You just can't beat the versatility of a good sword... standard weapon, it's fast, versatile, and works in most situations. Polearms too slow, too much vulnerability. Flails easy to break the chain. Most axes have wooden shafts which can be cleaved. Swords can be used for piercing as well. As far as blunt weapons, gimme a break =). try killing someone decked in full-plate armor with a club, logically speaking of course. They can be used to pierce, so spears generally only have a reach advantage, but still can't beat the flexability. Statistically by gaming rules, the sword is a well-rounded weapon.