what is the superior melee weapon - Page 5

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - what is the superior melee weapon (Page 5 of 8)

Posted: 12/31/2016 11:32:08 AM EDT

[#1]

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Think of the pole arm like a rifle, and the sword like a pistol.

If you know there's gonna be a fight, bring your pole arm, and your friends who have pole arms, and bring shields, and use formations. But people didn't and/or wouldn't carry around a spear all the time. A sword is worn item and is manageable to have at all times.

So to me, the superior weapon is the one you have on you when you need it. How many of us conceal carry a rifle? Why not, it is the superior weapon after all.

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If ASP made a collapsible halberd....

Posted: 12/31/2016 11:34:48 AM EDT

[#2]

Trench club FTW.

Posted: 12/31/2016 11:47:12 AM EDT

[#3]

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Not much good for CQB.

Try clearing a house with an 8 foot spear.

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Quoted:
I'd say realistically an 8ft spear would be your best bet. It provides a great stand off distance from your enemy and has to be fairly easy to use as a novice.

Not much good for CQB.

Try clearing a house with an 8 foot spear.

It's a post apocalyptic world. Burn the house down.

Posted: 12/31/2016 11:50:31 AM EDT

[#4]

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Why clear a house when you can set it on fire?

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Dang it, beat.

Posted: 12/31/2016 11:55:47 AM EDT

[#5]

Posted: 12/31/2016 11:58:27 AM EDT

[#6]

Mac 11/9

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:00:16 PM EDT

[#7]

I'm kinda torn between my choices here at home.

I have Claymores and Two-handers,
they are not bad in CQC when you choke up on them.

A Klingon Bat'leth is formidable,but quite "weildy"...but versatile as well.

Got a Spear with a double edged blade about 10" long and 6" wide at the base,and several "hooking and cutting" edges,that also breaks down into 2 half sections,
so the Head section is used for stabbing and slashing,and the other half becomes a parry/club weapon.
Is about 6' long.

Always wanted a Flail and Viking "bearded" axe and hatchet.

The sword and spear, as well as a shield of Leonidas and the Spartans could suffice I suppose...

Warhammers are cool.
Poleaxe as well.

The Stanley "FUBAR" Demo tool is up there too.

Got a couple Demarini aluminum bats that with some "mods" could be do-able...

A Daisho and Katana (Wakizashi?) set may work.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:01:50 PM EDT

[#8]

30" length of 34.5kv 500 mcm cable.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:08:37 PM EDT

[#9]

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Holy shi'ite, dude, you folks in Okieland really know how to party.

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the history of Oklahoma is a violent one.
combine unstable, drugged out mexican gang members and Okies with 4-5 generations of hostile genetics and the drug involvement of today and shit gets real.

my friends in Law Enforcement in the northern states text me all the time about our criminals here and how they go full on rogue.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:11:28 PM EDT

[#10]

Spear vs Sword and Buckler Nick vs Mike Sparring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8RWLxlzTiM

These guys train in these weapons, there are sparring vids of them with alotta mixes of weapons.

Really comes down to skill, there's some guys defeating guys with swords with daggers. The katana held up better than I thought against the longsword.
Once skill is taken out of it, reach becomes very important.

The spear's reach makes it pretty hard to beat.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:19:14 PM EDT

[#11]

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Did B or C survive?

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neither survived
B was pretty much a DOA ( in OKC and Tulsa, if the body is warm, its transported to one of the trauma facilities)
C died just before we could get him into surgery if I remember correctly, or he died in surgery.

B was split...
bone and meat- just split down toward the bottom of the sternum.

I forgot to mention that patient C was actually the brother of a employee I hired about 6-8 years later. she said , she- he and neighborhood teenagers were in the front yard bullshitting and one of them was the boy next door, he got pissed about something and went inside. she stated they didn't pay much attention to him and he came back about 5 minutes later and they noticed he had the Broadsword and before anyone could do anything he walked fast up to her brother and ran him thru with the sword almost to the handle then had to take 2 steps back to pull it out.

her brother collasped into their arms and the kid ran off.

that hole was massive

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:25:02 PM EDT

[#12]

Spear. Middle length - like the Greek's Dory .

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:30:36 PM EDT

[#13]

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Not all sabres are cavalry. Infantry sabres are lighter and more nimble. Rapiers are long, heavy, and have very little cutting ability. A sabre is a better all around tool.

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Quoted:
Not all sabres are cavalry. Infantry sabres are lighter and more nimble. Rapiers are long, heavy, and have very little cutting ability. A sabre is a better all around tool.

Infantry sabers were basically ornamental. I think what you want is a shamshir/scimitar with a basket hilt. They aren't horrible and have some attributes that help vs a straight blade (like being able to reverse and thrust around a shield) but I don't think that those minor bonus' change that they were primarily slashing from horseback weapons like most curved blades.

Rapiers were the pinnacle weapons vs unarmored opponents, however it is not without its pitfalls. Basically just a stabbing weapon, little to no heft behind it, and needing more time per opponent since you can rarely deliver decisive blows.

All this being said I would take a thin bladed hand and a half sword which would allow big heavy cuts but still be fairly nimble. I think it would be the best overall.

Quoted:

Good points, but how many in this day and age are going to be even halfway proficient with a sword? In untrained hands they are sometimes more deadly to the user than the
intended target.

I own a weapon that was historically easily handled and required little to no training. My Cold Steel Warhammer is no heavier than my 32 oz. framing hammer
with a hell of a lot more reach and much more smashing power. The hammer head is much less likely to stick or lodge in an opponent, also.

Anybody can beat someone up/to death with a club/bat/Warhammer/mace........ever see little kids go to town on a piñata? Nobody has taught them shit. it's natural.

I wish I knew how to wield a sword, but my peasant roots fight it.

You are absolutely right with your post, but so am I with mine.

They sent the peasantry to fight with swords as well. It's really not a huge skillset to use most European blades, basically 8 attacking gestures and their subsequent blocks. Katana's and other single edge curved swords need significantly more practice to use effectively. Clubs and bats can bash their way through things but they require (by nature of the weapon) immense force to deal damage which means either a small light and fast or a large heavy and slow weapon. When framing hammer meets similarly skilled guy with a sword the sword is going to come out on top, there is a reason framing hammers didn't make front line useage. Hell hammers and maces were inferior until the frequency of plate mail made them more effective, same with things like the lucerne hammer, halberd, and bec de corbin.

One really interesting weapon would be something like a cut down naginata, a spear with a long blade on the end. Useless indoors but it would have a lot of attributes that would effectively put you on top of most encounters. Again, special weapons mean that finding someone proficient with them is going to be a 1 in a million chance.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:42:04 PM EDT

[#14]

I would have a spear/halberd type weapon with a shield and a spiked warhammer as my short range weapon.

Swords are the superior weapon, but, without training and practice,you will most likely just injure yourself. Which is why my arms would start the way I mentioned and I would be practicing with a wooden sword to develop skills.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:42:10 PM EDT

[#15]

Here is a HEMA master talking about stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qJBGlChcXU&feature=youtu.be

Youtube linking stuff not working.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:42:53 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
so you find yourself in a post apocalyptic world with severely limited ammo availability...
you can use your firearms and bows, but need a melee weapon for protection.
what is the superior option?
a sword? a long spear? short spear? tomahawk? axe?

this thread is brought to you by game of thrones (which has me wanting a spear)

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Depends.
I would go with a long and a short samurai sword, relatively light, quick and sharp. I took kendo and fencing. Medieval two-handed sword is way too heavy, might as well use a battle ax. Civil War sabre or medieval epee are okay. Blade is light and quick. It's shorter than a medieval double-handed sword and longer than a Spartan one-handed sword. Can't parry a heavy sword so your defensive game is out the door if you encounter a guy with a heavier blade than yours. Don't even try to parry a heavier blade.
Long spear is good if you also have hand-to-hand combat training because if your opponent can get beyond the tip of the spear, then it's close-quarters battle and you could be stabbed. The plus is you have distance if your knife-fighting skills aren't good.
Short spear, not bad, it is light and quick, but doesn't give you as much distance as a long spear. It can double as a javelin and fishing spear if you want to spear fish in a river.
Tomahawk or kama (Japanese ax) is lighter than an ax and the damage factor, if you make contact, is pretty good, but it doesn't have parrying capabilities like a spear or sword. You can throw it too.
Ax, much slower than a tomahawk, or samurai sword, but is like a double-handed medieval sword. One cut usually maims your opponent. You have to start with both arms back like chopping a tree so you are telegraphing your attack. The follow through gives your opponent plenty of time to counter-attack if you miss.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:49:44 PM EDT

[#17]

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Quoted:
Depends.
I would go with a long and a short samurai sword, relatively light, quick and sharp. I took kendo and fencing. Medieval two-handed sword is way too heavy, might as well use a battle ax. Civil War sabre or medieval epee are okay. Blade is light and quick. It's shorter than a medieval double-handed sword and longer than a Spartan one-handed sword. Can't parry a heavy sword so your defensive game is out the door if you encounter a guy with a heavier blade than yours. Don't even try to parry a heavier blade.

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Katana and a longsword are almost equal in weight but hand protection and blade length both give the londsword an edge (pun intended). Longswords are not some big clunky weapon.

Posted: 12/31/2016 12:56:41 PM EDT

[#18]

With a proper pole arm, you can hack like an axe, stab like a spear, slash like a sword, and hook. Plus you have more reach. Pole arms can be short 3-4 feet, or as long as 8-12 feet. On open ground a 4-8 foot would be good, indoors 3-5 feet. All the benefits of sword, axe, spear and hook.

The simple reason why most cultures ( Japanese, Chinese, European) evolved toward pole arms as the primary weapon is because they worked better than anything else. Swords and other weapons were backup to a pole arm, just as a pistol is backup to a long gun.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:01:09 PM EDT

[#19]

I have two original Zulu assegai hanging on my wall. A friend got them for me from a collector in South Africa. They are very interesting weapons, but I think I'd prefer my Cold Steel Viking hand axe. The assegai would be nice with a cow hide shield to hide behind, and was formidable in the days of single shot rifles and mass attacks. The hand axe would double as a tool as well as a weapon.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:08:36 PM EDT

[#20]

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the history of Oklahoma is a violent one.
combine unstable, drugged out mexican gang members and Okies with 4-5 generations of hostile genetics and the drug involvement of today and shit gets real.

my friends in Law Enforcement in the northern states text me all the time about our criminals here and how they go full on rogue.

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Lot of truth in that. Grew up in the "code of honor" south where insults that would be considered casual in NY often ended in semi-serious fights. Got sent to a tech school in Oklahoma City and saw more bar fights in two months than I'd seen in my previous lifetime. Armed folks going full power over drunk, trivial shit. Close runner-up was Darwin, Australia, but those guys were so hammered they never seemed to inflict too much damage.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:11:08 PM EDT

[#21]

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I've been told that a spear is a superior weapon to a sword, but I'm curious why.
it makes sense that a spear is better to the untrained user, but what about a expert with a spear VS. an expert with a sword?

would the spear still win? it does have a longer reach...

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Ask Gregor Clegane which is better. Martell owned his ass until he got all mouthy and got his grape popped.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:11:24 PM EDT

[#22]

Simple, efficient, effective, and you can dual wield.

Attached File

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:12:27 PM EDT

[#23]

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Quoted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8RWLxlzTiM

These guys train in these weapons, there are sparring vids of them with alotta mixes of weapons.

Really comes down to skill, there's some guys defeating guys with swords with daggers. The katana held up better than I thought against the longsword.
Once skill is taken out of it, reach becomes very important.

The spear's reach makes it pretty hard to beat.

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Ok, after only about halfway through that vid the advantage of spear over sword is pretty evident.
Seems the only way to land a strike with a sword vs spear is to kinda "throw yerself " in there with total disregard for your own safety.
The only strikes landed by the sword also drew strikes from the spear. While the spear seemed to at least make contact with every encounter.
If a guy is trained with a sword he may survive against a spear,
If a guy is trained with a spear.....he gonna fuck you up!

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:13:19 PM EDT

[#24]

In a melee, where a spear is way too long and unwieldy, your flail will reign supreme.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:16:49 PM EDT

[#25]

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Lot of truth in that. Grew up in the "code of honor" south where insults that would be considered casual in NY often ended in semi-serious fights. Got sent to a tech school in Oklahoma City and saw more bar fights in two months than I'd seen in my previous lifetime. Armed folks going full power over drunk, trivial shit. Close runner-up was Darwin, Australia, but those guys were so hammered they never seemed to inflict too much damage.

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people are shocked when they first move here, that talking trash will result in serious confrontations.
where I grew up you knew very well how serious these situations were and never crossed that line.

just looking at someone will cause a brutal fight in some instances.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:17:08 PM EDT

[#26]

I made this from a pipe and some scraps when my son asked me if I knew what a mace was. I don't think I would want to get hit by it.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:19:37 PM EDT

[#27]

I would say a sword just because you might scare off your attackers when you draw it. That's what a friend of mine did overseas when people were trying to break into his place.

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Pole arms and archery ruled the pre-gunpowder battlefield.

Swords make for awesome visuals on film.

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That's because they were cheap and worked better in ancient military formations.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:21:09 PM EDT

[#28]

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Swedish M1685 Rapier. It's been used to kill Papists, Turks, Slavs, Danes and many more. It's proven.

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a much better choice than a katana, who its whole purpose was to kill unarmed farm workers..

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:22:11 PM EDT

[#29]

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I made this from a pipe and some scraps when my son asked me if I knew what a mace was. I don't think I would want to get hit by it.

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You should make an "Apocalyptic Steampunk Armory" website and sell those to neckbeards.

I'm dead serious, people will buy stupid shit like that.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:25:10 PM EDT

[#30]

Spear for out in the open and sword for indoors.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:26:47 PM EDT

[#31]

Ko Katana.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:26:50 PM EDT

[#32]

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You guys are all stupid.

Flamethrower FTW.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w5tFAb53VwA/maxresdefault.jpg

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You do know what melee means right?

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:34:19 PM EDT

[#33]

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Ok, after only about halfway through that vid the advantage of spear over sword is pretty evident.
Seems the only way to land a strike with a sword vs spear is to kinda "throw yerself " in there with total disregard for your own safety.
The only strikes landed by the sword also drew strikes from the spear. While the spear seemed to at least make contact with every encounter.
If a guy is trained with a sword he may survive against a spear,
If a guy is trained with a spear.....he gonna fuck you up!

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Or in a 1v1 situation you just hack down his spear. Even stout hardwood shafts are going start snapping after being hit a few times. If the swordsman is smart he will ignore the user and focus on disabling the weapon. Spears are fun with friends and a good choice against novices and as a novice.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:37:00 PM EDT

[#34]

Smatchet

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:37:43 PM EDT

[#35]

I can't believe no one has mentioned a blackjack or sap yet.

Simple, concealable, aand very effective.

I would also want just. a simple Ka-Bar and some sort of staff or pole arm.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:38:20 PM EDT

[#36]

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Or in a 1v1 situation you just ~~hack down his spear~~ get stabbed.

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FIFY.

Polearm > sword. Swords are for movies.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:45:21 PM EDT

[#37]

Naginata

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:52:35 PM EDT

[#38]

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Naginata

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Naginata are what happened when a Samurai's sword broke. They'd take what was left of the broken blade and tie it to the end of a stick.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:54:40 PM EDT

[#39]

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Naginata are what happened when a Samurai's sword broke. They'd take what was left of the broken blade and tie it to the end of a stick.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Naginata

Naginata are what happened when a Samurai's sword broke. They'd take what was left of the broken blade and tie it to the end of a stick.

The samurai's sword was the backup of the backup weapon.

Posted: 12/31/2016 1:54:45 PM EDT

[#40]

A more entertaining discussion might be what would be a readily available, durable, and novice-useful for the off hand?

Herbies have mostly replaced metal trashcans, so that is off the table

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:13:00 PM EDT

[#41]

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He suggested a flamethrower with a 1.5L tank that has a range of 20ft, if there is no wind, with a full burn time of 32 seconds (give or take) - that also requires butane for the pilot flame and electricity to recharge the sparker battery and pump.

All of which would be a bitch to find or maintain in a post apocalyptic world...

We're obviously dealing with a "special" person... So don't give him too hard of a time.

Carry on Corky. You're doing a good job little buddy.

You see, I never thought of that. It would be quite a chunk of aluminum when empty... It would probably cave in a skull quite easily.

I apologize for my hasty criticism.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
You guys are all stupid.

Flamethrower FTW.

what part of "melee weapon" did you not understand?

He suggested a flamethrower with a 1.5L tank that has a range of 20ft, if there is no wind, with a full burn time of 32 seconds (give or take) - that also requires butane for the pilot flame and electricity to recharge the sparker battery and pump.

All of which would be a bitch to find or maintain in a post apocalyptic world...

We're obviously dealing with a "special" person... So don't give him too hard of a time.

Carry on Corky. You're doing a good job little buddy.

Quoted:

You want to get hit with that thing upside the noggin?

You see, I never thought of that. It would be quite a chunk of aluminum when empty... It would probably cave in a skull quite easily.

I apologize for my hasty criticism.

I'm geeky enough to be reading way too far into this thread than any self righteous man should, but are you ultra geeks really arguing bout this?
Realistically? Most of you LARPERS don't even own half the shit your posting. If shit went down tonight, what do you actually own that fits this threads intent? Me? I have some mean ass cleavers in the kitchen with 550 cord lanyards and a 14" Cutco butcher knife. Baseball bats, hickory and madrone walking sticks. Y'know, real stuff. Not mail order fantasy playthings.

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:14:59 PM EDT

[#42]

... rubber chicken

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:17:50 PM EDT

[#43]

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Quoted:

Or in a 1v1 situation you just hack down his spear. Even stout hardwood shafts are going start snapping after being hit a few times. If the swordsman is smart he will ignore the user and focus on disabling the weapon. Spears are fun with friends and a good choice against novices and as a novice.

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I'd worry about getting poked trying that. I'd say best way to win is getting past the point to put the guy down.

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:19:24 PM EDT

[#44]

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You should make an "Apocalyptic Steampunk Armory" website and sell those to neckbeards.

I'm dead serious, people will buy stupid shit like that.

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Yeah. I paid off my welder in a few weeks making Christmas trees or of horseshoes for crazy women at work (I'm an RN)

The thing is, it is super-inexpensive to make. The only PITA part is cutting the smash blades out of 1/4" plate.

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:25:25 PM EDT

[#45]

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You guys are all stupid.

Flamethrower FTW.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w5tFAb53VwA/maxresdefault.jpg

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I really want one of those!

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:25:44 PM EDT

[#46]

History tells us that across all cultures, when shit needed to get done the swords were left in their scabbards and spears (or polearms) were the actual go-to weapons of war and hunting.

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:26:28 PM EDT

[#47]

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I always liked the concept of a mace...
https://i0.wp.com/www.publicmedievalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Flail-1-ball-91-p.jpg?resize=800%2C521

Just seems super effective.

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I prefer pepper spray over mace myself.

I remember when I was young and started D and D, I thought when a player used Mace, it was the spray kind!

Posted: 12/31/2016 2:31:44 PM EDT

[#48]

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No, it's not. As such the last swords used by sword fighters when armor was not used and firearms were limited was the rapier. The cavalry saber was meant for ride-by attacks to increase swing while on horseback, so unless you are a master rider I would probably put some big clunky saber away. It is good for it's purpose, nothing more. Same with maces and war hammers, great against armor but heavy and unwieldy otherwise. Also, unless you spear folks are going to pal around with 50 of your closest friends to make a shield wall and spears to support it I would go with something better, like a sword.

Swords were the pinnacle of melee fighting because they were adaptable, had the ability to cut, stab, and bash if needed, and had the largest striking zones of hand weapons. Hitting anywhere with the two sharpened planes of attack and you will do some damage, unlike spears/maces/hammers/axes/etc. You all really need to brush up on your melee weapons.

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