I second the vote for interest in how Warhammer did it.
Ok, so warhammer is pretty different.
First of all armor doesn't prevent hits, it prevents damage (ie it gives you a bit of DR). Same thing with "con" (toughness in warhammer terms), it doesn't give you more hp, it prevents damage. Usually the strength bonus and the toughness bonus cancel each other out, but if you are tougher than your foe is strong (and/or stronger than he is tough) you have a big edge.
When you do an attack, you roll vs your weapon skill (a % roll. 30% is a low skill character, 60% would be a high skill character, 80% is astoundingly good). If you succeed, your enemy *might* get to attempt to parry the blow, which is where a second weapon comes in. To do a parry, the enemy does a weapon skill check, and if they succeed, the attack is blocked.
You don't get a free parry see, you have to take a "stance" (which has a cost, action economy wise) that gives you that parry ... UNLESS you have a shield or an off head weapon ready, in which case your parry attempt *is* free, meaning you can take a different "stance" which is more offensive, or move, or do a full attack action (if you have more than 1 attack per round).
Some "classes" also get a dodge skill which allows you to parry 1 a round *and* dodge 1 a round.
The warhammer system is much more realistic, as someone who's done sword fighting, than D&D. The problem with it is *time*.
D&D:
1: roll to hit
2: roll for damage if needed
3: apply damage
Warhammer:
1: roll to hit
2: Roll a parry if the defender has one
3: Roll for damage if needed
4: Deduce from the damage armor (if any) and toughness bonus
5: apply damage.
Lastly, I'll mention that base damage is 1d10, and a starting PC has about 10 wounds (or "hp"). A high level hero has 20. At zero hp, you stop taking hp damage and start taking critical hits, which may be bad (you are stunned!) to lethal (you are decapitated). Of and if you roll max damage, your roll to confirm the crit and then you roll damage again - and if you get a second 10, you just keep rolling. One goblin arrow can kill you.
Combat in Warhammer is dangerous and best avoided... just like real life.