Gauntlet Detail 04

ooo, shiny!
The cupped individual fingers protects against sword blows resulting in mashing. If the plates were only along the back of the fingers (as seen in most cinematic armor), combat would result in the gauntlets becoming armored salsa bags. As it is, the inverted 'U' crossection transfers the energy from the armor straight thru to the hilt, leaving your fingers un-crushed to continue the fight!