The most versatile medieval melee weapon is the halberd

[Brawndo]

Note: not troll baiting.

The halberd, which is distinct from a pike, is easily the most versatile hand-to-hand weapon ever created. Why? Looking at the halberd in the picture, this weapon has no fewer than six "fighting points":

1) Spear point
2) Axe head (some variants replace this with a hammerhead)
3) Rear beak/hook
4) Underside of the axe head (which could be used to disarm opponents or pull horsemen off their mounts)
5) Side of the shaft to push and strike opponents
6) (Not-pictured) Most halberds had a pommel at the base of the shaft that acted as a counter-weight and could also be used as a bludgeon

This is far more than any other medieval weapon; for example, the typical sword only has three - the point, the blade, and the pommel on the grip (four if you count the flat of the blade, but that's not really practical). In addition, at 5-6 feet the halberd has superior range to swords, axes, and maces, and yet is not so long that it loses its maneuverability in close quarters (like pikes, which were often 10-18 feet long).

Also, from personal experience the halberd is not as heavy as it might seem. I am bad at estimating weight, but I had no problem wielding a genuine replica at the medieval faire, and I am only an average sized person (5'10, 180 lbs).

 

[tomtom94]

And yet the Halberdier in Age of Wonders II was a basic level Human unit with only the ability to always get the First Strike.

That was the first thing that came into my head.

Besides, what really IS the discussion here? All I know about medieval weapons is what got taught on Braniac: History Abuse. And that's hardly a fount of knowledge.

 

[Brawndo]

And yet the Halberdier in Age of Wonders II was a basic level Human unit with only the ability to always get the First Strike.

That was the first thing that came into my head.

Besides, what really IS the discussion here? All I know about medieval weapons is what got taught on Braniac: History Abuse. And that's hardly a fount of knowledge.

Fantasy game where the enemies include dragons, orcs, and angels of death. And the Halberdier in Battle for Wesnoth was an elite level Loyalist unit. And the discussion here is me having nerd time about weapons. Don't like it, leave.

 

[smearyllama]

Ok.
I submit to your greater knowledge of medieval weaponry.

Actually, though, if I were tasked with arming an army against a large-scale zombie war, I would test the effectiveness of armored halberd-using units as a close combat solution.

 

[Grand_Arcana]

You may very well be right, but every time I've heard about the halberd (till now of course) it's been "It's not all that it's cracked up to be."

EDIT: I will say that the halberd is one of the few medieval weapons with the sole purpose for taking human life, much like the sword.

 

[Apocalypse Tank]

too bad the Swiss army knife was invented

 

[nunqual]

Sure, it's got a lot of pointy parts, but it seems like it would be terrible at close-combat.

 

[Zacharine]

One should however note that versatility does not automatically mean it is better in it's intended function. Which in the case of weaponry is to kill the target as swiftly and efficiently as possible without sacrificing defensibility.

Every weapon is a compromise of factors. In the case of the halberg, we start with a spear. Take a longer haft, you increase range at the cost of weight and agility, as well as usability on short range. Make one end have an axe imbedded to it, you increase the cost, the weight and make it disproportionately heavy on one end.

The Halberg is one of the few more succesfull amalgations of two weapons - the spear and the axe. But in the end it is still a pole-arm - with all the advantages and disadvantages of such. The disadvantages however are highlighted by the added extra metal bits to the business end. While the added advantage is in my mind fairly minor.

Yes, it is somewhat versatile. It is somewhat succesfull at killing people. It is however still the abstard child of two weapons and as such hardly optimized. It is certainly better than nothing, but personally if I'd have to take a pole-arm as a weapon I'd choose a simpler steel-tipped spear over the halberg any day. There simply comes a point where greater versatility comes at too great a cost to the basic function.

 

[ImperialSunlight]

@Apocalypse
The Swiss Army Knife is not a mideival weapon

Zweihanders are pretty versitile too when they have the spikes (for lack of a better word) on the side.
They can:
1)Impale with the end
2)Cut with the side
3)Stab w/ spikes on the blade
4)Hilt
5)Flat

 

[Je Suis Ubermonkey]

Yeah, yeah, they're great. Except for the fact that being able to do everything means not doing any specific thing as well as another weapon could. And if you get inside the guard of the wielder he is dead, period.

Oh, and you can't hold a shield with those things taking up both hands. Say hello to my longbow.

So in terms of versatility on its own yes, you're right, but it means you can't have a secondary weapon or shield in your other hand, thereby reducing overall versatility, and versatility isn't at all important if you employ decent tactics anyway.

 

[ImperialSunlight]

@Je Suis Ubermonkey
In Demon's Souls you could use a sheild w/ a halberd. Not saying that its relevant to the real middle ages but clearly we are somewhat talking about video games.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I always thought the bastard sword was a good weapon. It's light enough to wield with one hand and a shield but heavy enough to cause massive damage when used with both hands.

It's called the 'hand and a half sword' for a reason.

 

[Bohemian Waltz]

In a combat situation you might be correct, but in terms of overall versatility I'd probably stand behind the axe-hammer. When you're not hurting people with it you can use it for everything else.

 

[Ghengis John]

Besides, what really IS the discussion here? All I know about medieval weapons is what got taught on Braniac: History Abuse. And that's hardly a fount of knowledge.

The discussion is on Soul Calibur IV's Hilde. Broken or not?

 

[manaman]

And yet the Halberdier in Age of Wonders II was a basic level Human unit with only the ability to always get the First Strike.

That was the first thing that came into my head.

Besides, what really IS the discussion here? All I know about medieval weapons is what got taught on Braniac: History Abuse. And that's hardly a fount of knowledge.

Fantasy game where the enemies include dragons, orcs, and angels of death. And the Halberdier in Battle for Wesnoth was an elite level Loyalist unit. And the discussion here is me having nerd time about weapons. Don't like it, leave.

With comments like that I find it no wonder you are on probation.

What the other user was getting takes a bit of understanding about these forums. Threads are for discussion, if you wanted to make a thread asking people about their favorite medieval weapons go for it. However what you posted as a thread would be better as a post on a more broad topic.

 

[Steve Fidler]

@Apocalypse
The Swiss Army Knife is not a mideival weapon

Zweihanders are pretty versitile too when they have the spikes (for lack of a better word) on the side.
They can:
1)Impale with the end
2)Cut with the side
3)Stab w/ spikes on the blade
4)Hilt
5)Flat

I believe the intended purpose of a Zweihander is to lob the legs off of charging horses, and break ranks of Pole-arm using infantry. The spikes on a Zweihander are actually meant to be a second hilt, for half-swording, and are not common on the blade.

Considering one of the primary purposes of a Zweihander is to remove the advantage of a Halberd, yes, they would most likely win in that encounter.

That being said, a well placed Black Powder shot, or Arrow, would render the point moot.

All weapons have their advantages and disadvantages, as their development was primary driven by arms racing between various armies. This same theory applies to combat-based martial arts as well, and is not meant to be a "Be-All-End-All" of warfare. That is, until completely new technologies are found. The Bow and Arrow was like the Manhattan Project of it's time.

 

[Del-Toro]

Considering that most medieval soldiers wielded them primarily with swords being the the domain of nobility, and usually then as a sidearm, kind of like a pistol to a modern soldier, with the halberd being the service rifle, that's not too hard to believe.

 

[Blaster395]

Considering that most medieval soldiers wielded them primarily with swords being the the domain of nobility, and usually then as a sidearm, kind of like a pistol to a modern soldier, with the halberd being the service rifle, that's not too hard to believe.

Actualy, the main weapon used has changed over time.
Romans had the Gladius, a short sword.
Vikings used axes and swords
Swords were more common for a time
Then by the 1400's you were either a knight, archer, or anti-knight guy. That means you used a pike. These were used commonly up until about 1700's, when rifles with bayonets were more effective.
Pikes > Horses > Archers > Horses, its rock paper scissors.