Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarkko
Squirrel, assuming equal skill, the one wielding the more agile weapon wins. Which is why rapiers were the duellists weapon of choice.
Pikes were introduced as a defensive weapon against cavalry charge. In melee with sword wielders the pikemen always were at a disadvantage. When bayonets were invented and attached to guns, the pikemen disappeared fast, as they were simply no match for the bayonet charging infantry.
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A rapier was an excellent weapon because (1) it was *long* and agile, so didn't give up reach advantage, (2) heavy armor was no longer worn, especially not for duels, during the rapiers time of predominance. So the rapier didn't have to deal with armor penetration.
A hand-and-a-half (bastard) sword has a substantial reach advantage over, say, a short sword, and given two equally skilled swordsmen i'd expect the bastard sword to win. Its also about the same weight per hand used. If the short sword user also adopts a shield, he's taking a weight disadvantage and a line of sight disadvantage. (The bastard sword, because 2 hands provide 2 possible fulcra, is also more unpredictable in where it strikes). (Edit: a bastard sword is pretty agile when used well. Think of a katana - certainly depicted as an elegant weapon - and a bastard sword is the same weight and approximate size).
You are almost totally wrong on the pike.
Pikes were advantageous against cavalry, sure, but the swiss pikemen were the dominant military force for a century because they outperformed all other heavy infantry as well. No other weapon system compared to them until the introduction of mass gun formations.
At that point the pike became a cavalry defense system for gunners, because there was no such thing as dedicated melee assault troops anymore. Such a weapon system was useless because it was insufficiently fast to close under fire.
The pike was retired with the bayonet, not because the bayonet was better in melee, but because the bayonet was *sufficient* as an anti-cavalry charge weapon since cavalry was now using sabres instead of lances, and using bayonets let every soldier carry a firearm, thus increasing firepower without needing to increase manpower. Pikes would have massacred a bayonet charge, but withered under rifle fire.