Fighting with your off hand

[Eternus]

I assume that, generally, in the 41st Millenium, most humans will be right handed, just as they are now. Given that, I have noticed that most models that carry a combat weapon and another non melee weapon like a pistol, seem to mainly carry their dedicated melee weapon in their left hand.

Do you think this would work well in practice? If you were armed with a sword and a pistol, are you going to be more proficient shooting with your off hand and hacking with you favoured hand, or could you manage just fine hacking with your off hand and aiming with your favoured hand?

[Skringly]

Well for Space Marines I would say it's a safe bet and say they are ambidextrous, but for all the other races? I'm not sure. I know if I had a pistol and a sword I'd have the sword in my good arm.

[Silent_P]

I assume that, generally, in the 41st Millenium, most humans will be right handed, just as they are now.

Didn't the government do some kind of study that said the lefties will take over in another thousand years or so? Power to the Southpaws!

To answer your question I believe it would depend on which weapon you favored. Personally, I'd rather shoot someone than stab them so they don't have the opportunity to stab me first. Therefore, I would use my dominant hand/eye with my pistol.

[Gagoc The Ancient]

I'm right-handed, but I would put a pistol in my left hand (mainly because it is steadier) and a melee in my right.

I'm sure there are left-handed people as contrary as me out there.

[Aun O Vader]

From my experience, normally fighting with two blades, I prefer to keep the heavier, more resistive weapon in my good, right hand, and put the lighter weapon in my left hand. That would imply I would probably keep my gun in my right hand and put my sword/knife in my left hand, this is to allow me to use the gun whilst advancing and the fact that it recoils when you shoot it means it's easier to use in your right hand.

[Inquisitor023]

As a leftie, I'd rather the pistol in my left and the blade on my right. The pistol feels weird with my right but I can hold a stick with either hand so... Makes sense to me.

[Ossai]

I have a similar experience to Aun'O. The weapon you are likely to use more will be in the primary hand (i.e. pistol in my right) and the lesser used in the off hand (melee)

After all, in melee combat you are likely to use the off hand melee weapon defensively to open up your opponent for a shot from the pistol in an exposed place.

[Col.Feren]

I'd keep the pistol in my right (good) hand, until; reaching charge range, then swap.

[Inquisitor Alex]

I'm usually super right-handed, but when you've trained patterns with melee weapons ambidexterity can become second nature. I can use sticks, swords, hatchets and knives ambidextrously from practice, but damned if I can write a single word left-handed. Never fired a handgun left-handed, but if you point it with your hand like you're pointing with your finger at something instead of looking down the barrel, aiming is almost reflexive. Learned that from an ex Spetzmatz Lieutenant-Colonel :)

[Ossai]

but if you point it with your hand like you're pointing with your finger at something instead of looking down the barrel, aiming is almost reflexive. Learned that from an ex Spetzmatz Lieutenant-Colonel :)

Good advice, might need to put that into use when I do airsoft and paintball from now on...

[VolatilSpam]

That's why you buy dual pistols for all melee models! Sixth edition Gunslinger rules! Yes! We! Can!

[Eternus]

Until you get into combat with something that has a decent save. Then you're probably toast. Unless you're carrying dual plasma pistols, in which case they're toast and you're toast.

That's made me think about breakfast.

[Captain Kellen]

As a right handed person...

I have shot with my left hand/eye in the infantry. You can do it but it takes a lot, and I mean a lot, of practice. I actually had to qualify with my off hand/eye to pass an evaluation.

I'd fight with my close combat weapon in my right hand since once I get to battle I need to not think about it and focus or let things come naturally. The shooting aspect you can overcome... practice, volume of fire, etc... with your left.

I'll be in some corner... hoping for an FAQ on the BYB... and not holding my breath...

CK

[coulsono]

I would keep my pistol in my right hand, being right handed and all. I have tried shooting with my left hand before, and it just felt funky. When I shoot with my right hand I feel much more relaxed and I can easily hit targets with little to no thought process, where as with my left, I tend to think a lot more about how to aim and get my shots onto target. Now I can't say I have actually used a real melee weapon, however form doing battles as a kid with fake swords and lightsabers years and years ago, and waving sticks around and using various things attached to a poll, swinging something around to hit something or use it isn't very difficult at all.

If I was in a CQB situation using a pistol and a melee weapon, I would worry about hitting my buddy next to me when I fired, thus I would want to have my pistol in my dominant hand or I would probably not use it out of fear of hitting a buddy, limiting me to one weapon. My strategy would be to block blows with my off hand while taking opportune shots with my pistol.

[VolatilSpam]

Until you get into combat with something that has a decent save. Then you're probably toast. Unless you're carrying dual plasma pistols, in which case they're toast and you're toast.

That's made me think about breakfast.

Guard sergeants are toast anyway. Might as well give 'em dual plasmas for short-range hilarity.

[Skringly]

Now I can't say I have actually used a real melee weapon, however form doing battles as a kid with fake swords and lightsabers years and years ago, and waving sticks around and using various things attached to a poll, swinging something around to hit something or use it isn't very difficult at all.

I've hefted a real sword around a few times and believe me, you want it in your strong arm and the arm you can be most agile with. Tried it with my left once and it was pretty tough as there was no finesse in my swings. Just slow clunky swings that I couldn't come back for a quick strike or parry with.

[Ossai]

I've hefted a real sword around a few times and believe me, you want it in your strong arm and the arm you can be most agile with. Tried it with my left once and it was pretty tough as there was no finesse in my swings. Just slow clunky swings that I couldn't come back for a quick strike or parry with.

That all depends on the sword. A broadsword yea, they are designed for use in the strong hand whereas some of the shorrt swords are easy enough to swing with the left. Personally I like to keep both arms as close to the same strength as possible.

[Eternus]

Can I ask what you mean when you refer to a 'broadsword', so I know that we're both thinking of the same thing? The term often gets used to refer to a weapon which in fact is more like a medieval longsword (heavy and crushing), but it actually refers to a basket hilted sword which was more agile, but heavier than other swords of it's time like the rapier.

This is something that many fantasy writers have lumbered us with.

[Traejun]

If you are right-hand dominant, then you would generally place your melee weapon in your right and your pistol in your left - regardless of fighting preference. A melee weapon would be much more difficult to use in your off hand, while pointing and aiming a pistol can be done with relative ease in either hand. Vice versa for lefties.