Broadsword vs. Spear

Discussion in 'Weapons' started by little_monkey, Jul 23, 2004.

  1. Cudgel

    Cudgel The name says it all

    oh good point about point control. I jsut startd learning renasance Rapier and point control is hard. so it make sense.
    good points I concure.
    I sadly have only a very basic knowledge of the spear like i said eaerlier, and i dont think there are any Euro styled spearmen n MAP. I use the greatsword and shorter cutting polearms and focu on the edge more than the point.
    But i agree that cutting weapons are easier to learn to use although i dont completey agree with strength over finesse, it is easier to use strength with cutting but strength only goes so far. I use a greatsword and while strength help its more about finesse. it not how hard you hit but where you hit.

    But long stick with pointy end equals time to poke many times equals many holes or enough time to run.
    And form what unders tadn knights of the 14th 15 th centuries preferd the use of teh spear or the pollaxe from foot, so if a trained warrior class would pik a weapon Its good enough for me to see its merit.

    But Ive kinda already said this all previously.
     
  2. Stolenbjorn

    Stolenbjorn Valued Member

    Well, bringing a shield into the argument alters the odds somewhat; I've been comparing the broadsword vs. the spear, not the broadsword+shield vs. the spear.
     
  3. Stolenbjorn

    Stolenbjorn Valued Member

    Status; it's all about status and skill :D
    Status first:
    In Europe, the sword early got the status as the ultimate symbol of power and riches. Why? -Because it's damn hard to make!!! In the bronze age, you had to be a master to make one. Today, only a handfull in the entire world manages to make bronzeswords of the same quality as the bronze-age smiths with the "original" tools. My bet is that buying a sword in iron/bronze age is a bit like buying a Lamborghini Diablo today; we're talking serious penis-extention here :cool:

    In the iron age, things didn't improve much more. Any farmer could make a speartip in his farm-smithy, but to make a sword :cry:
    That's why japanese and norse ancient litterature is littered of semimagical tales of the abilities of swordmakers. Some of them still lives on thanks to weastern love for japan and Hollywood (the cutting of MG-pipes :bang: )

    Secondly; skill:
    If the man in the streat picks up a sword, he's gonna be dead in 3 seconds vs. an experienced weaponsuser. To operate a sword so well that you can survive takes years, somtning only nobility, professional soldiers or filthy rich people can uptake. I've trained for 3 years now, ca. 1/week, and it's not enough by far to become good enough to survive. Teenagers with basic motoric skills and no formal training with -say -a quarterstaff still manage to hit me fairly often.

    You say why the sword... Well did the nobility really use swords much in battles? The flail, mace and lance was used just as much. The sword used by footsoldiers ended around the 15th century -if not earlier (I'm talking about battles, here; for duels, the sword still survives.)
     
  4. Stolenbjorn

    Stolenbjorn Valued Member

    Interresting post. I just wants to mention that slashing-techniques are allso found in european renissanse combat manuals even if the speartips are leafshaped rather than sabre(/falchon)-shaped
     
  5. Stolenbjorn

    Stolenbjorn Valued Member

    I think that this is a right assumtion you make on the situation in feudal Europe
     
  6. Stolenbjorn

    Stolenbjorn Valued Member

    Well, from what little i know from what I'd call broadsword in european terms (cross-shaped crossguard, slightly stiletto-shaped, about 100cm long, approx. 1,2kg) is from the I-33-manual from 1290 That is a manual that have been discussed for 5 years now, and people still haven't got the hang of it, so defining european onehandswords as a 100hours weapon is a bit simple IMHO :Angel:
     

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