Zweihander vs longsword (HEMA) 

That's the problem. Even with a plastic sword you have to be careful. You're swinging quite a bit of mass.

@@0612rex Has anyone been dumb/brave enough to receive a blow from one?

Would you not be able to with more protection?

@@styxkeeper From what I've seen, full speed blows from a greatsword can bruise even through regular padding. And greatswords rarely stop at a single blow.

@@MansMan42069 So what about more padding than the regular amount

Yeah, even a plastic one hits hard. I've been thrust by it and it winded me pretty bad. There's not many good sparring videos with them for good reason.

Zweihanders are silly toys good only for brandishing and compensating for a small wiener. It can't pierce armor effectively and is inferior to maces if and when it's swung to dent armor. When swung, maces concuss, stun and incapacitate foes: something zweinhanders will in their unwieldiness will have a hard time doing. It's not a stabbing weapon, so it is inferior to the dagger. Once the zweihander misses and tries to recover for the next swing, the opponent can come into the grapple with dagger and pierce the soft parts quickly, something the zweihander will never be able to do unless the enemy is already on the ground.

@@psijicassassin7166 the zweihander is pretty useless if you use it for something it wasn’t intended to do. historically dopplesoldners held the front and rear of the gevierte ordnung they where to advance in front of the company swinging their “silly toys” to cut down pike shafts and to establish a lodgment by penetrating the front ranks of the enemy while the remaining landsknechts would follow behind. go read a book before you talk about shit you don’t know, or at least it google bro… it’s free

@@anon9277 I was proving the point of Magnus that "t sucks that there's no good way to do all-out sparring with greatswords, since from all the footage I've seen it seems to make it really hard for the community as a whole to fully understand and learn this weapon." Now if you're more than 7 years old you would realize the foolishness of your retort. I did not say it was a silly toy for the purpose for which it was designed. I only said it was silly for sparring purposes. Reply to me when you're 8 year old.

​​@@psijicassassin7166 Saying the zweihander is inferior to the dagger because it "can't stab" is an insane statement. The zweihander swings very quickly compared to a poleaxe or halberd because of where the point of balance is. With proper technique, the swordsman takes very little time to recover even if they miss. That's why they were so effective as area denial weapons against multiple opponents; good luck trying to close in with a dagger against a whirlwind of steel. Even then, the greatsword (zweihander, montante, spadone etc) is still just that: a sword. Against an armored opponent you can still half-sword (so much for "can't stab" lol) or murder stroke. Less effective against armor than say poleaxe, but still effective. And most greatsword wielders would have a shorter sword and/or dagger as backup anyway.

I should get some footage from my club against people with more experience. We found that in a 1v1 duel, using it like a longsword or spear was more useful than the typical circular attacks you often see. Those were intended for multiple opponents though. In sparring, it was often easy to predict the movement and close in at a safe time.

@@0612rex Zweihanders are silly toys good only for brandishing and compensating for a small wiener. It can't pierce armor effectively and is inferior to maces if and when it's swung to dent armor. When swung, maces concuss, stun and incapacitate foes: something zweinhanders will in their unwieldiness will have a hard time doing. It's not a stabbing weapon, so it is inferior to the dagger. Once the zweihander misses and tries to recover for the next swing, the opponent can come into the grapple with dagger and pierce the soft parts quickly, something the zweihander will never be able to do unless the enemy is already on the ground.

You must be joking. Zweihanders are silly toys good only for brandishing and compensating for a small wiener. It can't pierce armor effectively and is inferior to maces if and when it's swung to dent armor. When swung, maces concuss, stun and incapacitate foes: something zweinhanders will in their unwieldiness will have a hard time doing. It's not a stabbing weapon, so it is inferior to the dagger. Once the zweihander misses and tries to recover for the next swing, the opponent can come into the grapple with a dagger and pierce the soft parts quickly, something the zweihander will never be able to do unless the enemy is already on the ground.

@@psijicassassin7166 Hi! I did not joke. Zweihander are a bit overseen when it comes to hema. Sure, there are many "Show and tell"-Videos but not so much about sparring or engaging training. A zweihander is more practical in unarmored combat in its time when Rapier, knife, dagger, saber and Messer were more common weapons. They were a step back in terms of weapons evolution but suited for the job they were developed for. As much as I like Maces and Shields, this combination was not that common anymore in later times of the Zweihander (if I haven't forgotten something; but I am open for sources) so they didn't meet. In armored combat I wouldn' rely so much on a Zweihander (Although they hit very hard due to lenght and momentum when you use a Prellhau which feels like a mace) but more on a halberd for its reach, impactforce and versatility. Thats why halberds got so common on battlefield. Calling a well made Zweihander unwieldy shows a lack of knowledge and proper training with this weapon. I don't know why you call a Zweihander "not a stabbing weapon", but you can thrust with it just as much as with any bladed weapon with a tip. You can thrust with it like with a longsword or you use halfswording for even more tip control. Even the reach is in favor of the user. In the scenario you describe "Zweihander vs Dagger user" coming near to grapple is the best you can do. Then again in my experience, your opponent doesn't want you to do so, so they usually try to hinder you by adapting to your movement. As far as I know both have a will to survive so I think it will be not impossible, but unlikely to close the distance to the zweihander user and thrust somewhere without loosing your head or die another way. (We are talking both unarmored here, right?) If you mean armored, then nothing stops you to use the Zweihander in a murderstroke like an improvised mace if you want to. Depending on which armor the oponent uses (Halfarmor, 3/4 Armor, full cuirass) You can still cut legs and arms. If he uses a full plate armor it would be advicable to drop the Zweihander and draw yout own dagger since both are likely to know grappling. But hey, if you like other weapons better, thats okay. I am more an enthusiast for twohanded swords so I appreciate more content of it. You simply seem to not be the target audience for it and that is fine.

@@psijicassassin7166 where are you from? I would like to spar with you, zweihander vs dagger and see who wins. They aren't the best dueling weapon by any means, but using a dagger as your primary weapon in that situation is ridiculous. Even against longsword its hard. Not impossible, but the odds are stacked against you. They're quicker than you'd think

I've got some new footage coming soon with a falchion and buckler vs zweihander. A shield makes a big difference. Also in armour, a longsword may have the advantage because it'll be more controllable in grapples. Cuts aren't going to do anything to plate armour.

@@0612rex Yep thats defintly true, the longsword has a lot more control. I would think a zweihander would still have enough weight and force to deliver lot of blunt force, not as good as a warhammer or poleaxe but enough to still break bones under plate.

@@epicwoad8999 I don't think you'd feel a zweihander blow under plate. The sword would bend, taking a lot of the energy out of it. They're a lot more floppy than you'd expect. Also the center of gravity is towards the hilt, much like any other swords. A war hammer has a solid mass at the end of a light shaft, so almost all the energy gets delivered onto a fairly small point.

Get real. In reality it would be unrealistic for the wielder to continue swinging as though he is a pinwheel. Once he's had a swing and missed, he can say goodbye to his reach advantage as the opponent with a dagger will now close in for the grapple and takedown, stabbing the soft parts the zweihander couldn't even dream of reaching. Zweihanders only kill stupid clueless fighters who can't parry and dodge a strike that could be seen and read friom a mile away. One miss with his haymaker and he's dead meat.

@@psijicassassin7166 You know real great swords aren't sluggish or slow right? They are actually pretty quick. And why can't the Zweihander wielder have a dagger as well? I'm saying the Zweihander would have an advantage because there is more kinetic force behind a Great Sword blow compared to a longswords blow. And you can still Half sword with a Zweihander and even grapple with them.

I've been doing that in solo drills, just didn't want to go full speed in sparring as my friend is missing some gear. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to check that out

In reality it would be unrealistic for the wielder to continue swinging was though he is a pinwheel. Once he's had and swing and missed, he can say goodbye to his reach advantage as the opponent with a dagger will now close in for the grapple and takedown, stabbing the soft parts the zweihander couldn't even dream of reaching. Zweihanders only kill stupid clueless fighters who can't parry and dodge a strike that could be seen and read friom a mile away.

​@Psijic Assassin trolling or just..weirdly emotionally invested in big swords?

I always cringe in that Game of Thrones scene where Arya duels Brienne with a rapier and just lightly deflects these heavy ass two-handed blows from a longsword, especially since previous episodes showed Brienne break people's swords in half in fights

It sucks that there's no good way to do all-out sparring with greatswords, since from all the footage I've seen it seems to make it really hard for the community as a whole to fully understand and learn this weapon. AFAIK it was historically often an elite soldier's weapon used to either guard critical strategic points or people, or gain an edge in formation fighting. So I reckon it must have a lot of potential that the HEMA community is struggling to unlock because it's just so dangerous to spar with?

Yep, that's what I found too. This was my first time with it and was trying different tactics.

Its what the sources advise too. Use it like a spear against one opponent.

That's what I thought. He should use it more like a spear due to it being longer.

No no no get back here, youre fine. 😊

My friend actually did that once 🤣 wasn't too effective but made me laugh which could have given him an advantage

This was our first time using this weapon, so we were pretty cautious. We were trying different things and seeing what does and doesn't work. At the club we discovered many more techniques. This was just a bit of fun

Basically. Your main advantage is reach. In a one on one fight, you're better off using it like a spear. The reason I spin it, is because there's so much momentum, that it's very difficult to stop the blade like you can with a longsword. It's very hard on your wrists. Unfortunately you can't go full speed safely with the gear we have, so it's not as effective as it should be.

@@0612rex "he reason I spin it, is because there's so much momentum, that it's very difficult to stop the blade like you can with a longsword." That just means you're to weak ;-) There are reasons why these swords where in very limited use, and their wielders payed double 😛

@@RoninTF2011 that isn't wrong, but the wide spinning attacks were shown in the treaties. Its mostly used for multiple opponents though. It's a lot faster to move the blade from one position to another if you let the momentum carry it. It takes a lot of training to be good at it though.

@@RoninTF2011 Dude it's a big ass sword that's twice as heavy as a normal longsword. You'd have to be a mountain of a man (which most people weren't in the renaissance) to wield it like a longsword and not get tired. the technique was obviously different because of this. You're just insulting people passive-aggresively. Do some research and learn to respect people.

They aren't as heavy as you'd expect. Around 2.6 kg for a steel one. Parrying is harder, but I'd feel confident displaying an attack with a longsword, or possibly even an arming sword. You don't have to completely stop it, just redirect the momentum.

@@0612rex Even so, the users of such weapons were very experienced and would most likely expect some sort of parry. I know it's definitely possible, but I certainly would not want to be forced to use my own strength against such a swing to try and deflect it. Even if a perfect deflection is made, such attacks put alot of strain on the defender. It was well known that the pikes of the footmen the Zweihander was used against didnt break after a strike, the arms of the infantry usually were due to the suddenly force put on their weapon.

@@zekenotech defences with pole arms would've been very different. Most soldiers would've trained against other pole arms, not against two handed swords, so the sword user would have some advantage there. They were very skilled fighters. There's a reason they got double pay. The biggest advantage they have against other sword users is the extra reach they have. They weren't as powerful as other two handed weapons, but were a lot more nimble. An axe or halberd hits with a lot more force.

Get real. Pikes are used by pikemen who FIGHT AS A GROUP and whose tactics revolve around maintaining the line. No sooner have you charged and raised your arms to strike than they will have poked your neck and armpits with their reach advantage. Your strike will have been parried by a protected canopy since they will have seen it coming from a mile away. When it comes to an armored duel, all it takes to defeat zweinhander users is using their momentum against themselves once their strikes have been dodged or parried. They can't swing wide forever, and once they slacken, all its lakes is a grapple and a dagger to the neck. Stop romanticizing the unwieldy toy meant to compensate for the wielder's modest endowments. LOL

@@psijicassassin7166 LoL, an idiot and a troll right? To begin with, There was no need to raise your hand quickly, there was a depiction in 1548 where a group of soldiers wielding these giant swords would create a large area denied by the enemy pikes, they would easily chop them sideways and the pikes are unversatile weapons only for pure thrust but when met with a steel blade that would chop the end of your sticks before you even get 2.2 metres close, yes the pike is giant but when a wielder creates an area of denial all pole arms and any other weapons is useless(not counting muskets and bows).... As for the armored duel part, then the wielder will stop using the sword the moment you get within 1.5 metres. He swings it and redirects momentum in terms of thrusts stabs and slashes. The greatsword can be used as a giant ax and sword, preventing you from getting close while breaking formation. It is just a weapon, why are you hating man? It is dead anyways just like your cowardly pike so refrain from insulting and spitting trash words like you.

That's pretty much what I use it for. It's not as heavy as it looks, but it does have a fair bit of heft to it.

We were being pretty careful about thrusts as it's a fairly stiff blade. Also halfswording can be difficult to pull off in free sparring. Especially if you aren't familiar with the weapon. Neither of us had used it before. Also, because of the reach, its to your advantage to stay out of their range, instead of closing in where they have the advantage with a smaller blade.

@@0612rex absolutely fair, safety first.

Why though? There is no sense in purposefully shortening your reach and giving up major advantage. Only when you get to close halfswording starts to make sense.

@@nicopetri3533 That third sentence is exactly why I mentioned it.

@@nicopetri3533 yep. It does give you more control though, but pretty much shortens it to a longsword. It has its uses, but I wouldn't use it in this context.

It was a controlled sparring session. I typically use it for steel longsword and group melee. I find it restricts movement

​@@0612rex absolutely it restricts movement but when you're going full contact things can happen. We just have a rule at most clubs over here particularly for longsword even when using synthetics.

The synthetic one I was using is 2.2kg. It's gets tiring fast. You can see why soldiers that used them got double pay. It took a lot of strength and skill to wield.

Shields would've certainly been used in war, as they're very effective against arrows. It really depends on the purpose of the battle I guess. If you were attacking a fortification then they would be necessary. But polearms have a lot of reach and would've been effective against foot soldiers. The very large two handed swords were used by specialist soldiers in strategic ways. I'm not sure about the details of their exact use, but can certainly find out as my fencing instructor is very knowledgeable.

And yes, exposed legs would be a good target, because you have the reach to do that fairly safely.

Boffers are good for beginners to practice but they aren't realistic at all. They're way too light so you can move them way too fast, they don't bind well, and sometimes they bend around each other so it feels like you've been hit even though you parried correctly. Just got to be aware of the limitations.

@@0612rex there are ways to made boffers a bit heavier without turning then unsafe, but people turn a blind eye Into them and think are not good...but they are one tool, to use with other tools. People don't like them, is probably cause hema generally try to stay away from larp. Neither are stick or blunt steel weapons realistic...none are sharp swords. They are tools and if an advanced think something isn't good because is for beginners...nah the fundamentals are the most advanced techniques so if is good for beginners it should be great even for masters

@@B..B. I never said they didn't have their place, you just have to knew their limitations. Plastic swords are stiffer but you need more protective gear. Plus they also aren't great in a bind. And they're often a lot thicker than steel so the weight isn't quite right. Blunt steel is more realistic, but they don't bite into each other the same way as sharp steel so they have their own limitations too as you said. A good blunt steel can be made to have an almost identical weight and balance to the original. Just need to bare in mind a thicker edge will add weight, so you need to take a little off elsewhere. We use buffers at my club for people without gear. Its okay for the basics but any bind work is almost impossible.

Yep. You'd have no trouble breaking bones with that. And that's with a plastic one. There's a reason people don't spar with the steel version

@0612rex Yeah with full commitment and a master at large sword sparring. The long sword would have never gotten a hit near them. Truly showed the respect for the weapons.

​@@DraconamousYou'd likely need full plate and even then head and hand hits would be extremely dangerous. With a sword this big you'll always need to hold back in some capacity, 80% commitment tops.

​@@anitaremenarova6662OH for sure! I did some research recently about them as well. And if I understood it, they were partly made as an answer to spears and pikes. If it is strong enough to cut through wood, even a prop for hema could do serious damage.

@@Towermidguard it wouldn't actually. It's hits hard, but a heavy shield could block it fine. A sharp sword would damage it a little though.

@@0612rex well it isn’t like the guy is a 5’10” 280 pound Scott either

@@Towermidguard it's a montante/greatsword/zweihander, rather than a Scottish claymore. They aren't as heavy as they look. They're swords afterall, not polearms with the mass at the end.

8 pounds guttsu

Its not something I've studied. A saw some drills on RU-vid and gave them a go, as well as improvising and seeing what does and doesn't work. I mostly do sabre, longsword and sword and buckler at the club, so this was something completely new and not really a fair test.

This was just our first try. The spin attacks aren't great in a 1v1 scenario and should only be used vs multiple opponents. Using it like a longsword or a spear works best in a duel we found.

@@0612rex it's still nice as all I had access to is anime and games.

​​@@cuchulainn3309Spinning works better against multiple opponents, using your whole body creates more momentum which makes it difficult for anyone without reach to engage. When creating a character like this always take into consideration that people in sparring videos are *ALWAYS* holding back ;)

@@anitaremenarova6662 oh! So in a real combat setting, I can expect something like a helicopter? That makes it even better!

@@cuchulainn3309 Not quite, you usually only do a full body spin every other turn of the sword to not get dizzy or mix them up completely to not strain your muscles and become unpredictable all in one.

Tempus fugitives. It's a black fencer sword, so you may be able to buy direct from them too

It would. It's better to use it like a longsword or a spear in a 1v1 fight. The stuff I was trying was from a part of a treaty focused on multiple opponents.

@@0612rex ah, figured I've seen some zeiehander techniques like that, I've been studying the sword because I'm thinking of buying one, and from what I see. It's a very intimidating sword

@@christopherfallout4552 have you got any hema clubs in your area? You can only learn so much from books and videos

@@0612rex yes, though sadly i dont think any of them except the zweihander

@@christopherfallout4552 you can't spar with full speed and you certainly can't use a steel version, so it's no surprise really.

We found thrusting was too dangerous with them. I almost broke a rib from it.

It's too dangerous. There's no safe way to spar properly with them. Even with gear, I was injured with a thrust

It's in Surrey

This is sparring, he's holding back. Yes that technique is not for duels but it doesn't matter if you just want to test it out.

Half swording works. Certainly gives you more control. Of course it sacrifices reach. It's good in certain situations, although the guard can get in the way, so you've essentially got a longsword with a cumbersome bit. There's a reason it's not common in hema. Fun to muck about with, just got to be careful. It's great for strength training

@@0612rex thank you for the response and extra info! ive always been into swords and martial weaponry, but HEMA itself and the general techniques of it all is smth im fairly new to :)

There were specialised weapons made for just that.

The zweihander (some would go up to 2.13 metres) would probably defeat all other weapons in proper combat and may be used on a back of a horse just like chunky ol' halberds. Would need immense training though.

Only the first minute is

I'm aware, but my friend doesn't have full gear and has only had a few lessons so didn't go full speed. Was only meant to be a bit of fun. First time trying this weapon too.

@@0612rex oh ok I gotcha. I wasn't trying to say anything about skill, and I clearly didn't understand full context, so for that I apologize if I come off as rude. I will be looking forward to more videos!

@@dawnbreakerii204 there was no context in the video. It was just meant to be a bit of fun. Originally uploaded it to share with friends. Most my other fencing stuff only gets a few views, but this one blew up. It's a little annoying as this was literally just us feeling out a new weapon. I guess there's not many videos of zweihander sparring. Makes sense as they're quite intimidating.

Its made by black fencer. If you're from the UK, this is where I got it tempusswords.co.uk/product/zweihander they do a steel version too, but it's too dangerous to fence with, even when blunt.

In the graveyard just outside of firelink shrine next to a giant grave

@@0612rex Do they do shipments to other countrie?👀

@@partydave1067 I don't think they ship the zweihander because of its size. I believe its a black fencer sword, and there might be resellers.

Depends what country you're from. It's a black fencer sword

@@0612rex im from America

@@0612rex specifically looking for this synthetic practice zweihander, size and shape is perfect

@@WilliamLezama-bz1rk I don't know any resellers over there. Black fencer is based in France if I'm not mistaken

You can get better hema gear. My friend doesn't spar too often, so he didn't want to buy the best stuff. Even then you have to be careful. There's a reason you don't see people using steel greatswords in sparring. Longswords are about the limit and even then most people use feders rather than actual blunt longswords because they flex more.

@@0612rex The mechanics of it all seem intresting enough by themself, im a kendoka, but im planning to visit a hema dojo. We are suppose to spar as hard as possible, while controlling our strikes and restricting them to armored targets. That we go hard is what i enjoy, dont think the kendo fighting spirit has a place in hema.. lets say with longswoards at least? Guess that depends on the armor my sparing partner got..

@@acrowsnest_t6630 we also go pretty hard. Not unnecessarily so, but enough to make each hit count. We don't aim for armoured parts either. We simulate unarmoured combat, so we aim to hit anywhere that would be effective in a real fight. That said, if someone doesn't have protection in a particular area, we aren't going to focus our attacks there, but sometimes it happens. Training kicks in and we hit instinctively. It's why you use plastic swords until you have full gear for steel. (It's a special type of very durable plastic that has a decent weight to it)

@@0612rex Thats something cool about hema, representing history accuratly. But i dont think i have seen a single hema fighter go as hard as any kendoka.. but thats down to circumstances such as point not beeing rewarded if you spirit seems limb during a strike, aiming for armor, etc. Is fighting in hema gear exsauthing? Do you guys have rules when it comes to social conduct?

@@acrowsnest_t6630 it's incredibly exhausting. When we spar, we typically go as fast as we can, not holding back. This means a lot of hits end up being fairly hard. The gear we use is pretty good, but sometimes injuries happen. It's often no worse than a bruise, but I've known people who've broken bones. Usually in the fingers where it's harder to protect. Each club does things differently. In competitions you want the points, so people end up fighting differently. It's why I prefer ordinary sparring. If you don't receive a decent hit, you don't call it. There's no official rules in sparring, just gentlemen rules really. For example in a grapple we don't often throw someone onto a hardwood floor. Especially when swords are involved.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5rMee0zu6AE.html better?

@@0612rex much

Being 6'1" I would've been a giant back then, so the length is fine. It's getting used to the weight that's the problem

No - its too long - it should not be longer than eye height when pointed on the ground straight up. - this one is 5 - 6 in too long. Plus he has no form. And this dude is not 6 ft tall or in good shape either

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cyqFaS-7xJA.html

@@waynevelzis8162 I'm over 6 foot and I'm tall enough to swing the weapon without it hitting the ground. My friend is a little shorter though. Also this was the first time using a true two hander for both of us and was after half hour of sparring. I'd only done one drill beforehand, so it was a bit of fun more than anything.

Great swords, zweihanders and montantes are the same thing. Back in the day it would've just been called a two handed sword. Zweihander literally just means two handed in german. I used that term because its popular in the modern day.

Depends how you wield a polearm. I hold a poleaxe with the butt end forward when fighting another pole arm user. You parry with the end, gain control of their weapon, before bringing the offensive end down onto them.

@@0612rex yep, what I want to say is Zweihander cannot wielded as a common long sword Some people think that great sword (or Italian Montante) is like a longer sword

@@fluffdragon6305 it's still got more in common with a sword. You'd cut and parry in the same ways. Edge alignment is the same, although a little harder because the blade flexes and is much more unforgiving. You can certainly use longsword techniques, but bare in mind that changing direction is slower and pretty hard on your wrists. It's it's own class of weapon really and requires training specific to two handed swords.

@@0612rex so is easier thrusting or cut as a long weapon. I think against a full armored opponent, cutting is still a bit useless, unless finding weak spots or full direct hit on head (for concussion effect)

@@fluffdragon6305 oh yeah, armour changes everything. You would half sword with armour and thrust into gaps, or use the cross guard or pommel once you've got close. They're not really designed to use against armour though.

I think the shield would still be somewhat effective, although it would take damage. If fact you'd risk the zweihander getting stuck in the shield. Thrusts could be pretty useful against people with shields, but we agreed not to do any thrusting because of the stiffness of the blade. Also bare in mind this was a bit of fun and we couldn't spar at full speed like we usually would because of safety reasons.

@@0612rex yea depending on the shields Constuction ive seen shields snap in half at reenactments from a hard blow to the top from just a longsword i you hit it along the grain and even with the shild stuck on it your Zweihander is now a shielded spear but as long as you stay back and dont let it through the Long sword used could just wear him out and move in

I hope you don't mind me answering on your post too. In my experience, It depends on the kind of shield and the Opponent. Centergrip shields tend to move a lot more if you strike them and you can open them up easier . Strapped shields are the worst, since they don't move a lot and hold up pretty well. No matter the shield, the opponent will eventually try to close in, trap your sword with the shield and strike from close quarters. When striking strongly with the Zweihänder, the shield User tends to let the bigger surface make contact so the blade and takes it momentum away. A shield is good against a zweihänder. I would not dismiss it so easy. Just my humble opinion

@@TimurAShadow thanks for the input the shield i saw get split was probably not the best construction or it was too hard or a wood because both can lead to it being less flexible but the type was a simple rounded shield probably made for practice out of pine but the guy took it to the reenactment by mistake because well we all make mistakes

I tried some proper sparring with a buckler and a heater shield vs zweihander at the club. Shields are very useful at breaking the flow of the zweihander. We found you can parry with a shield, not not effectively with a 1 handed weapon (tested with nylon blades) however my opponent had to raise their shield higher than normal in order to block my blade. This meant they blinded themselves and were vulnerable to a faint and a cut to their legs.

Not really build up enough momentum and the 8 pound sword is carrying itself through the air faster than a long sword so a synthetic blade would actually break your bones while a live blade would probably chop something off while a synthetic longsword would just bruise. Keep in mind this is comparing two people that have a physically trained body to endure a lot of punishment such as Fighters in something like MMA as if the body type is not assumed to be the same for either then the results are drastically different and one sided for either

You must also go slow enough to not endanger your opponents safety as a synthetic Zweihänder is still really heavy and can break bones as you are swinging around a 8 pound slab of metal sharpened or not

It was used, just by specialist soldiers. There were weapons designed solely for taking out horses though. The best use for a zweihander was defending against multiple unarmoured opponents.

The problem with full speed is potential broken bones. I've seen it happen with smaller swords. We haven't got the top of the line gear either. I can go a little faster at the club because the people there have more experience.

People often get like this, saying one weapon is better or worse than all others. It really depends on the use case. People weren't stupid back then. They wouldn't of used something if it didn't work. Zweihanders aren't the easiest swords to make and the users got double pay. They wouldn't go to all that trouble if they were useless.

@@0612rex He just seemed so angry, like a petulant child throwing a tantrum. As if the sight of a greatsword is an insult. I just don't get it. And to go so far as to keep copypasting pretty much the same comment over and over is just... Yikes.

@@MansMan42069 he's probably just a typical Internet troll, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and educate him. I won't glorify the greatsword above all weapons, but they aren't useless.

Because neither us have used a sword of this weight before, we had been sparring for half hour before hand, and we couldn't go full speed with this weapon without risking injury. You can break bones with that thing, even with protective gear.