Question

[1] The development of new types of blacksmith techniques in medieval times led to the widespread use of steel armor to protect soldiers during wartime. [2] The earliest version of the armor was called "mail." [3] Mail was clunky and heavy. [4] It deflected weapons but also slowed the wearer down. [5] Blacksmiths soon found that the more motion and quickness armor allowed, the less protection it provided. [6] For instance, full plate mail sometimes weighed 75 pounds. [7] A knight wearing a suit of plate mail might walk through a hailstorm of arrows and slingshots unharmed. [8] He was far too encumbered to fight against a single pikeman or lancer.

Question
Which is the ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, way to combine sentences 7 and 8?

Answer options with 4 options
1.
Too encumbered to fight against a single pikeman or lancer, a knight wearing arrows and slingshots went unharmed.

2.
A knight, wearing a suit of plate mail, might walk through a hailstorm of arrows, being too encumbered to fight against a single pikeman or lancer.

3.
A knight wearing a suit of plate mail might walk through a hailstorm of arrows and slingshots unharmed, he was far too encumbered to fight against a single pikeman or lancer.

4.
A knight wearing a suit of plate mail might walk through a hailstorm of arrows and slingshots unharmed; however, he was far too encumbered to fight against a single pikeman or lancer.

Answer 1

The best way to combine sentences 7 and 8 is:

4. A knight wearing a suit of plate mail might walk through a hailstorm of arrows and slingshots unharmed; however, he was far too encumbered to fight against a single pikeman or lancer.

This option clearly conveys both ideas while maintaining grammatical correctness and clarity.