[HoneyBadger]

DrPraetorious, here are some suggestions for good melee-weapons for calvalry:

The shamshir-this is the Arabian horse-sabre that's often called-or confused with-a scimitar because of the relatively similar names and the fact that they're both unusual/specialized swords that come from the east of Europe (the Arabians got scimitars from the Mongols). The shamshir is a very long, extended saber, either very curved or often with a crook in the middle, which gives it a large area, or "sweet spot", when slashing downward, in which strikes will do the maximum damage-which makes it ideal for cutting down lighter-armored infantry.

Tulwar (or "Talwar", sometimes with an L on the end). This is an Indian sword that is typified by having a blade that is straight for half it's length and then broadening out and curving back into a heavy slashing weapon. Typically shorter than a Shamshir, it's still very effective for close-quarters fighting from horseback, because of the heavy chopping end. This is similar in design to the Turkish "Kilij". The Turks also used swords very similar in design to the Shamshir. These weapons are much more redolent of the typical "scimitar", but usually lack the deep curve and wide triangular flair on the back-blade that seems to typify the "fantasy" or dungeons and dragons version of a "scimitar". I actually-in almost 30 years of studying melee-weapons and antiques-have yet to come across a real world historical example of such a weapon, but I suppose it may be out there.

Guan Dao-technically, this is only a sometimes calvalry weapon, but it's unusually great weight (some surviving versions from around 1000 ad are actually known to weigh 100lbs or more) lends itself to calvary-as opposed to foot-use. It consists of a shaft between 4 and 6 feet long, tipped with a deep, heavy, curved blade that comes to a point-similar in form to a naginada. The blade is often ornately decorated. The lighter versions used in martial arts today typically weigh between 5 and 20lbs. A surviving example known as the "Green (or Blue) Dragon Crescent Blade" still exists and is on display at the Purple Cloud Temple in China today. It weighs approximately 49kg (around 110lb). Even though it's a real-world weapon that exists today, it's considered to be a magical weapon, since legend has it that it was made from the body of a green dragon. It's also known as the "Frost Blade". Light versions of this weapon-especially if they have reinforced handles-could potentially be devastating as calvalry weapons, since they could be used both as light lances-best against unarmored or lightly armored foes-and as long, slashing weapons with relatively large "sweet-spots" and blades that won't easily break when slashing down, because of their depth and design.

Calvalry-hammer-this is a long-handled warhammer with a 1-2 lb head. Very effective against armored infantry, but a good all-purpose weapon.

Morning Star-another really good weapon against armor, it's got a metal ball on a long handle, and often the ball has short spikes or studs to maximize impact. It's often confused with a flail because of the ball and spikes, but no chain or moving parts are involved.

Calvalry-flail. This is usually lighter than a typical "footman's flail". Unlike the ball-and-chain, it consists of just two pieces-a long handle (maybe 24-36 inches) attached to a short striker by a single partition. The striker is typically studded or spiked over it's entire horizontal surface. The single partition (as in two chain links, one attached to the striker, one attached to the handle), as opposed to a longer chain, allows for greater control of the striker.

Ball-and-chain: It should be noted that, while flails with long chain partitions can and have been used by calvary-especially midieval knights-they're much more difficult to control than a typical calvalry weapon, and take a great deal more skill. They're much more effective as an "opening volley" or opportunistic weapon-like a heavy lance-than they are for extended military actions. The Ball-and-chain is a useful weapon in that it's easy to carry on a mount, has massive damage-potential against an armored foe, and it can be re-used, unlike a heavy lance which can be expected to eventually break or be lost in the heat of battle.

Lasso: This is a materials-cheap, obvious, but often overlooked, calvalry weapon. It can be used to entangle a foe, to trip, to break necks, ensnare weapons, and to drag an enemy behind your horse-a very effective way of putting him out of the fight. It's very concealable, readily available, and also makes a useful tool for civilian life, which all add to it's appeal. The only great expense incurred in using this weapon is the time to learn the necessary skills.

The Scythe: Another useful tool for civilian life, the scythe makes an effective calvalry weapon if you don't have anything more handy. It's somewhat unweildy, but it can potentially do a lot of damage very quickly to more than one foe at a time-especially when driven by the momentum of a horse. It was probably overlooked more for it's connections to peasantry and unappealing nature, than for it's military potential. Heavy modifications would probably have been made by any culture to use the scythe as a regular weapon.

I hope this helps.