blade nowhere near as keen as that of the original.
Enhancing Sword
When the King of Ruin commissioned the creation of this lavish sword as a gift to one of two guards charged with protecting the queen, records say the pair were so wrought with jealousy that they challenged each other to a duel that would ultimately spell the end of them both. Upon discovering the magicked weapon in the royal armory following his legions successful seizure of the capital, the acting Garlean viceroy silently added it to his private collection.
Onikiri
Created by master Doman swordsmith Yasusuna, and presented as a gift to General Ganen following his historical unification of Yanxia, this curved ashen blade has since filled the scabbard of many a noble warrior. It was not until one used the sword to sever the arm of a great demon, however, that Onikiri earned its name.
Tyrfing
Halonian scripture describes an episode in which, upon defeating a voidsent prince, Ser Moulignauge—one of Thordan’s knights twelve—commands the foul creature to forge him a blade that will cut the scales of a dragon like fire through newly fallen snow. Considering recent revelations as to the Enchiridion’s origin, the validity of this tale, among others, has come into question.
Galatyn
Records show Galatyn's creation was commissioned during the Thorne Dynasty, using tithes collected from citizens of Ul'dah. After being used in formal ceremonies for countless summers it finally left the royal court's possession when presented as a gift to the victor of the recently revived Ul Cup gladiatorial games.
Excalibur
The earliest mention of Excalibur can be found in tales of the Zodiac Braves, which tell of a sword imbued with dazzling magicks wielded by a wise and just king. With the assistance of renowned alchemist Jalzahn Daemir, Gerolt Blackthorn succeeded in recreating this fabled relic. [1]
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume II, page 191-192
