Medieval BATTLEFIELD weapons RANKED! Best to worst

Let's make a tier list of medieval weapons for how good they would be on the historical BATTLEFIELD!

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[sadtown]

Shad: "A poleaxe can offend someone wearing full plate armour quite effectively"
Poleaxe: "bitch"

[pretzelman]

This is like Shad combining all of his rant videos about terrible weapons and glowing videos about great weapons in one nice condensed video.
Love your content and keep up the great work!

[HistoricalWeapons]

I think the hunting bow icon should have a simple d-shape but just shorter than the longbow, this would avoid confusion with military composite bows

[theurdragon]

Amazing vid, really like it. One suggestion: could you put up a big image of the weapon when you introduce it? Would make it easier to visualize. Thanks!

[GrimTEAM]

Was expecting nunchucks at F tier. Not disappointed. Also STICK should be at S+ tier

[godzy]

Please do another tier list, these are so fun to watch and do. If you could though, have a bigger photo of the weapon you are suggesting. The pictures on the tier are a little small to see. I know you reviewed all to most of these weapons already, but I still need a reminder on what they look like X.x

[genghiskhan]

Opinions:
1. Fine points for stabbing
It's generally a misconception that a finer point is always better at stabbing. During the World Wars but especially in WW1, it was found that fine points and spikes while they could penetrate deep, often had 2 main issues: a) they didn't do enough internal damage to kill because of their low volume, b) durability; they would often bend or break. As a result, most stabbing implements designed for penetrating tough material or for general durability (such as awls, rondel daggers, dirks, and tantos) often had reinforced points.

This chains in to point designs on Japanese swords. Most Japanese swords (even going back to what is considered medieval in Japanese history [the 12th-16th centuries] being the muromachi, nara, and kamakura periods. Periods when the tachi [a katana like sword but with a length and distal taper contemporary to longswords) have reinforced points. They were like that so that a) they would be durable enough to not break or bend, and b) so that they could pry apart links of maille armor.

2. The glaive
I believe the glaive should have been in S-tier. Primarily because I believe you mischaracterized the glaive as being good slashing only and being as good as the Dane axe at slashing. Most glaive heads had more material in them than a Dane axe and were about as long as halberds to start with. The added mass, and finer edges of a glaive but not even mentioning the added leverage and lack of obstruction from the haft itself, would mean that glaives would cut better than Dane axes. Furthermore, you also forgot or just didn't know that glaives were about as cheap to make as halberds and billhooks, could also and often did have hooks on their backs just like a halberd or billhook, could stab just as well as spears, and also had variations that were made for knights to be used in lieu of a poleax (these versions shown in art were about the same length as a poleaxe and had languets reinforcing the shaft). As the halberd was for Germans, the billhook for the English and Italians, the glaive was for the French.

3. The rapier
While rapiers (as we know them: long bladed singlehanded thrusting swords with complex hilts) were taken to the battlefield, they were taken for the same reasons that officers in the 18th and early 19th centuries would take smallswords to combat; they were badges of office meant to denote rank, not intended for actual combat use. On your belief that rapiers would be good for stabbing against armor, as applied to rapiers as are generally understood, their blades are too flexible for stabbing in gaps of armor. Only a specific type of rapier called a tuck (a variant of rapier largely popular in France, Spain, and England with its name originating in England) would have been good for stabbing in gaps of armor because its blade was constructed as a triangular or square spike similar to the earlier estoc. There is a certain caveat though which is that in the early modern period, the swords that we sword enthusiasts refer to today as sideswords (swords with blades resembling medieval arming swords, and complex hilts that incentivize a similar point forwards grip as rapiers) were referred to in period as rapiers too. The distinction between sideswords and rapiers as differing types of swords is a largely modern convention as in period, the term "rapier" and "sidesword" were largely interchangeable.

4. The bardiche
The bardiche as you said is largely an early modern weapon. Most bardiches though were poleax length weapons and their blades, while very broad, were very thin, about as thin as a sword blade. Their most famous usage was by a type of Russian soldiers called streltsi who would wield them as a secondary weapon to their musket in case they needed to charge into melee although accounts of them using their bardiches to fend off cavalry charges do exist. While I do agree with where you put the bardiche, I believe it's a low S-tier weapon.

Extras for a possible future video:
1. The yari
Yari, while commonly and accurately stated to mean spear, also includes items that we in the west would consider as forms of halberd, pike, and poleaxe. While the most common type of yari is a stereotypical spearhead (this variation is called a su-yari), the second most common form of yari features a projection similar in form to a japanese sickle called a kama which allows it to function in a similar way to a halberd or billhook (this version was called a kama-yari). There were also countless other variations that featured things like hooks, and axe like blades projecting from them. Lastly, there were also variations of yari that were poleaxe length; these yari usually featured a kama-yari or other similar type of head, but on a shaft that was often poleaxe or Dane axe length.

2. The kama
These usually refer today to agricultural sickles that are still used and even sold in Japanese hardware stores even today but in the past, these were used as weapons by peasants, ashigaru, and even samurai. unlike most sickles, kama usually have robust blades that as such, made them very similar to warpicks but lighter. Where they shined the most though was as a projection on a yari.

3. The naginata
Naginata were glaive like weapons that featured a blade between 1.5-3 feet long on a shaft that was commonly about spear length, with some being poleaxe length (these versions were the ones that often had longer blades). They were good at cutting and stabbing, and with their ability to fend off cavalry charges, throughout most of medieval Japanese history before the rise of the ashigaru in the 17th century, this was the most common polearm used by both samurai and their retainers, and Japanese warrior monks called sohei.

[lordicarus]

I definetely loved it. The only things I guess were missing were the training time for the weapon to be used effectively and its cost. Both really important constrains when thinking about war campaigns...

[roundtableaaa]

I like where the katana was placed in the tier list. During the war eras of Japan, katanas were mainly used as a secondary weapon. This was because Samurais mainly fought on horseback and used bows and spears. They would only used their katana when they were knocked off their horse, lost their bow or spear, or for self defense when why are not on the battlefield. The time where the katana did see the most "action" was during the Edo period, the time period in Japan where there were no wars, where they were used as personal carry weapons and as a status symbol to show that they were samurai.

[GuitarsRockForever]

The best wild card castle defense weapon: French taunt. It is extremely effective, with huge amount of emotional damage.

[tristanbreen]

Great vid Shad. I was in a medieval combat club for 5 years .. talking with clubmates we concluded the best set up for a infantryman in random situations is : Gambeson with mail overlay . steel helm, large shield slinged over back to protect , primary weapon 6 ft bull spear and a sharp side arm perhaps a short sword

[jamesklinicke]

The banter you 2 have, makes it great. More please. Lists and banter.

[heavynov]

Great banter! The background character should become a permanent sidekick.

[jocosesonata]

Shad, you're completely missing the most devastating battlefield weapon, and I'm disappointed that you forgot it.

*_The Lute._*

[Frenotx]

An interesting ranking / context could be: best weapons for nefarious activities. Highwaymen, thieves, assassins, etc.

[alexrobinet]

I love where you rated the hands. It got my like.

[ianswinford]

Hey, Shad. I’ve started my second book. I’m really hoping my intended series does well. Also, in your true medieval fantasy novel, I’m curious about something: will there be monsters in it? Monsters are one of my favorite parts of fantasy.

[rayceeya]

100% agree about the pole axe. Pole arms and pikes were devastating weapons.

[bladelaw]

I am so happy that the mace, my favourite weapon on this list, and in general, is in A tier!!

[yesfredfredburger]

PLEASE do a follow up about personal defense! I'd love to see how an individual's needs might differ from a group, especially in a less formal setting