they are found in the house of every nerd, and video game fanatic that you know. You probably think this is the weapon that you want. But we learned quickly that these novelty swords snap quickly and are so light and dull so easy, that they can leave you tragically surrounded.
After all the tough guy talk, we were lucky. Nigel and his girlfriend Tina were on their way to a Medieval festival. Nigel is probably a pain in real life, but against a horde of creepers he gave us a quick primer on Medieval warfare.
The sword is sexy and has cool cache aplenty, but if you look at the forces that beat the odds of larger numbers. They usually used a spear, or poleax in a phalanx formation. The Spartans maintained dominance by grouping their soldiers together, protected by shields and the second row used their spears to take out the throngs. The Swiss became a neutral force because for over a hundred years they were undefeated due to their tight formations and use of the poleax. Even Zulu warriors gained power over their continent by increasing shield size and fighting as a unit.
So if you get a choice, and you probably wont. Choose a weapon that gives you distance from your target. an Axe is better than a hatchet. A spear, better than a sword. Personally, I grew more an more accustomed to a flattened shovel with sharpened edges over anything else.
If I could choose anything, I'd choose a poleax, and don't forge a shield. It gives you valuable seconds to think, and remember that is always your advantage.
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