What was the most effective melee weapon?

Originally Answered: What is the most effective melee weapon ever created? The poleaxe! It was one of the few weapons which would kill a man through full plate armour. It has a spike for thrusting, a hammer for crushing and an axe for chopping.

What swords were used on horseback?

What are the best weapons for combat?

Spear and Shield.

What is weapon lance?

lance, spear used by cavalry for mounted combat. It usually consisted of a long wooden shaft with a sharp metal point. Its employment can be traced to the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians, and it was widely used by the Greeks and Romans, despite their lack of the stirrup, which did not appear until the 6th century ad.

What melee weapon does the military use?

These modern melee weapons are Combat Knife, Club/Baton, Firearms, and the Tomahawk. Imperial Combat Arts has a long military history that ranges from ancient warriors to modern military soldiers.

Do soldiers carry melee weapons?

Yes, grandes of various sorts have a history extending back hundreds of years, so I do count them as melee weapons. I know of one unit that carried and used custom made tomahawks, though these were unit-specific and not government issue.

Can you use a polearm on horseback?

Polearms generally have a longer reach than other melee weapons, and are highly effective both on a horse and against horses. Once an enemy closes distance, polearms lose their effectiveness, so high athletics or fighting on horseback is essential for maintaining distance.

How difficult is it to use a weapon on horseback?

The other folks have given good answers, and your basic intuition is correct: using a weapon in two hands on horseback is difficult and unwieldy. It’s not impossible (I can think of some examples from antiquity), but certainly in the Middle Ages, cavalry in plate armor seem to have preferred to use their weapons one-handed when possible.

Is a rapier the best weapon for duels?

A rapier in the hand is good. A rapier in one hand and a dagger in the other is better. There is no catch-all super sword that beats everything. I know this is an old cliché but it’s true: the best weapon depends on context. For this experiment, I assume this is for unmounted 1-on-1 duels in a wide open space, gladiator style.

Which melee weapon is the most demanding to learn?

Of all melee weapons, rapier and dagger is arguably the most demanding. Requires incredible strength and skill and years of training to reach proficiency. Much less effective against heavily-armoured opponents. Extremely quick and versatile in capable hands.

When stabbing from horseback in a charge with a sword?

When stabbing from horseback in a charge with a sword or spear, do any tactics try to withdraw and retain the weapon, or is it generally released if stuck in a target? Fortunately we know from written sources AND from video evidence as late as WWI how cavalry was trained for this