Quan
The Quan is a Miscellaneous melee weapon. It is not used by any unit and is found only in the Unit Creator.
Characteristics
The Quan is a decently sharp sword which can deal an adequate amount of damage per strike. After an attack, it has a very quick cooldown period before it can attack again.
The Quan has a reasonably long attack range for a melee weapon, which is increased slightly as units will lunge toward their opponents when they nearly reach them. They will follow by striking the sword down at their opponents, causing the most damage if all the force land on the target.
Appearance
The Quan appears to be based off of the Chinese Jian Sword(traditional: 劍, simplified: 剑, 4th tone), which is a straight, double-edged sword used in the Spring and Autumn Period. The color of the handle, inevitably, will depend on the team that the wielder of this sword is on.
History
Once akin to bronze double-edged knives in different lengths, the jian reached its current extent by roughly 500 BC. Despite significant variation in certain characteristics of this sword due to contrasting methods from different Chinese eras, within any given period the general purpose of it is to be a multipurpose cut-and-thrust weapon capable of stabbing, as well as making both precise cuts and slashes, rather than specializing in only one method of utilization. While the many forms and schools of swordsmanship with the sword vary as well, its main function is still not lost.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, also known as the first two dynasties which united China, the jian from the malfunctioning Chu dynasty were very highly regarded. Chu became particularly famous for its swords after conquering the state of Yue, who had previously been famous for their swords, and who credited their sword techniques to a southern woman of unknown ancestry referred to as Yuenü.
Among the Clay soldiers in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, figures representing officers were once found with these swords, which consisted of an alloy containing copper, tin, and other elements including nickel, magnesium, and cobalt. Several double-edged bronze swords have been recovered by modern archaeologists, but most were stolen centuries ago along with the polearms and bows of the enlisted men.
Historical jian wielders would engage in test cutting called shizhan, practicing their skills on targets known as caoren, or "grass men". Such targets were made from bamboo, rice straw, or saplings. Though similar to the Japanese art of tameshigiri, shizhan was never formalized to the extent that the latter art was.
Trivia
- It is the wrong English name for the weapon, as in pinyin Quan is pronounced "chuean"; the actual pronunciation and pinyin of the Chinese sword is "jian" (剑).
- Some interpretations of this sword are forged from solid jade.
- Jian is known as one of the four major weapons in Chinese martial arts, along with the the gun (stick or staff), qiang (spear), and dao (sabre). In Chinese folklore, the Jian is known as "The Gentleman of Weapons".