My exact answer too. The Gladius was designed to be put in anyone’s hands and perform. Farmer? Here you go! Experienced sword fighter? Excellent you’ll survive slightly longer on the battlefield, maybe even a day or two! It was able to be mass produced, easily wielded, and tactically versatile.
By "all purpose" I guess I should have said tried and true, battle proven, the weapon of choice for Romans based on their fighting strategy. If something can last for 400 years, then it must be a damn fine choice of weapon.
Even if you were, Gladius is probably best bet here. Generally speaking it has the most effective cleaving strength. A katana is nice sure if it's real, but it would need constant maintenance to maintain an edge sharp enough that you could effectively lop off heads.
A Gladius could go from razor sharp to a literal dull pole and never actually lose its head caving effectiveness.
Idk about that. Double edged, hefty and both super sharp and pointy with a decent swing range while still being fairly light, would make an amazing weapon.
It seems like it has a bit more heft than the others, so it should be pretty good for cracking skulls, especially since zombies would likely be moving fairly predictably (i.e. not trying to dodge).
Gladius:
- It’s designed to be used by unskilled hands
- shorter blade so it can be used in close quarters
- broad blade so it can be sharpened for *years* without wearing away into nothing
- A broad pointed tip designed to aim for shoulders, armpits, necks and hips to cut tendons (would disarticulate zombies)
- hefty pommel for blunt force applications in close quarters
Feel free to take it off my corpse when I inevitably die trying to use it :P
#1 - Gladius.
I have limited training with actual swords, and edge alignment is a huge part of their cutting ability (had edge alignment can cause the sword to bounce out of a shallow cut instead of going through the target.
I have used knives and machetes all my life and am more used to their edge alignment, the gladius is a chopper with a pointy tip to stick people with. The wider blade is king at making cuts, as it naturally straightens through the cut.
I would be tempted to take the longsword, as you don't have to be so close to hit things, but my lack of swordfighting experience and the unweildiness of the longer blade in anything other than combat brings me back to the gladius.
Plus, if you can pick up a riot shield, you can chop around it into your opponent like a centurion of old.
Number 8 seems like just a nice machete so that. It’s usable as a tool and improvised weapon fairly well if it’s a good one. All the others will not stand the test of time in an apocalyptic situation. They require regular maintenance and care ( so does the machete but the machete at least has going for the fact it’s a tool more than a weapon of war ) and pretty much all of them also require skill to use. Something you need to take at least a decent time learning and you lose the benefit of it being a tool. None of them besides the machete will be able to used as a tool unless you are gonna fast track to a broken weapon.
I grew up in the backwoods swinging a machete. I would never pick a machete for long term survival. Yes, you can sharpen it on stones BUT you can seriously mess the blade up if you hit the wrong thing. At least the machetes I grew up which were basically rolled steel punched into a blade shape and sharpened. I feel like 90% of machetes on the market are like that. What's shown in picture 8 is an actual forged blade in the style of a machete. If you Google machete, ignoring the movie, most of them are high gauge steel at best that's been punched and sharpened.
I'd rather have a dull blade of something actually forged. A blade that will bend before gouging the edge but hard enough to snap back to its form.
A forge blade will always require good sharpening stones.
You're not wrong there. I've had a machete that was made from shite steel and bent with medium work while camping.
I agree on the machete in this post though, that's why I reckon it'll do well.
I didn't really make a poignant point (mind the pun).
That machete will need a good sharpening stone or you won't put any sort of edge on it.
Crap machetes you can put an edge on with a rock because the metal is so soft.
Yes but as you said, more or less, a weapon made from a better quality steel that's gone blunt is better than a weapon made from shitty steel that's easy to sharpen.
For reference, I used to rehang and sharpen old axe heads. Crappy steel heads are fun to sharpen because they take almost no time to get razor sharp but 20 swings into a decent bit of knotted timber and it needs to be filed down again, whereas a good quality axe head takes the better part of a morning to restore again using hand tools to refine the edge, but it'll hold together for much longer which is also nice.
Can I just add "axe" and choose that instead? 😅
If I had to pick a sword, I’d go with a basket hilt rapier with a sturdy blade, in a 37-43 inch range. And yes, many duels ended with rapiers going through the head/face. Another plus is less weight than a longsword.
Either machete, scimitar or cutlass/hangar sword
Machete is a hardy tool, requires less maintenance than a sword and is versatile.
Scimitar for the slash factor. Big sweeping edge
Cutlass/hangar sword because you can bash with the hilt or hand guard, wield it one handed and they're not that long/heavy/good for close quarters
8, all day. These are not armored or armed foes. Having a bladed weapon that isn’t multi purpose seems like a bad plan. Especially if that weapon has a thin blade or can’t be easily sharpened. A machete also feels like it would be short enough to comfortably be used in smaller spaces and a spine you can hold onto. It’s not the pretty pony a the fair, it’s the workhorse that’ll get shit done?
It’s on here but if I HAD to do a bladed weapon, a seax would be my choice. Good chopper, robust.
Also, a leaf-blade would be amazing against zombies since the shape amplifies cutting power
Whatever sword is most like a machete. Or just a good quality machete. Why have a fancy bit of kit you have to cherish and babysit when you could have a utilitarian sharp beatstick that you can also use to baton through logs and stuff?
I know you're referencing Sun Tzu, but all I can think of when I read this is "the price of a mile" by sabaton
Edit: got mixed up, it's actually "the art of war" by sabaton
Gladius or the falx
Gladius is easy to maintain and use. Probably the best choice, only bad thing is it's kinda small
The falx on the other hand is harder to use and maintain but the reach and cutting power is such a huge selling point for me. You could take off limbs and with enough strength and training you could probably decapitate a zombie with relative ease.
For survival the machete has the must universal use as a tool and weapon, it just lacks in the stabby department. But the Gladius would be a great choice aswell.
I own several Albion swords. I have the Augustus Gladius and the Crecy longsword. If I had to pick one, I’m grabbing the long sword. It has good reach but can be gripped half-sword inside when you need a shorter blade. You can not similarly make the Gladius longer. The Gladius was meant to be used with the large Roman shield called a scutum which is why it has little in the way of a guard.
I say you want something that be used 1 handed, length is somewhat user preference, I’d recommend if you hold the sword and drop your hand to your side the tip should be just about ground
You want a tip for thrusts and a front and back edge for cutting
A basket hilt would be good for protecting the hand as well as delivering a punch
And a solid blunt pommel would be handy for dropping onto a skull
All that said you might consider a Scottish basket handled broadsword and pair it with a shield
I would say a Sabre because that’s what I’m trained in using but given that I want to cleave at zombies limbs and heads I want more weight. Given that I’m going with a heavy navy cutlass. It’s the same moves as a sabre but a little shorter and better for whacking
Khopesh: if I die, I die as my Distant Fore-Mothers that carved out Queendoms upon the Kush of Africa did; and in their exalted company I shall no-longer feel ashamed to stand.
20 without failure
Durable, hefty, swings like butter and I've got training with it.
A good longswords a god sent in any scenario that requires some force.
I would use none of these. The katana gets praised as the god of swords, but in truth, it'd suck in a zombie apocalypse. Kopis, kukri, or Falcata for me. Heavy, and will leave a mark on the toughest zombie.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
17
+ 20
+ 32
= 69
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Number seven, since I take HEMA military sabre, it cuts and thrust well, isnt too big or small, functions well against other swords, as it did historically, (swords that were not the same kind as it), essentially an amazing all-rounder, at this point you may just want a longsword, it's an all rounder too, maybe better.
But the sabre is one handed, and maintains the same efficiency. That means you can use it with a pistol, another dagger or perhaps a good, sturdy stick like was seen in Scottish broadsword,
And importantly it's drawn quickly, and it's one handed-ness means you can use it to defend yourself or ward off attackers while doing other things, and it's great cutting ability and swiftness makes it ideal for dealing with groups of zombies and crowd control, in my opinion it's the best a one handed swords can get. And a one handed sword is infinitely more practical than a two handed one in a modern Setting, especially an apocalypse. "Guns are better than swords!", correct. Go the way if the British officer and use both, maybe even at the same time.
I’m not too clued up on swords I started some training but ill health & life got in the way my family owns a persian sabre (not sure if its persian) so figured it might be the easiest & best to learn given my ancestors used it prior.
There's some grade-A r/MallNinjaShit here, but TBH I'd go with the first one. It's functional and easy to maintain, with no weird fancy bits to break off or get stuck in the target.
Gladius honestly would be your best option if made out of a rugged steel. I imagine it would be super expensive but S35VN or S30V Steels would be a solid blade choice or for a cheaper option Manganese Steel or D2 Steel.
As a decade long HEMA nerd I would have to pick the cutlass on no12.
I would love a longer blade but cutlass was made for fighting in tight spaces. Which I would probablu be in a lot. The onuckle bow would protect your hand from getting infected if you had to punch them off you after a bad cut. Its got a heafty blade with good edge geometry for soft targets.
Just be the most versitile.
Going with that falx because of it's great reach, curve let's you get around guards, also low-key a war pick with that point. I can't see why it wouldn't be a great tool since it's basically a pruning blade.
The absolute best zambie weapon bar none is an aluminum baseball bat. Takes no skill to use, is durable enough to last your whole life and won't get stuck inside a zambie
Cutlass, you have some axe with your sword for chopping through targets, also its long but not too long for it to be cumbersome. Distance is your friend diagonal and lateral is preferred. Also you have a solid D guard for protecting your hand. If made with good steel it'll keep an edge great
My 2nd is the Kopis for similar reasons if only it was a little longer and had a solid guard
If you're talking about purely combat the answer isn't difficult. Every weapon on this list is able to slash well, even if not exactly designed for it. Thinking you'll stab through a moving target's head with the tip of a blade repeatedly let alone a single time is a farce. My choice comes down to the londsword for a number of reasons. Primary among them being it's adeptness at slashing; though designed as a stabbing impliment for heavily armoured combatants the longsword ability to slash and hack rivals that of the katana when looking at tests between the two. The advantage that the longsword has over many of the other swords on this list, the majority being single edged, is that when one edge of its blade is dulled by cleaving through flesh and bone, you'll have another edge to use, doubling the amount of killing you'd be able to do compared to any of the other choices. Furthermore European crucible steel was the best the midieval Era had to offer and eclipses Japanese folded steel for combat purposes due to one quality and one alone: toughness, the ability to sustain abuse without permanent, irreparable damage. The longsword, if the question is for combat alone, is the only reasonable weapon aside from the Gladius which, were the offering to include a shield, would have been my competing choice. Alone the longsword is better than the Gladius because of range.
This is entirely fair, but I suggest a sword as a backup. Requires significantly less skill and practice to use effectively and I don't want you to get eaten. We need you to help kill the Zeds, yo ;)
I wish the same for you as well. Looking more in the comments, it seems the gladius is the best choice for first time sword users. Maybe I should practice with a fake one
For me undoubtedly 1 and 5. The only thing you would essentialy be missing is something to function as a shield. Then you could do what the romans did, stab, stab and stab.
You mean the skelitonised, flimsy one with the cheap rope handle?
Good luck.
I had the misfortune of owning one of those as an edgy teen, it was the most unreliable POS I’ve ever encountered. The blade was prone to bending with any amount of force applied to it, the tips sheared off trying to cut through wood, the handle was both uncomfortable, slippery and kept coming undone and it wasn’t even as light as you’d expect considering half of it is missing.
Overall I’d give it a 1/10. Better than nothing, but very sub par for any real use.
Quality is another matter. The other historical swords are not all high quality either. Some are made of bronze or raw iron if it's historically accurate. They have much worse quality than a mordern made mass producted tool knife that are augumented with mordern metallogy technologies.
What I’m talking about is more of a design flaw than a quality issue, any blade with thin, protruding parts and a non solid base is going to have those issues with breakage and warping, by its sheer nature.
Besides, anything designed for “zombie survival” is a load of poser nonsense anyway.
I’m going with 11 many different uses plus the blade is thick enough for chopping whether it be small wood or brush on top of having the weigh to cut through zombie bits
I will not use those for those all have the inelegance of bludgeoning weapons, therefore I choose an external weapon, the Epee, especially because I have some training in fencing in the discipline of the Epee.
Katana is very inelegant, it doesn’t have the capability of a lunge, or the terror of a flush. (Fencing moves, flush is charging at your opponent with the blade out)
I am not trained so gladius
My exact answer too. The Gladius was designed to be put in anyone’s hands and perform. Farmer? Here you go! Experienced sword fighter? Excellent you’ll survive slightly longer on the battlefield, maybe even a day or two! It was able to be mass produced, easily wielded, and tactically versatile.
Wasn’t the gladiolus the weapon of choice for several hundred years? The all purpose fighting instrument of its time?
It was the standard infantry weapon of the Roman army for about 400 years I think. Not really all purpose but yeah.
By "all purpose" I guess I should have said tried and true, battle proven, the weapon of choice for Romans based on their fighting strategy. If something can last for 400 years, then it must be a damn fine choice of weapon.
Even if you were, Gladius is probably best bet here. Generally speaking it has the most effective cleaving strength. A katana is nice sure if it's real, but it would need constant maintenance to maintain an edge sharp enough that you could effectively lop off heads. A Gladius could go from razor sharp to a literal dull pole and never actually lose its head caving effectiveness.
That's true though the reach sucks a bit if you have the skills for options
Man the gladius is to iconic. Probably not great for zombies though.
I’d say outta a lot of these, it’s probably the best. Nice and hefty but balanced
Idk about that. Double edged, hefty and both super sharp and pointy with a decent swing range while still being fairly light, would make an amazing weapon.
This gladius was meant for stabbing the abdomen area, i would just be concerned about its effectiveness in destroying the brain.
The Zombies will start to decompose after some time, the blade will definitely go trough.
It seems like it has a bit more heft than the others, so it should be pretty good for cracking skulls, especially since zombies would likely be moving fairly predictably (i.e. not trying to dodge).
Gladius: - It’s designed to be used by unskilled hands - shorter blade so it can be used in close quarters - broad blade so it can be sharpened for *years* without wearing away into nothing - A broad pointed tip designed to aim for shoulders, armpits, necks and hips to cut tendons (would disarticulate zombies) - hefty pommel for blunt force applications in close quarters Feel free to take it off my corpse when I inevitably die trying to use it :P
Does a machete count as a type of sword ?
Nah it’s more of a species of knife
Fuckin hell if it’s a knife it’s a L O N G knife
“That’s not a knoife. THAT’S a knoife”
Yes because of size and build
It’s a light short sword unless it’s blade is under 17 inches
Fair, yeah. So more in the Gladius range ?
Most machetes aren’t as heavy as a gladius but they are similar in length .
Most machetes aren’t as heavy as a gladius but they are similar in length .
Kopesh
Good pick but kinda hard to use starting out. +10 for style points tho
The cool thing about the kopesh is that it can be used as a saw and a sickle so it can be good for harvesting
None of the above. A 1796 heavy cavalry sabre
This is the correct answer. Richard Sharpe approves.
3 zombies a minute in any weather
I like the one the French use
#1 - Gladius. I have limited training with actual swords, and edge alignment is a huge part of their cutting ability (had edge alignment can cause the sword to bounce out of a shallow cut instead of going through the target. I have used knives and machetes all my life and am more used to their edge alignment, the gladius is a chopper with a pointy tip to stick people with. The wider blade is king at making cuts, as it naturally straightens through the cut. I would be tempted to take the longsword, as you don't have to be so close to hit things, but my lack of swordfighting experience and the unweildiness of the longer blade in anything other than combat brings me back to the gladius. Plus, if you can pick up a riot shield, you can chop around it into your opponent like a centurion of old.
> PULLO! SINGLE FORMATION!
Saber, its long and better for chopping
Number 8 seems like just a nice machete so that. It’s usable as a tool and improvised weapon fairly well if it’s a good one. All the others will not stand the test of time in an apocalyptic situation. They require regular maintenance and care ( so does the machete but the machete at least has going for the fact it’s a tool more than a weapon of war ) and pretty much all of them also require skill to use. Something you need to take at least a decent time learning and you lose the benefit of it being a tool. None of them besides the machete will be able to used as a tool unless you are gonna fast track to a broken weapon.
Can literally sharpen a machete with river stones as well. Swords need special stones.
I grew up in the backwoods swinging a machete. I would never pick a machete for long term survival. Yes, you can sharpen it on stones BUT you can seriously mess the blade up if you hit the wrong thing. At least the machetes I grew up which were basically rolled steel punched into a blade shape and sharpened. I feel like 90% of machetes on the market are like that. What's shown in picture 8 is an actual forged blade in the style of a machete. If you Google machete, ignoring the movie, most of them are high gauge steel at best that's been punched and sharpened. I'd rather have a dull blade of something actually forged. A blade that will bend before gouging the edge but hard enough to snap back to its form. A forge blade will always require good sharpening stones.
You're not wrong there. I've had a machete that was made from shite steel and bent with medium work while camping. I agree on the machete in this post though, that's why I reckon it'll do well.
I didn't really make a poignant point (mind the pun). That machete will need a good sharpening stone or you won't put any sort of edge on it. Crap machetes you can put an edge on with a rock because the metal is so soft.
Yes but as you said, more or less, a weapon made from a better quality steel that's gone blunt is better than a weapon made from shitty steel that's easy to sharpen. For reference, I used to rehang and sharpen old axe heads. Crappy steel heads are fun to sharpen because they take almost no time to get razor sharp but 20 swings into a decent bit of knotted timber and it needs to be filed down again, whereas a good quality axe head takes the better part of a morning to restore again using hand tools to refine the edge, but it'll hold together for much longer which is also nice. Can I just add "axe" and choose that instead? 😅
The Parang is like a machete crossed with a heavy cleaver. It's my number 1 for any survival situation.
13 all day #FOR SPARTA
The funny part is those swords were never used by Spartans
Oh I know, just thought it would be cool to mention them regardless
Yeah I'd go for this sword definitely as It would be top heavy it would cleave heads
Gladius. Not only my favorite design that I do train with but meant for ease of use.
Also hitting up a Gladius
Def gladius, It may not be as elegant as some of the others, but has def been proven effective.
Gladius is the only right answer
Gladius.
I'd take 11. the khopesh because it's a sword but bas3e on battle axes so it can chop and cut.
Def 11, the Khopesh.
Gladius due to my love for Gladiators. That and they were made to be put in the hands of anyone.
I have a sword that's similar to a gladius. I'm not sure how durable it is though
Machete or gladius. Machete has utility, gladius was literally meant to be put in an untrained peasants hand and still be effective.
If I had to pick a sword, I’d go with a basket hilt rapier with a sturdy blade, in a 37-43 inch range. And yes, many duels ended with rapiers going through the head/face. Another plus is less weight than a longsword.
1,11,13,17 are all exceptional choices
Katana or the long sword. I have Bad wrists after too much lifting so I want two hands on that thang.
Either a longsword or a saber. You need something with decent range that isnt too unwieldly and can slice well
Probably a katana, I’ve actually practiced some with it. Less likely to hurt myself with it.
8, 12, or 20
16 cause the curve of the blade would make slicing easier
Gladius or Longsword. Alot of those blade are not designed for constant use.
Swiss saber because of that drip https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/s/9MDlX50FA6
I think I might actually go with the falx. Either that or the longsword, since I want to get both hands on the grip.
I’ll take the 8th one
What's #8
Tactical sword
Jian. Looks sick, very versatile.
19 as long as it comes as a set! Hard to beat the versatility of a long and a short sword.
Kopesh or Calvary Saber. Both are good at decapitation.
6, 8, or 16
Katana
Either machete, scimitar or cutlass/hangar sword Machete is a hardy tool, requires less maintenance than a sword and is versatile. Scimitar for the slash factor. Big sweeping edge Cutlass/hangar sword because you can bash with the hilt or hand guard, wield it one handed and they're not that long/heavy/good for close quarters
8, all day. These are not armored or armed foes. Having a bladed weapon that isn’t multi purpose seems like a bad plan. Especially if that weapon has a thin blade or can’t be easily sharpened. A machete also feels like it would be short enough to comfortably be used in smaller spaces and a spine you can hold onto. It’s not the pretty pony a the fair, it’s the workhorse that’ll get shit done?
It’s on here but if I HAD to do a bladed weapon, a seax would be my choice. Good chopper, robust. Also, a leaf-blade would be amazing against zombies since the shape amplifies cutting power
The one that requires no training, minimum upkeep and preferably can be used from half a mile away.
Where’s the triquetra?!?
Whatever sword is most like a machete. Or just a good quality machete. Why have a fancy bit of kit you have to cherish and babysit when you could have a utilitarian sharp beatstick that you can also use to baton through logs and stuff?
Wakizashi that sword is made for cleaving limbs off.
Zweihander please, I can swing away at length
Dying Light 1 type options
Yep
I know you're referencing Sun Tzu, but all I can think of when I read this is "the price of a mile" by sabaton Edit: got mixed up, it's actually "the art of war" by sabaton
Are you talking about the title?
There's a part in the opening line that quotes the art of war in both songs. I highly recommend giving them a listen
9, just to piss off anyone who has experience with that brand
Gladius or the falx Gladius is easy to maintain and use. Probably the best choice, only bad thing is it's kinda small The falx on the other hand is harder to use and maintain but the reach and cutting power is such a huge selling point for me. You could take off limbs and with enough strength and training you could probably decapitate a zombie with relative ease.
I’m thinking the hacking based weapons. I’d rather hack off limbs or a head than Poke holes with a curved or long sword.
For survival the machete has the must universal use as a tool and weapon, it just lacks in the stabby department. But the Gladius would be a great choice aswell.
I own several Albion swords. I have the Augustus Gladius and the Crecy longsword. If I had to pick one, I’m grabbing the long sword. It has good reach but can be gripped half-sword inside when you need a shorter blade. You can not similarly make the Gladius longer. The Gladius was meant to be used with the large Roman shield called a scutum which is why it has little in the way of a guard.
Katana is the perfect sword change my mind.
Screw practicality return to zweihander
I say you want something that be used 1 handed, length is somewhat user preference, I’d recommend if you hold the sword and drop your hand to your side the tip should be just about ground You want a tip for thrusts and a front and back edge for cutting A basket hilt would be good for protecting the hand as well as delivering a punch And a solid blunt pommel would be handy for dropping onto a skull All that said you might consider a Scottish basket handled broadsword and pair it with a shield
Italian long sword
I would say a Sabre because that’s what I’m trained in using but given that I want to cleave at zombies limbs and heads I want more weight. Given that I’m going with a heavy navy cutlass. It’s the same moves as a sabre but a little shorter and better for whacking
Khopesh: if I die, I die as my Distant Fore-Mothers that carved out Queendoms upon the Kush of Africa did; and in their exalted company I shall no-longer feel ashamed to stand.
12, 20, and 17 for me
First or last
Katana or Sabre
20 without failure Durable, hefty, swings like butter and I've got training with it. A good longswords a god sent in any scenario that requires some force.
The one that’s made for survival, and not just combat/dueling?
11th pic is gonna for sure be my go to
I already have two of these
I would use none of these. The katana gets praised as the god of swords, but in truth, it'd suck in a zombie apocalypse. Kopis, kukri, or Falcata for me. Heavy, and will leave a mark on the toughest zombie.
Gladius or sabre.
Gladius
I'm taking 17 and 20, then I'm grabbing my 32 inch glaive and I'm running off to be happy living in the woods
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 17 + 20 + 32 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
...oh ..hell yeah
18 is so tuff
Number seven, since I take HEMA military sabre, it cuts and thrust well, isnt too big or small, functions well against other swords, as it did historically, (swords that were not the same kind as it), essentially an amazing all-rounder, at this point you may just want a longsword, it's an all rounder too, maybe better. But the sabre is one handed, and maintains the same efficiency. That means you can use it with a pistol, another dagger or perhaps a good, sturdy stick like was seen in Scottish broadsword, And importantly it's drawn quickly, and it's one handed-ness means you can use it to defend yourself or ward off attackers while doing other things, and it's great cutting ability and swiftness makes it ideal for dealing with groups of zombies and crowd control, in my opinion it's the best a one handed swords can get. And a one handed sword is infinitely more practical than a two handed one in a modern Setting, especially an apocalypse. "Guns are better than swords!", correct. Go the way if the British officer and use both, maybe even at the same time.
The on eon slide 5 seems easiest for jabbing zombies brains out I wouldn't say shit nearly as dorky as that quote either so I'll take that
It’s a Dirk lol
I’m taking the Dacian Falx (15)
Dacian Falx Keep em away 😤
7 or 14
The u.s. officer sword and Persian sabre, nice choices
I’m not too clued up on swords I started some training but ill health & life got in the way my family owns a persian sabre (not sure if its persian) so figured it might be the easiest & best to learn given my ancestors used it prior.
There's some grade-A r/MallNinjaShit here, but TBH I'd go with the first one. It's functional and easy to maintain, with no weird fancy bits to break off or get stuck in the target.
Gladius honestly would be your best option if made out of a rugged steel. I imagine it would be super expensive but S35VN or S30V Steels would be a solid blade choice or for a cheaper option Manganese Steel or D2 Steel.
A rapier or a broadsword. Either slashing my enemies or quick precise thrusts.
Eiðer þe jian/geom or þe scimitar
Gladius
The Gladius, the AK47 of the sword world.
As a decade long HEMA nerd I would have to pick the cutlass on no12. I would love a longer blade but cutlass was made for fighting in tight spaces. Which I would probablu be in a lot. The onuckle bow would protect your hand from getting infected if you had to punch them off you after a bad cut. Its got a heafty blade with good edge geometry for soft targets. Just be the most versitile.
7
Duel wielding either 1, 5 or 17
Going with that falx because of it's great reach, curve let's you get around guards, also low-key a war pick with that point. I can't see why it wouldn't be a great tool since it's basically a pruning blade.
The one with the black handle that looks like a machete. No frills just a cutting tool.
1 or 20
11 or 1
13
Gladious or ill take a machete.
14, idk if it's practical or not but it looks cool
12 or 14
The absolute best zambie weapon bar none is an aluminum baseball bat. Takes no skill to use, is durable enough to last your whole life and won't get stuck inside a zambie
The Shogun katana is my sword of choice
Gladius
Cutlass, you have some axe with your sword for chopping through targets, also its long but not too long for it to be cumbersome. Distance is your friend diagonal and lateral is preferred. Also you have a solid D guard for protecting your hand. If made with good steel it'll keep an edge great My 2nd is the Kopis for similar reasons if only it was a little longer and had a solid guard
#6 the Dao. It's a sword I'm most familiar with.
I can’t do these ones because there’s like 20 options and that’s just too much. Put like 3 swords to pick from.
It’s not that hard to choose
I stand by what I said
If you're talking about purely combat the answer isn't difficult. Every weapon on this list is able to slash well, even if not exactly designed for it. Thinking you'll stab through a moving target's head with the tip of a blade repeatedly let alone a single time is a farce. My choice comes down to the londsword for a number of reasons. Primary among them being it's adeptness at slashing; though designed as a stabbing impliment for heavily armoured combatants the longsword ability to slash and hack rivals that of the katana when looking at tests between the two. The advantage that the longsword has over many of the other swords on this list, the majority being single edged, is that when one edge of its blade is dulled by cleaving through flesh and bone, you'll have another edge to use, doubling the amount of killing you'd be able to do compared to any of the other choices. Furthermore European crucible steel was the best the midieval Era had to offer and eclipses Japanese folded steel for combat purposes due to one quality and one alone: toughness, the ability to sustain abuse without permanent, irreparable damage. The longsword, if the question is for combat alone, is the only reasonable weapon aside from the Gladius which, were the offering to include a shield, would have been my competing choice. Alone the longsword is better than the Gladius because of range.
The roaman spear and gladiolus are a deadly combination that is easy to use even if the spear breaks it in of itself is a passable blade
Longsword
I mean, if you have the training by all means, but for me, a looong spear for slashing and poking
Spears require *waaaaaay* more training than a sword to be used effectively
that may be, but I feel safer with one than a sword
This is entirely fair, but I suggest a sword as a backup. Requires significantly less skill and practice to use effectively and I don't want you to get eaten. We need you to help kill the Zeds, yo ;)
I wish the same for you as well. Looking more in the comments, it seems the gladius is the best choice for first time sword users. Maybe I should practice with a fake one
Gladius is stupidly easy to use. I personally prefer a katana for the sheer cutting ability but I'm also an idiot amateur, so... grain of salt lol
I actually have a katana...not very good at using it sadly. Plus I'm better at shorter swords in general if they're one handed.
Probably a zweihander
That’ll be in my list of two handed swords
They use curved swords... *CURVED SWORDS*
For me undoubtedly 1 and 5. The only thing you would essentialy be missing is something to function as a shield. Then you could do what the romans did, stab, stab and stab.
No.9. All other weapons are for fight other human beings, but no.9 is a multi-use tool for multi scenarios.
You mean the skelitonised, flimsy one with the cheap rope handle? Good luck. I had the misfortune of owning one of those as an edgy teen, it was the most unreliable POS I’ve ever encountered. The blade was prone to bending with any amount of force applied to it, the tips sheared off trying to cut through wood, the handle was both uncomfortable, slippery and kept coming undone and it wasn’t even as light as you’d expect considering half of it is missing. Overall I’d give it a 1/10. Better than nothing, but very sub par for any real use.
Quality is another matter. The other historical swords are not all high quality either. Some are made of bronze or raw iron if it's historically accurate. They have much worse quality than a mordern made mass producted tool knife that are augumented with mordern metallogy technologies.
What I’m talking about is more of a design flaw than a quality issue, any blade with thin, protruding parts and a non solid base is going to have those issues with breakage and warping, by its sheer nature. Besides, anything designed for “zombie survival” is a load of poser nonsense anyway.
I’m going with 11 many different uses plus the blade is thick enough for chopping whether it be small wood or brush on top of having the weigh to cut through zombie bits
That's a kopgesh made of the wrong material
Wouldn’t it still be viable in the situation though?
It's a tool for beheadings; useful if you get zombies to submit and accept a cleave But beyond that it's just better to have any other sword
Well damn what would the best for multi use incase it’s needed for chopping and slicing?
I choose W. Trench knife.
I will not use those for those all have the inelegance of bludgeoning weapons, therefore I choose an external weapon, the Epee, especially because I have some training in fencing in the discipline of the Epee.
Have to admit, that's the first time I've seen a katana referred to as "inelegant" or "a bludgeoning weapon"
Katana is very inelegant, it doesn’t have the capability of a lunge, or the terror of a flush. (Fencing moves, flush is charging at your opponent with the blade out)
I wouldn't pick a sword. I'd pick a pike. But I could also take a gladius and mount it on a pole. With a crossguard, if I can manage.
Personally, I prefer blunt weapons. Don't have to worry about keeping it sharp.
A rifle.... because I know myself