My 6 Best Historical Weapons in Different Contexts - with  

You can almost hear a Skallagrimmian "It depends!" radiate across the vastness of the aether in resonance.

Re: Climbing a ladder with a pavise. Years ago I ran a historically accurate RPG campaign. At one stage the players had to fend off an attack by an enemy assault force and I said that they were all carrying shields and swords. One player with a very strong engineering background argued against this saying that it was impossible to climb with a shield, let alone with both hand full. This went back and forth until I actually went outside his house and demonstrated how it could be done by climbing a 20 foot ladder with said weapons in hand, in fact we observed that by climbing and leaning into the ladder it is almost impossible to NOT cover yourself with the shield.

Sabers? Heck no, duel with matched weapons, I say Nerf bats. I don't wanna bleed!

If you were a immortal in the highlander world and had to face other immortals who had different types of swords from all different eras What sword would you choose to carry

Fun thought experiment. I'd love to hear Zac's responses to the same idea under mounted scenarios, such as mounted charge, mounted close combat against unmounted opponents, mounted close combat vs mounted opponents, etc

This is a fabulous idea for a video, I want to add about 100 scenarios to the list. Naval scenarios! Traveling incognito, but expecting serious fighting! Scouting/skulldugery behind enemy lines! Skirmishing in a small squad! Bodyguard for a young child walking the narrow streets of Venice! Fleeing a rout into woodlands on foot, pursued by mounted Mongol archers! Time traveler from the 16th century facing off against a small unit of 11th century Norsemen! Do more of these, I love kit hypotheticals.

One of the most concise videos of Matt Easton.

"You'd need a really large turning circle to get around the canapés" 🤣🤣🤣

Contexts! 🎉

Defending the castle as they come up the ladder preferred weapon: My set of kettle bells and gravity.

I think the Zhanmadao “horse cutter” would also be a good choice against a troll, it has huge cutting power, leverage, and the handle has a full tang or similarity durable construction.

Shotgun !!! & termites, for the ladder 🪜

Cinquedea deserves some love for formal dress. Especially since long blades were probably restricted in formal court settings unless you were part of the royal retinue or received some special dispensation

Pretty much agree except for defending against ladders. I would choose an ax with a spike on top. It gives you the ability to thrust that Matt likes but I would mainly target the hands of those climbing the ladder first. Even with heavy gauntlets a good smash or two to the hands, especially when braced against a ladder rung, is going to hurt and might make them let go.

I have a good one. Fantasy medieval; What do you take into a cave to fight a variety of size monsters in varying degrees of enclosed space.

challenge settings: 1 in a dungeon maze 2 attacking a ship as a pirate, but cutlass or musket are not allowed 3 facing against a Klingon and an Romulan, equip yourself and a companion, only melee weapons before 1800 allowed (I assume they have their typical melee weapons with them)

As a fantasy roleplayer, here’s my question to Matt: From Early Medieval to Early Renaissance, disregarding firearms, what would your adventuring kit be in a standard fantasy world? Armor (head, body limbs), primary weapon, shield (yes/no, what type if any), backup weapon, any missile weapon?

This was a great video, thanks for doing it!

Nice to see Zac on your channel again!

This video was a very fun watch

Brilliant lads! This is such a fun format. I’d absolutely love to see it become a series. Brain games are always fun, and this is a great way to look at our precious arms and armour in another light. Kudos!

That was a great video actually - fun to see Matt react on the spot, having such a reputation for thoughtful and prepared videos (which are great btw).

I want to see that formal dress rapier and dagger outfit. Matt needs to also have a powdered wig with a cavalier hat. And lots snd lots of lead-based makeup

Siege defense: Roman liquid fire hand siphon. Siege attack: Axe of some kind, preferably capable of hooking and whatnot. Fantasy: I think I'd want a bow, but if the quarters are guaranteed to be tight, a two-handed sword. Scenario: Naval action, boarding ship to ship. Scenario: Forlorn Hope trying to force a breach in a wall caused by mining.

New nightmare. I'm holding a wall during a siege. Ladders are set. An armoured man climbs over the wall in front of me. It's Matt with a dagger, and he is dagger crazy.

the perfect format for Matt - tap into his vast knowledge, but also keep him on target. he does tend to get down into the weeds

as a Pole, in the fifth question I almost expected the answer "Karabella", especially after I heard about the passion for sabers :-D Polish karabellas were often very decorated, together with the noble robe and the rest of the costume typical of a Polish nobleman, they often dazzled even rich visitors from the west. This is, of course, a slightly later period than the times of Henry the Eighth, but there was no time frame in this question 😀

We had the same thought on the ogre! Harpoons if you have enough people to restrain it, pollaxe otherwise. The one I might disagree on is the battlements, although it depends on the details of the battlements and if there are any other defenders with me. Provided there were other defenders, I would go for a combination of swords, spears, and two-handed flails in the manner of the Hussites. Battlements minimize or negate a _lot_ of the problems of flails while making them quite potent at snapping at people below you.

#6 - Single combat against large fantasy opponent: Armour and a short weapon is the absolute worst combo against a very large, incredibly strong enemy. If something like an ogre or troll hits you you'll be turned into a crushed tomato can. And if you try to block an attack you'll end up with two broken arms and/or a shattered weapon. Your only chance is to stay mobile and stab it a lot, hopefully in the face/eyes, and do lots of voiding. That or use a short bow and pepper it with arrows while kiting it. Assuming suspension of physics that stops such things existing, they would be a nightmare opponent for humans. Things like a ballista would be the best way to deal with them.

1 - open ground, duel, matched weapon - longsword, for the same reason Matt chose sabre... it's the weapon i have the most experience with, and therefore the best chance of survival 2a - defending a castle, from the rampart, against hand weapons - the sensible answer is a bow or projectile weapon of some sort but perhaps that's against the spirit of things, so i'll say spear. Maybe a hybrid answer is appropriate... give me a big barrel of throwable spears. 2b - when they're climbing up the ladders - probably a warhammer with a spike on the top so i can sweep, hook and poke. would like a shield if possible (Matt says pavise - that's very clever) 3 - i'm climbing up the ladder and attacking the castle - i'm gonna need one handed stuff for sure. i want a shield of some description to protect me against strikes from above, and i need a weapon that i can carry in my shield hand to keep it ready. i hate to be vague but a "short sword" in the vein of a viking sword is what i'm going to want for that. i'll also be carrying a sheathed arming sword and as many other one handed axes, daggers etc as i can bear the weight of... or afford 4 - a sidearm while travelling for personal defence in medieval europe - i'm going to interpret that as /late/ medieval and say sidesword. it's in the name, if i'm wandering around then i want a spada at my lato for sure. longsword would be a little too cumbersome for EDC so it's edged out here 5 - looking good at a formal event - well, that's a sidesword again, but this time with a complex hilt. i'd be happy with a true rapier also as a later period sword could be even fancier 6 - fantasy, fighting an ogre - it's got to be a polearm - the general answer is a poleaxe as it can cut, stab and hammer, however, it depends on the size of the ogre. if they're more than like 9 feet tall, i want something longer than a poleaxe. or, fantasy - i'll learn some spells and deal with it from afar :) was very interesting to hear Matt go totally opposite on my reasoning - forget maximising distance and go with the adaptability of a poleaxe lol note, i made a choice and justified it before watching Matt's answer, but in some cases I have edited my initial response slightly to include context from the video

Thank you, very interesting video. What’s about the next situation: some nobleman (i.e. count or bishop) enters the Medieval town and you are one of his guards. Citizens do not like your employer, but come to see him in a great number making a big crowd, so you need to clear the passage for the train trying not to provoke a fight and at the same time you should be able to resist if some locals try to attack you. What weapon and armor will you choose in this case?

"Look, Scholargladitoria knocked a punchbowl off the table. The Queen is glaring at him."

This was fantastic! Loved it

Great vid! Love your reasoning! I'd go type XIV and a viking shield for pretty much everything, but a Goedendag for fighting the folks on ladders and a mahusive glave for the trolls.

I really hope there are more in this series! It was fun and interesting. n_n

I see your rapier and rise a schiavona. There are many portraits of northern Italian gentlemen (so in their best gear) where the rapier is replaced by a schiavona.

What a great set of questions and answers!

Great video, more scenarios would be good to hear.

Very interesting and amusing! Thank you for making and sharing. 👍

in the wisdom of a certain lads words; it depends

Love how the title is "(...) in different context" haha

Love this, so much fun and very interesting.

Very fun video! Here is a possible hypothetical for you Matt. It is 1901, a mad scientist has selected you to test his time machine, you will be transported back in time to early 1400s Europe. Your potential foes range from lightly armoured brigands to plate armoured knights. To aid you in this journey you are to select one model of European sword dating from 1780-1901. Which sword do you take?

Here's a scenario I've been thinking about lately. If you wanted to carry a dedicated melee sidearm, in a modern military context. By dedicated melee weapon, I mean NOT a multi-purpose tool that can be used as a weapon (like a knife or hatchet,) and I do not mean a bayonet that you can use to turn your rifle into a melee weapon. A single object you are carrying along with your rifle that has the sole purpose of being a melee weapon.

Great video lads! Really fun thought experiment would like to see more like it

More of these would be interesting to hear.

Excellent video, great idea Zach!

Fun video, would enjoy more content like this

That was super fun. Do more.

Against the ogre, a Dane axe.

Those scenarios are fun, you guys should make it a series. With that said, I'd choose a beltfed in most of those.

I love this! So very cool, and these were all great questions and answers. Cheers, Gents!

Thumbs up for the Medieval Cinematic Universe crossovers. For #2 I'd take an axe or hammer. After dispatching the foe, you could then go to work on the ladder and try to break their rungs or hooks.

Open ground, unarmored duel, matched weapons: I'll go with pool noodles, maybe a water pistol, since it wasn't specified that somebody had to die in this duel.

Why didn't he ask him about a fully-armored duel smh

Me: "Longsword, the type commonly called a "bastard sword." For EVERYTHING."

My picks: Open ground duel: Metal fan. I doubt my opponent will know how to use it. Defending the ramparts: I think a boar spear because I want to use leverage to remove them from the ladder. Climbing the ramparts: Large shield as Matt said, and I think a Tomahawk so I can hook, pull and also hit around my shield or their shield. Civilian travel: A short messer and buckler because I'm best with short swords. Fancy party: I dislike bumping into things so I'll go with a fancy main gauche and an expensive fan. Against an Ogre I'd prefer to engage at long range with a crossbow. At short range I'd like a pavis and a crow's beak poleax as Matt said.

I really enjoyed this segment, I reminded of an Alan partridge interview.

Hard fail on the fancy rapier. The classiest, most appropriate period weapon for a fancy event, is clearly the bollocks dagger.

1:39 a Dagger 2:42 a big ole Canon 4:59 a shield and a sword 7:14 a Kriegsmesser, because that would be legal to carry haha - and always a dagger 9:05 I would not attend such a thing, and I would be too poor anyways 10:15 quick acting poison darts, and lots of them with lots of very strong poison

I loved this!

If you were a cavalry officer in the Indian mutiny facing Khandas , Tulwars and Firangis what type of sword would you carry ?

I have two questions. 1. Modern day, year 2024. Any MELEE weapon that's available and that you can legally own and carry, that would be useful for self defence and wouldn't raise suspicions. I like the topic of modern melee weapons. 2. Early modern period, what we can describe as the Age of Sail. You are a shipwreck survivor on an island with lots of wildlife as well as an indigenious population that's hostile to you and would attack you on sight. You'll spend at least the next couple of years on this island and this very weapon is the only item you have when you survive being shipwrecked.

“matched weapons” *puts away FN FAL*

Fun one! Please do again soon.

A lot of fun and edcational hearing you and your friend's conversation. Really enjoyed it. Thanks, but I forgot about my cocktail as I was so engrossed. Well, back to my drink, I'll be tuning in later.

You slayed the dragon rescued the damsel and got drunk on mead. You come home at 3 am, what do you tell your wife? And what do you use to defend yourself vs a cast iron skillet?

Last question was the best!

i need Zac and Matt and a chariot

I've always thought a brown bear was the best IRL analog for an ogre-y/troll-y creature, but with an aggressive male chimpanzee behavior and physiology. No sane person would want to go one-on-one against this sort of thing, but if I did need to I'd want a stout long-bladed polearm like a glaive. I'd want to be able to easily perform deep cuts to tendons, while having a blade long and sturdy enough to reach the vitals of huge a large opponent. I'd almost certainly die unless I wasn't doing this alone, and preferably had a pack of mastiffs to harry it.

That was fun, thank you gentlemen.

Cool video idea. It's simple and fun

This is great! More of these please! Also, what are Zack’s answers!?

This is the best video idea

Love it!

Brilliant! :)

Scenario: Open field, facing a hundred goblins (or other child-sized, disorganized opponents) armed with knives, you have about 20m between you and the closest one

I would defend the ladder with buckets of hot oil. Good luck even making it to the top.

If we're doing hypotheticals, just for fun I'm gonna go full "mall ninja" and ask what historical weapon you would choose in a zombie apocalypse scenario (aside from firearms, obviously.)

That ogre question makes me want to quibble a bit. A greatsword might be a good choice in that situation. A pollaxe isn't a bad choice at all, but the greatsword is almost a synthesis between that and the benefits of a spear. I'm not sure I'd go with a rapier as a fancy-dress sword, either. The hilts are beautiful of course, but the length (Matt said _forty-five_ inches?!?) seems terribly impractical for a party. Plenty of sabers have pretty hilts but don't require a 3-foot radius to turn around.

Great Video :)

A scenario I'd be interested in your take on would be: you're going to be in a duel, you cannot wear armor, but you don't know whether the other person will be wearing any armor or what type if so, or what weapon they will be using?

"Against a monster I'd take a pole axe!" Matt, I am so disappointed. Everyone knows the best weapons against monsters is the Falchion! After all, the only surviving weapon to actually have slain a dragon is the Conyers Falchion, which Sir John Conyers used to slay the Sockburn Wyrm.

Questions for another video: 1. In an 15th century fantasy setting, you're fighting an oriental ogre. In addition to being eight feet (about 2.5 meters) tall, and unbelievably strong, they're also highly intelligent and have magical abilities, such as the ability to turn invisible at will. What weapon and armor combination would you choose? 2. In the above scenario, what weapon and armor combination would you choose if you were the ogre fighting a human adventurer? 3. In a 15th century fantasy setting, what weapon and armor combination would you choose for your human army if you had to face Tolkien's elves of Rivendell? 4. Back to the real world, if you were a 17th century pirate captain, planning for boarding actions againts everything from merchant sailors with improvised weapons to repelling boarding actions by the British Royal Navy, what hand weapons would you choose for yourself and your crew? (Firearms are outside the scope of this question.)

Quite fun and informative, especially for a weapons dilettante such as myself.

1. Klingon disrupter 2. Klingon disrupter 3. Klingon disrupter 4. Klingon disrupter 5. Death Star 6. Klingon disrupter

More of these please! I would ask what would you arm yourself, with a primary, secondary, shield (if wanted) or third weapon (Such as rondel), and armour (late 14thC, you are mid class man at arms level) tasked with 10 compatriots, jwho are armed as they please, to hold a 15 metres wide street from an incoming wall breach of a city? What if you could choose what everyone else was armed with as well individually and had 2 days to train them?

Marvelous.

Good fun!

Fantastic list! All I am missing is the Pavese and the poleax. More exotic and fantasy lists, please!

Captain Context comes around the corner waving a sabre at me, what is my weapon of choice? I reckon I'll do 'im with a dane axe.

For a fantasy realm scenario, I would choose no weapon at all, just some powerful spells and a bag of mana potions. I might also consider shapeshifting into a dragon and scorching my enemies from the air. The enemy would stand no chance in Hell.

The falcion of the middle Middle Ages is definitely useful in multiple situations.

Against a monster like ogres, it would probably be good to have armor with spikes, which were supposedly used to protect against bears.

Some good choices 👍🏻

Good video gentleman.

I think against the Ogre/Troll, having a chu ko nu with venomed tips for multiple distant/safe shots.

Brilliant!

Elizabethan law limited the length of the rapier blade to 36" I personally own a 3 ring Elizabethan rapier.

*_CAPTAIN CONTEXT!_* ...I love the alliteration.