middle age swords

[robberbaron]

This is pretty much entirely wrong. Check www.thearma.org for the best information regarding middle ages and later European weapon stuff.

Just had a look at a few of the articles there (very interesting website, it is too) and some of what I said was there, specifically 'pommeling' - 2 handed bastard sword technique to punch through armour. Didn't know that an arming sword was a long cavalry sword, often used for thrusting, but that doesn't mean I was 'pretty much entirely wrong', just that I didn't know as much as I thought I did.

I bow to your obviously superior knowledge.

Oh, and saying "it depends upon your definition of 'middle ages'" is quite right as weapons and their use changed dramatically over the course of a few hundred years.

 

[S'mon]

Medieval swords were not 'sharpened crowbars' nor used solely for slasing, they certainly didn't rely on weight and impetus, so yes you did manage to be almost entirely wrong, Robberbaron.

The ca 3' blade sword or arming sword - effectively the misnamed D&D longsword - had a point for thrusting through chain mail, you could also slash with it, handy vs peasants; a flexible weapon. The standard weapon of the early medieval knight. Later on, armour development encouraged more specialised weapons like the lucerne hammer.

The ca 4'+ blade long sword, effectively the D&D great sword - again could be used to thrust like a spear (often with hand well up the blade, which wasn't sharpened all the way down), rather than just slash in a great arc. The 15th century 6' zweihander was AFAIK a progressive development of this, though William Wallace's greatsword was already 6', that was unusual in the 13th-14th century.

 

[Evilhalfling]

William Wallace's greatsword was already 6', that was unusual in the 13th-14th century.

sure it was - men are always honest about the size of their swords

 

[edgewaters]

This is more or less the earliest illustrated combat manual of medieval Europe:

http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/i33/i33.htm

Note that many of the killing maneuvers (against an unarmoured opponent, as well) are thrusts, not slashes.

 

[robberbaron]

Medieval swords were not 'sharpened crowbars' nor used solely for slasing, they certainly didn't rely on weight and impetus, so yes you did manage to be almost entirely wrong

But you said it so much nicer.

 

[dragonlordofpoondari]

I would recommend the uniformly excellent D20 product entitled "From Stone to Steel."
Check out the reviews section. Great book, though sometimes difficult to find. I've seen it on amazon and ebay recently (for not too much). Snatch it up if you can find it.

 

[Galethorn]

Before the 1300s, it was pretty much one-handed swords used in conjunction with shields. There were shorter, quicker ones for use on foot, and longer, heavier ones for use from horseback. Most swords were of the slashing/cleaving/hewing disposition, because a strong swing could still hurt the guy under the best armor of the period (mail).

For the 1300s to 1400ish, don't forget War Swords (the bigger, basically dedicated two-handed brothers of longswords that preceded greatswords) and Riding Swords (shortish, light swords intended as self-defense for traveling nobles). The first estocs, to deal with the first plate armor, made their debut in this period.

From the 1400s to 1500, you also got sideswords (rapier-like hilt, arming sword style blade), greatswords (bigger war sword, still fairly nimble when you use it in two hands), two-handed swords (huge, anti-cavalry weapons also know as zweihanders), and (though they were rare) rudimentary sabers came into use in this period. This was when full plate finally came into wide use (by the wealthy, at any rate). Swords generally became tertiary battlefield weapons at this point, because they were ineffective against the new armor compared to any axe, mace, or proper polearm.

 

[Darklone]

Hehehe. Swords have been rather uncommon... the spear was the soldiers weapon of choice for a long long time. Swords require practice and knowledge.

Sharpened crowbars? Friend here in the area brought a 8th century viking sword to Japan to have it's creators workmanship evaluated by their specialists... some refused to look at it... because it's quality was comparable to 16th century katanas. And it wasn't a special weapon, just the run of the mill viking broadsword.

Not all swords have been that good, but there were smiths that knew how to make good swords... and why should they make low quality swords if they could do better in the same time?

 

[hong]

You know, there's nothing WRONG with sharpened crowbars, people.

 

[S'mon]

But you said it so much nicer.

That's me, always nice.