Medieval Weapons

Whenever we imagine medieval battles we often think of knights and soldiers charging into battle while brandishing their sword and shield. The sword and shield became so well known that people started to look at it as being cliché, and started to think that other more exotic weapons, like chains, maces, and two handed axes were more potent in battle. But the truth is, a sword and shield, in terms of offensive and defensive potency, cannot be beat. There are other weapon combinations that might have more offense or more defense than a sword, but none that have the same powerful combination of both.

Within the standard sword shield combination, the sword acts as both an offensive and defensive weapon, slashing at the enemy while also having the capacity to parry oncoming attacks. The shield is mostly used for defense, and a strong shield combined with a smart wielder can block even the most powerful bludgeoning attack (which would have an advantage over a sword alone). The shield can also be used for offense, as the sword parries an attack from the opponent, the wielder can use the shield to bash or push the opponent backwards. Because of this, the sword and shield, while standard and cliché, is near unbeatable in melee combat to this day.

Unlike a broadsword, short sword, or side sword, the rapier features a thin blade that is used for thrusting rather than slashing. The rapier acts as a piercing weapon, and was as a lightweight combat alternative to other swords during the 16th and 17th centuries. The rapier features a complex hilt that covers the hand and protects it from slashing weapons, while the blade is long and thin, and can be sharpened along its entire length or just at the tip. In addition, certain variations of the rapier exist, such as the estoc, which is a rapier without a cutting edge. The estoc is quite unique in that it was like a rapier, but intended to be used with both hands (though one handed estocs exist as well). Thus the estoc functioned more like a more precise rendition of the long spear than a sword. While estocs weren’t weapons of finesse, rapier swords were. The rapier was preferred by sword masters. Rapiers were often utilized in duels, and were renowned as a blade that could provide offense and defense without requiring a companion sword or shield.

Today, most European fencers still train with rapier like swords, and the swords that most people imagine in fencing competition are thrusting swords like the rapier. Rapier fencing is in stark contrast to other fencing techniques such as Kendo, which relies on a slashing weapon.