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There was no such thing as a swordsman in medieval times, although most knights carried a sword. This was essentially a last resort weapon and could not be used for "Fencing" - it was usually designed for slashing and cutting. A knight also carried a shield, making the sword a single-hand weapon during most of the period.

The main weapon for both knights and infantry (serjantz) was a spear or one of its derivatives . This had the advantage of keeping the enemy at more than arm's length away, reducing the risk of injury to oneself; using the sword or other close-combat weapon increased this risk because the enemy must automatically be closer.

In the immediate post-medieval Renaissance era the sword became a much more widely-used weapon, with fencing schools starting up and mercenary troops such as Condotierri using almost entirely crossbows, swords and firerams.

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12y ago

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