true.
a device like that would just add to the complexity of the device and potentionaly reduce the ammount of explosives that can be used. and it would add to the cost.
minefields are supposed to make it dangerous to pass through an area or force you to spend lots of time clearing it. even the suspision of mines would make anyone have to slow down and be careful.
the roman gladius was part of the stratigy. unlike the claymores used in briton the gladius didn't swing in a huge arc so the roman soldiers could stay close to eachother without fear of getting smacked by thier friends.
the book of loaf can make great empires to rise and fall. fortunes to be won or lost. it holds the secret of where we are going for the next million years.
and it makes good tinder :D
try getting a translation dictionary (eg, english-russian) and use the forign names. they oftentimes can sound pretty good even if they are boring when translated :)