What is the most versatile melee weapon of all times?

We all know very well that each weapon was always made in a certain context and will always perform better or worse depending on the situation and the way it is used. That's entirely granted from the beginning, but that doesn't answer nor break the question. Indeed, we're not talking about the BEST or most efficient weapon, but about the most versatile, which is different.

So which melee weapon is useful in the widest range of contexts and situations? Which can be used in the highest number of different ways? Which offers the highest number of possible fighting styles, each with its own pros and cons?

Of course, just answering "the sword" will not be enough, as many different kinds exist that cannot all be used in the same ways. Fore example, the egyptian khopesh, while being an interesting one, is very bad at thrusting and needs the support of a shield. Therefore, one could say that, however good this weapon is at what it does, it is pretty limited in the variety of fighting styles it allows.

Let's say I'm a weapon master of exceptional talent and experience. Which melee weapon would I choose if I wanted to surprise my opponent the highest number of times in the course of a single fight by changing the way I move, defend and attack? That definitely is my question.

I already have several hypotheses, but I'm not really satisfied or sure of myself yet, and that's why I came here to ask for your insight:
>The one and a half hand longsword: cuts, thrusts, usable one handed or two handed, two edges, usable as a hammer, decent reach without being too long to wear about, usable against armor (although not well).
>The halberd: spear point, axe/hammer head (some variants replace this with a hammerhead), rear beak/hook, underside of the axe head (used to disarm opponents or pull horsemen off their mounts), side of the shaft to push and strike opponents, pommel at the base of the shaft (counter-weight and bludgeon).
>The rapier: simplicity is strength.
>Something else?

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This baby right here.
youtube.com/watch?v=-OU96za6czU

>the fist, because beating a motherfucker to death with them proves a motherfucking point

>also grabs stuff

This.

Okay, it's shit in combat and was never made to kill or to defend onself. Is there a true weapon comparable to the swiss army knife, then? Any ideas?

The halberd looks pretty close to this. Maybe we could invent something even crazier in the same style, like, I don't know, a halberd with a sword sticked on the bottom.

Staff, obviously.
Works fine on its own, and training with it transfers well to just about every polearm known the man.
It can also become any polearm you want by sticking sharp bits on it.

Interestingly enough I'd actually agree with you there, the sheer variety of martial arts means that the most versatile weapon for a person isn't a weapon made but your weapon born. A person's body can make an insane variety of melee attacks/defenses and even things like basic parries.

Granted of course, you will have a range the size of your arms, but for sheer variety I'd say it's damn hard to beat your own body.

>So which melee weapon is useful in the widest range of contexts and situations?

CHINESE ARMY SHOVEL.

youtu.be/b60OZhrTB6o

4 paragraph and 4 line greentext so troll no say "Depends on the setting". This getting stupid.

Anyway, Og like rock. Hit on head with as is, put on stick for leverage, throw, launch from sling drop on Shaman foot when Shaman say something stupid. Rock versatile.

Pic related, is rock.

Yea, but your whole body is always granted to you with whatever crafted weapon you choose. Your body is always a part of any fighting style. You can very well use your fist in the middle of a swordfight, in some way it is part of the sword already. So it doesn't really count!

...

>4 paragraph and 4 line greentext so troll no say "Depends on the setting". This getting stupid.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

>using a fist in a swordfight

>not using a sword in a fistfight

See, this is why you need a weapon, rather than having the weapon enhance what you're already doing.

Also without fists, you can't effectively wield a fuckton of melee weapons. So it's kind of the most useful thing you have.

Probably a spade
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrenching_tool

They were used in the time of Julius Caesar. They are used today.

Probably a European half a half sword.

Although I understand that part of these posts is only humour, just so that we stay on topic, we should focus on usefulness in COMBAT situations; OP asked for the most versatile WEAPON, not the most versatile TOOL

I think something interesting could be done based on this. After all, the original weapon is already very versatile, being usable as a knife, an axe, a hook, and most importantly a throwing weapon.

Preparing the battlefied for your advantage before the enemy shows up is very useful for combat situations.

Sure, but would you talk about a "fighting style"?

Probably a quarterstaff desu. While its not perfect for every situation, just like any other weapon, there are pretty much no 'direct counters' to it. Its incredibly versatile and can be effective in nearly every situation

The spada de lato was very versatile. Slim enough to dispatch a suit of jousting plate through the eyehole, nimble enough to allow offhand/ kick/ disarm maneuvers, strong enough to damage anyone with nonmetal armor, fast enough to parry slashing weapons and cut someone wearing breastplate or no armor, long enough to bat aside or detip polearms, and best of all you have the other hand free for a shield or parrying dagger.

like this?

Something like this

I would honestly guess a mace.

Don't need a lot of training, and it has a clear arc. It has a heavy swing and can be used defensively as well as offensively. There are long, short and chained types. Some are two handed, some are one handed. Use a shield with it. It can crush shields, break guards, and shatter bones even through armor that might stop bladed weapons. You can bash with the handle, or choke someone with it.

It can do everything but cut. And I'm sure bladed maces exist.

I think maces are the most effective weapon in regards to what it can and can't do.

Did you not see the guy effortlessly fending off that menacing stick attack? It the way the other guy totally overwhelmed the other stick guy? It's a weapon to be feared

i use a combination creation in my campaign called the Orcish Wrecker. Its a warhammer head dealing 1d8 damage blunt, an axe head dealing 1d10 slashing and a moderate spike on the end dealing 1d4. Its an exotic weapon prof.
it can only be used by a character with a dex of 14 and is a triple weapon, though you can only use one head per attack unless you have weapon focus.Furthermore there is a specific style feat to use with it that allows you to attack with all three heads.
Each head can be enchanted separately. Its flat out one of the most versatile weapons, but to properly use requires an investment of three feats to use to balance out the versatility.

to clear this up, Exotic weapon prof must be taken to use this weapon at all. its too clumsy otherwise. This allows you to use one head per attack. Weapon focus grants the ability to use it as a double weapon. the style feat allows yo to use it as a triple weapon.

I would argue a Polaxe if you have some sort of armor. It's basically a shorter halberd, so you lose less advantage in cramped terrain but you lose a bit of reach

Would you happen to have a drawing, so that we see how it looks like?

Probably less versatile.
In this configuration you don't have an end that's safe to use without the risk of getting caught on an opponents weapon.