A Clash of Kings – Backhand
The Bastard’s backhand caught him square, and his cheekbone shattered with a sickening crunch beneath the lobstered steel. The world vanished in a red roar of pain.
A Clash of Kings Chapter 65 – Theon
It’s over for Theon, though he’s not quite clear how and why. He’s still wondering what is going on when Ramsay Snow drops him with a backhand.
Since I’m not the biggest fan of the Theon chaptesr, I almost skipped this bit. However, it seemed like a fitting ending for his story.
As far as action goes, it’s hard to do a convincing backhand in a static format. Unlike a classic haymaker, it’s difficult to exaggerate without making it look like something is out of joint. You have to make do with the victim’s reaction and even then it’s unclear what happened. Even then, for people naive to real violence, it’s easy to forget it can be a devastating blow. As I was reading this, I found myself wondering how Ramsay broke anything until I remembered he was still wearing his gauntlet!
Speaking of Ramsay, one of the reasons I drew him from the back was to avoid having to draw his hideously ornate helmet. Even after reading the description, I couldn’t imagine how a real armorer would make it. It makes the Lannister lion helms sound realistic and practical!