Entangled and Snarled Weapons

Entangled and snarled weapons accounts for situations where the surroundings are disadvantageous to the use of swinging weapons or those that are long or hooked. In tight spaces, such as narrow hallways, small rooms or dense foliage, swinging weapons like flails, swords, axes and such can be fouled by furniture, curtains, hanging objects and fixtures, or amid nets and ropes, such as aboard ship, or in places where the weapon's blade might become wedged in a tree trunk, momentarily disarming the combatant.

The time needed to pull the weapon free gives an advantage to attackers, which may offer a turning point in a combat. Thus it pays to choose a weapon according to how much space it requires, to minimise this risk.