Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24749544-20170926092409/@comment-24749544-20170927135224

so if we start at a distance you can just break my guard? it's that easy? no, no it is not. outside of Rome swords have always been backup tools. never used alone unless your talking later periods with plate armour or you were an archer who could carry one.

again you don't have a shield. I can just thrust in. if you can deflect it I have a shield I can bash your face in with or do any number of things. heck I could drop the shield assuming it's centre grip and quarter staff it (which by the way a sword can't just cut through if you were thinking it). there is a good reason pole weapons have always been used as primary weapons. even by knights who were in fact skilled with their backup of the sword. so yeah they typically were quite skilled with their backup weapon.

I've watched enough people sparring to see that one handed sword and no shield is basically suicide to anyone who has one and is just as skilled.