# Which Central American culture(s) inspired these video game weapons? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236 "2013-08-26T19:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/1 "2013-08-26T19:04:45Z")
I play Guild Wars 2, an MMORPG. Recently a new set of weapon skins was released, called the Sovereign skins, which (to my eye) have a decidedly Central American pre-European design aesthetic. I’m hoping there are some experts here who can tell me if these weapons seem inspired by a particular culture or culture, and if so which ones. Here is a link to the full gallery of weapons: [http://dulfy.net/2013/08/06/gw2-sovereign-weapon-skins-gallery/](http://dulfy.net/2013/08/06/gw2-sovereign-weapon-skins-gallery/) In particular, the [url =[http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/gw2-sovereign-protector-shield-3\_thumb.jpg](http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/gw2-sovereign-protector-shield-3_thumb.jpg)]shield caught my eye, and several other of the weapons have the same framed-face decoration. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/2 "2013-08-26T19:37:07Z")
Looks inspired by the [macuahuitl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl), an Aztec weapon. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/3 "2013-08-26T19:40:15Z")
I think “inspired” is a good term, because they aren’t direct copies. [Cinquedea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinquedea). It also makes me think of some SE Asian weapons. The Spatha is a… [spatha](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatha), although it doesn’t look much like one. The most pre-Columbian American one seems like the mace, which looks like a [macuahuitl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/4 "2013-08-26T19:56:17Z")
Well, they don’t have any business purpose, I’ll tell you that much. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/5 "2013-08-26T20:21:18Z")
Oh boy, look at those coding errors and typos. Sorry about that. Thanks for the replies so far - the mace definitely looks inspired by the Aztec macuahuitl. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/6 "2013-08-26T23:37:58Z")
[moderating] Thread moved to the Game Room, since it’s about video game weapons. Lots of weaponry experts there! [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-central-american-culture-s-inspired-these-video-game-weapons/667236/7 "2013-08-26T23:52:44Z")
I would agree with **thelurkinghorror** the skins are’inspired’ by a generic Mesoamerican feel. That said I wouldn’t mind both the hammer and shield for my warrior and guardian.