The Ball and Chain

In terms of fighting, ball and chain has nothing to do with prison shackles or one’s spouse (unless they hit you over the head with one).  Ball and chain was the short name for the ball and chain mace.  It consisted of a heavy metal ball, often spiked, attached to a wooden handle by means of a chain. There are examples of ball and chain weapons where the wielder simply gripped the chain itself, not using a handle, but these are the exception rather than the rule. A form of flail weapon and essentially a version of the morningstar is appearance and use, the ball and chain was extremely effective at getting around an opponent’s shield, yanking the shield away, pulling a rider off a mount, or simply smashing armor. The ball and chain uses the momentum of the swing to create greater force upon impact with the target. The center of gravity of the ball and chain weapon is in the ball itself. Thus, by winding up a swing before striking, the wielder could sometimes double, even triple the force of impact with the target. Needless to say, this weapon was very effective at creating crushing and stunning blows, even against an armored opponent. Further, if the ball was spiked, the force of the blow concentrated at the tip of the spike was devastatingly effective at piercing through armor.