Actually,

the pauldrons (shoulder pieces) are held in place by the arm straps, the straps connecting to the center ring in the front and back are really no more than added protection against a pauldron slipping down a little on the upper arm and geting into an uncomfortable position. There is a matching set of straps in back that serve the same purpose. so if the front strap is severed, the pauldron is still supported by the back strap. Wost case the plate right over the shoulder would flap up (i've had a shoulder rivet pop in a fight before it's annoying but not majorly debilitating.).. and in batle minor armour malfunctions like this happened from time to time.

The thigh pads are similarly strapped in place like the shin guards, and fore arms are. If you are talking about the side hip guards that hang on the outside of the legs, then yeah if you cut a strap it would fall from the front but there is a similar set of straps in back so it wouldn't fall off..

I had similar hip protection on my armour and lost a rivet and it did pretty much the same thing ... the thigh guard falls in front but still not an opening for a seriously fatal blow.

If you want to go for historical accuracy remember most swords of the time wern't even sharp enough to behead someone in a single chop it often took 2 to 5 chops sometimes more. (this is why the guillotine was invented as a "humane" method of beheading). If the sword isn't capable of going thru the flesh of the neck and separate the thin bones of the spinal column, there's no way it would realistically cleave thru the thick of ones leg and the much thicker and solid thigh bone.

technically if i were making this armour in real life, I would put a strap at the top of the front and back rings that would hold them in place on the chest piece and provide balance for the other pieces should one be severed. But since i'm going to do the pauldrons and hip guards (and connecting straps and rings) as a seperate conforming figure from the curiass (chest piece) i felt it better to leave it off for asthetics and to fend off collision issues or straps floating in the mid air in poser.

Message edited on: 03/26/2005 01:18