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How effective are swords?
They were particularly effective against cavalry, so long as the cavalry attacked from the front. Where swords remained particularly effective is as a cavalry weapon, particularly the sabre. Light and one-handed, you could slash at your enemies from above while still controlling your horse.
Are swords effective today?
Swords are spectacularly ineffective for modern combat. No, as an effective battlefield weapon they are long obsolete. Hand to hand combat, in spite of what you may see in the movies, has been pretty rare since the development of the rifle as an effective battlefield weapon.
Are swords a good weapon?
A properly designed sword with things like a proper crossguard, sharp point, balanced pommel, and ergonomic grip is a wonderful weapon that can be used in lots of ways. They also need less strength to use than polearms or mallets, although swords on their own aren’t too much good without shields.
How effective is a spear as a weapon?
In formation you need a very high concentration of spear points two handed to be effective. These can compete with sword and shield effectively. For the most of history spear was most used and most useful weapon. Swords were expensive, required more training and could be used only for war.
Do you prefer a spear and shield or a sword/hand weapon?
That being said, in battles with mock weapons, I have found a sword/hand weapon and shield a better combo than a spear and shield as the spear and shield is more unwieldy and is easily grappled. But a spear by itself or a longer polearm is often more deadly than either, due to the fighting styles.
How did the spearmen protect themselves from Swordsmen?
If they went to close quarters they would step on the spear shaft to shorten the spear into an Assegai. Like said already, one on one a swordsman cab get inside a spear, but a team of Spearmen could protect each other from swordsmen. One of the other main advantages of spears were that they were great for anti-cavalry.
What is the difference between a spear/shield and a longsword?
The problem with spear/shield vs longsword is that it can be very difficult to damage the spear because spears can be retracted and thrust very quickly. Against a one-handed sword the spear would have a great reach advantage. As far as I know, a spear is not usually the weapon used by a skilled fighter.