I know they are used in non combat functions such as communications and manning mecha tanks/suits, but what else do non benders do in the militaries of the Avatar world during Korra's time?
I know they are used in non combat functions such as communications and manning mecha tanks/suits, but what else do non benders do in the militaries of the Avatar world during Korra's time?
Bumi was joking, I'm sure.
It all depends on experience, skill, and luck. The best spearman can beat the best swordsman, but it isn't a guarantee. However, in direct hand-to-hand combat, a soldier armed and trained with a sword generally has an advantage - especially when those spears are replaced with heavier and more cumbersome pikes and halberds.
That's the problem - there are tanks, airplanes, battleships, mechanized suits, ariships, etc - however, there are no weapons designed specifically to take them out. A portable ballista that can shoot armor-piercing/explosive bolts at tanks and mecha suits would be practical, as would an attempt to miniaturize the fire-cannon (that the battleships had) for air-to-air combat between fighters.
Hell, imagine if they could mount those spirit cannons on battleships; that would be badass.
Aside from maybe curiosity or for non lethal applications (like a police force), I don't really see why a bender would care all that much about conventional chi blocking. If a firebender, for instance, could hit someone as many times as we see chi blockers to get the effect, the firebender could have already exploded the target.
Also, I second the notion that swords are more prone to lose to spears. Polearms are exceptional weapons both useful in infantry with little training or in the hands of a master, the weapon class is very potent and versatile. How either would actually fair against benders would seem kind of like these weapons dealing with firearms.
I agree that it really comes down to circumstances, relative skill between the opponents and where the fight is taking place (are we inside a typical house? Are we in the middle of an open field?) are very important factors, but if comparably skilled and in the open, spearperson has a definite advantage, the range and speed differences are significant (largely stemming from the length of the weapon). Even with heavier polearms, the weight distribution is very manageable for an experienced spearperson that is comfortable with the weapon, particularly given the way polearms are gripped vs swords.
Weltall8000 wrote:
Aside from maybe curiosity or for non lethal applications (like a police force), I don't really see why a bender would care all that much about conventional chi blocking. If a firebender, for instance, could hit someone as many times as we see chi blockers to get the effect, the firebender could have already exploded the target.
I agree with the police force idea. I always wondered what the normal non bender police did if they encountered a group of bender criminals. Did they just call it in and wait for the metal bending police to arrive?
Well benders could learn how to effectively counter chi blocking used against them if they were taught about it or use it themselves when needed. On a similar note it seems as though most benders have a problem with close quarters combat; it always seems most bending fights happen anywhere from a fewhundred to a few feet away. There are notable exceptions to this though one being Ang and Zuko's duel on top of a well. Preferably benders seem to want to stay a much more than arms distance away from eachother depending on element.
Hakota's warriors, the Pirate captain, Ty lee, Sokka, Zuko, the equalists are good examples of how close quarters combat is affective at taking on benders. That is if you can close in on one. If you can swords, daggers, and chi blocking all come into play.
Nonbenders have close range, Benders have mid-range, and machines have long-range effects. It's a relatively neat hierarchy that the gun would only destroy completely.
By the way, how is it that Wan thought Bending would be an easy way to stop what appear to be nonbenders fighting?
Meh; I still like guns. Hell, I'd be fine with it if the non-benders had crossbows. But whatever.
... Wait, what?
Weltall8000 wrote:
Aside from maybe curiosity or for non lethal applications (like a police force), I don't really see why a bender would care all that much about conventional chi blocking. If a firebender, for instance, could hit someone as many times as we see chi blockers to get the effect, the firebender could have already exploded the target.
Well benders could learn how to effectively counter chi blocking used against them if they were taught about it or use it themselves when needed. On a similar note it seems as though most benders have a problem with close quarters combat; it always seems most bending fights happen anywhere from a fewhundred to a few feet away. There are notable exceptions to this though one being Ang and Zuko's duel on top of a well. Preferably benders seem to want to stay a much more than arms distance away from eachother depending on element.
Part of the problem with adding adding nonbenders or non-metal benders to the police force is that it "dilutes" the original image of the police from the design perspective of the series. It's like giving a firebender the color green as a primary color scheme or an non-metal bending earthbender blue as their primary color. Yeah, it's sort of a old hang up from the original series.
The other problem is what is brought up: benders versus non-benders and the problem of the creation of scenes involving both of them. We did get a number of them in book 1 but there were all non-benders with advantages to offset the benders because of the differences in combat.
You'd almost have to give more advantages to non-benders akin to the Equalists to even the playing field. The most likely way is simply through equipment like the lightning gauntlets or similar things. Sure, you could always design a special ops like non-bender force that has enough potential to where they don't need so much assistance too.
I really think there might be a problem if the force was limited to Metalbenders. Predominantly Metalbenders, maybe, but not entirely. I'd say most city Benders are hampered by their environment a bit, and maybe close-range weapons would be used by nonbenders (like that truncheon the cop in Avatar Park had).
Non-benders have great impacts in military forces just as much as benders do.
Bring coffee, become ammo when the caonon's run out.
Yeah but that truncheon cop was also more of a comic relief than anything serious or effective. Aside from him and maybe a few others, the majority just seems to be based on that one bending type.
Investigator-wise we might have the two corrupt cops in book 2 so maybe outside of the main police force there might be the non-benders and other non-metal benders. It would account for some of the others like Mako and soon to be Bolin.
If we go by the way non-benders are treated in books 2-4 of LoK, they might be useable as mechanics, engineers, or other jobs that don't require bending. A big plus if there's glasses involved.