One-handed swords
Jul. 20th, 2021 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talkswithwindA taxonomy of one-handed swords. Once you get to two-handers, you've got a long and narrow axe.
Short and stabby
The go-to sword for ages in temperate and cold environments, because soldiers wore armor (cold climates mean they wouldn't over-heat) and stabbing works better than slashing for getting past armor.
Short and slashy
Weapon of choice for nobs with horses, because they can hit you with it while at a full gallop and still keep the sword.
Also the go-to weapon for anyone who is on an unstable surface, like the deck of a ship, where precision stabbing isn't going to work.
If you're in a warm to hot climate this weapon is your go-to because the heat means most people aren't wearing armor. This, by the way, is why you get such amazing swords from places like Africa, the Indian sub-continent, and south-east Asia.
Long and stabby
The go-to sword of choice for nobs looking to kill other knobs in the streets, because guns are total bummers with no art to their use.
Long and slashy
The weapon of choice for people from traditional horse cultures, but are now nobs that needs something that looks like it could be used from a horse but probably shouldn't.
Most of the yes, but... from this is probably answered with:
They really are. That extra hand changes so much of the mechanics of sword usage
But I'm not joking. Climate is why you get such beautiful and seemingly strange swords from hot climates, where in cold old Europe we had a thousand years stabby infantry swords and slashy cavalry sabers.
Short and stabby
The go-to sword for ages in temperate and cold environments, because soldiers wore armor (cold climates mean they wouldn't over-heat) and stabbing works better than slashing for getting past armor.
Short and slashy
Weapon of choice for nobs with horses, because they can hit you with it while at a full gallop and still keep the sword.
Also the go-to weapon for anyone who is on an unstable surface, like the deck of a ship, where precision stabbing isn't going to work.
If you're in a warm to hot climate this weapon is your go-to because the heat means most people aren't wearing armor. This, by the way, is why you get such amazing swords from places like Africa, the Indian sub-continent, and south-east Asia.
Long and stabby
The go-to sword of choice for nobs looking to kill other knobs in the streets, because guns are total bummers with no art to their use.
Long and slashy
The weapon of choice for people from traditional horse cultures, but are now nobs that needs something that looks like it could be used from a horse but probably shouldn't.
Most of the yes, but... from this is probably answered with:
That's a hand-and-a-half sword, which is different.
They really are. That extra hand changes so much of the mechanics of sword usage
But I'm not joking. Climate is why you get such beautiful and seemingly strange swords from hot climates, where in cold old Europe we had a thousand years stabby infantry swords and slashy cavalry sabers.
