Poll: Choose your weapon!

[RelexCryo]

I'm tempted to go with a bow or a crossbow just for the range factor (I'm assuming that you didn't know about how long guns have existed and so they are out of the running...)

but I'm going to go for a sword without a shield. A Zweihänder to be more precise, from the renaissance, though it is often called the Greatsword in laymans terms.

Why?

Because I have some basic training with it. We are about to go to war and while the crossbow has a definitive advantage, reloading takes time and up close it is fairly useless as a melee weapon.

Of course if I could take two, then it would be the crossbow as main weapon, with an arming sword or a side-sword to go with it as close-range weaponry.

I already made a post about guns (and Fantasy Gun Control in general), as well as the OP's incorrect assumption that conscripts get armor.

 

[m.zajac]

There is a little overlap with Option #1 and Option #2 seeing as how a Bastard Sword is a Longsword, but nonetheless I'd choose a Morningstar and a Kite Shield.

 

[RicoADF]

Considering I've had no martial weapon training, I'd probably go with a crossbow. Any idiot can use one of those.

So would I, also I prefer to stay a distance from my enemy and pick them off.

 

[Summerstorm]

Depends... do i get an armor? I mean a REAL armor? If not than sword and shield, if yes, two-handed sword. Why? Because its the only thing i have at least a tiny bit of training in. I am not going into a fight with something i am horrible at.

If it is a formation-fight a nice longspear is good too though. And if i can stay back and do nothing: Bow is fine too *g*.

 

[flaming_squirrel]

What weapon do you take and why?

Bastard sword and longsword are essentially the same thing, you're not going to be using one with a shield.
Swords are really not a viable choice as a main weapon as they simply were not used as one when on foot (with a few exceptions), for infantry you'd be stuck with a polearm.

I'd take a poleaxe, very versatile.

 

[Vondrakenhof]

Since I've done some archery I'd have to go with the bow. Problem is, since you said you can only have one weapon I'd be screwed If anyone charged me. Every archer brings a back up weapon...

 

[AnarchistAbe]

Considering I've had no martial weapon training, I'd probably go with a crossbow. Any idiot can use one of those.

Yea, I'm gonna go ahead and agree. However, I'd take a longbow over a crossbow. I already know how to shoot one of those, and have decent accuracy as well.

 

[I Resurection I]

I would pick a long sword, with a dagger in my other hand. I classified that as sword type w/o shield.

 

[Eliam_Dar]

Sword with shield, close and personal, with a shiny armor. Hit with shield, finish with sword style. A shield could easily deflect an arrow or spear and open your oponents guard.

 

[Julianking93]

This:

Impractical? Yes.

Most likely useless in one on one combat? Yes.

Look like a badass using it? Fuck yeah!

 

[axle 19]

A claymore or broadsword. It has more than enough power with its two handed grip and allows me a fair amount of reach.

 

[HuntrRose]

Considering I've had no martial weapon training, I'd probably go with a crossbow. Any idiot can use one of those.

Crossbows are actually really difficult to use. You have to build up alot of muscle in your arms and such, Men who used them had alot of training from quite a young age generally.

Nope. The crossbows were "loaded" with a winch mechanism and were very easy to use. Drawback is seriously low rate of fire, as in about 1 shot every 1-2 min.

The longbow on the other hand, hard to use, but very high rate of fire.

OT: I'd take a Katana. Can be used as both a 1-handed and 2-handed sword. It's lightweight, compared to it's european counterparts, and let's fave it, it's just cooler!

Oh, and I'd also go for leather armor. None of that seriously heavy metal thingies for me. I'd rather avoid the blows than hope my armor stops them for me.

 

[Trivun]

I'd go for ranged. Reason? The English won pretty much every war that they were in, and managed to win most battles even when massively outnumbered (see Agincourt) simply because our young male children were trained, by law, to use a longbow from childhood. It was a legal requirement that every male above a certain age had to practise at the archery butts with a longbow (size increasing as they got older) for a certain amount of time per week. The result? Almost every English soldier was deadly with the bow and could wipe out masses of enemy troops with a few quick volleys, which is one of the ways we managed to win at Agincourt. If you had a crossbow as well for close quarters or indoor fighting, you were pretty much guaranteed to be on the winning side.

So yeah, ranged weaponry for me.

 

[Ze_Reaper_Of_Zeath]

Crossbow, **** everyone before they get to you. Unless, they run like some kinda mutated car, then your the one who's dead.

 

[Jark212]

A Pike, I'll be with 30 other idiots and no one will touch us...

 

[Abedeus]

Why would you want a shield (smaller than 20cm in diameter, a circle) with a rapier? They're meant for fast and agile combat, not slashing and hacking.

I'm going to go with a huge war hammer. Or a sledgehammer. Or "Horseman's pick". Or a morning star.

Polish pick:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Polish_Horseman%27s_picks_from_XVII_century.PNG

Another Polish weapon, this time a flail:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Cep_bojowy_0211.jpg

Morning star?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Klassischer-Flegel.jpg

All awesome and superior to swords in armored combat.

Crossbow, **** everyone before they get to you. Unless, they run like some kinda mutated car, then your the one who's dead.

You miss, and by the time you reload, everyone will be at your feet, ready to crush your head open.

 

[iJosh]

Rapier.

 

[Abedeus]

I'd go for ranged. Reason? The English won pretty much every war that they were in, and managed to win most battles even when massively outnumbered (see Agincourt) simply because our young male children were trained, by law, to use a longbow from childhood. It was a legal requirement that every male above a certain age had to practise at the archery butts with a longbow (size increasing as they got older) for a certain amount of time per week. The result? Almost every English soldier was deadly with the bow and could wipe out masses of enemy troops with a few quick volleys, which is one of the ways we managed to win at Agincourt. If you had a crossbow as well for close quarters or indoor fighting, you were pretty much guaranteed to be on the winning side.

So yeah, ranged weaponry for me.

Weird, Agrincourt. I've learned about it as "Azincourt", but whatever.

England won because they had archers, yes. But France lost, because they had crossbows instead of normal bows. While they had 100m range advantage over the archers, the English could fire 5 arrows in the same time a French archer would fire 1 bolt.

The English didn't use crossbows.

 

[ShrooM_DoughKiD]

My weapon of choice; Epic Type; Warhammer.

Reason: I can probably kill most enemies with a single blow, or if all else fails, just crumple their armor to their body so they can never get out of it.

 

[Frungy]

Nice oaken quarterstaff. Versitile, easy to wield, and I won't get exhausted in the first 10 minutes of battle like all the morons carrying heavier weapons. Remember that in any metal weapon was mostly pig iron, which is heavy as hell. The more iron, the heavier the weapon, and medieval battles weren't afternoon tea affairs, you were there for the whole bloody day.

Also I prefer the quarterstaff since it's a nice balance between offensive and defensive, and since my personal objective for the day (and bugger my Lord's objectives) is to stay alive I'd like something that keeps me breathing. As for arrows and shields... *sigh* even a medieval longbow shot would go straight through the wooden shield you'd be carrying, so there's no real defense against arrow fire. All you have to do is find someone in a red shirt and stand next to them and hope they attract all the arrows.

Oh... and as for clothing, no red shirts and definitely brown pants.