Of all melee weapons, the sword is the one that has captured the hearts of the public. The weapon of duelists even in places that preferred other weapons for way, there is something inherently special about the sword that makes it a staple of popular culture.

Whatever the reason, though, it is undeniable that the sword is the most common weapon when it comes to popular culture melee weapons. Be it the curved grace of the Japanese katana, or the simple efficiency of an Italian rapier, swords have a tendency to show up when you need to suitably epic duel.

But let's not ignore the other weapons of ages past. For example, the spear. Despite the somewhat weaker popularity of it in pop culture, it is a fact that a spear is almost universally considered superior to the sword; there is a saying that a swordsman most possess three times the skill of a man wielding a polearm to best him.

It is of course no surprise then that spears have served as the main weapons for armies since the dawn of human history. Almost every army has used spears as their main weapon of war, and for good reason: They are simple to produce, and have a brutal, simple efficiency that is almost impossible to match.

The last class of weapons, bludgeons, is overlooked even more often than polearms. But maces, warhammers, and flails all have their own uses, even if they aren't as graceful or pretty as the other weapons; their brutal efficiency simply cannot be ignored.

In particular, a bludgeoning weapon can have devastating effect when employed against armored foes. It is for this reason that at several points in history, western knights preferred maces and flails over swords as their sidearms.

Finally, lets give a bit of recognition to shields. While not strictly speaking a weapon, a shield is almost unmatched for value in a melee fight, even if they aren't particularly popular in modern movies and culture.

A well constructed shield can deflect almost any attack, and in the hands of a skilled fighter can even be used offensively to great effect. It may be popular in movies to wield two swords, but I'll take a shield over a second weapon any day.

That's all I have to say about melee weapons today. I hope you've learned a little about the weapons that defined our history for so many years, and that you give them at least a little respect even in a world with guns and bombs.

Want to read more from this author? Check out his blog, where I write about other things from Roman Swords to Armor Clothing, and other things else related to armor modern and ancient!

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