Melee Weapons: Which to pick ?

[Dalvius]

If it had to be short range, a Roman gladius or a Japanese katana would be my choices. The katana was actually created for murder, so I'd probably use that.

As for long range, I'd have to pick between a composite bow and a sling. The armor I would have to choose would be either of Roman or medieval knight make.

[Chinese Peoples]

I recommend the Kara-tachi.

it's just like a katana but not curved, produced in an age when "Made in China" was a sign of unparalleled quality and technology.

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/karatachi.jpg

[La Cosa Fedora]

Do you want your people to fight as infantry or cavalry? What formations would you use?

I would recommend the Roman legion with the weapons of the Roman legion for infantry such as gladius and pilum. After all, it is a tried and true arrangement that had lots of military success.For cavalry, go for cataphracts or knights.

Also if we are discussing all pre-gunpowder weapons and not just melee, just use Mongol-style horse archers. The most successful conquerors of all time. Other empires like the Romans and the British had political and economic power, but the Mongols got great results with, let's face it, mediocre political and economic systems, as the key to their success was their military power.

Katanas are cool but I wonder how they fare against actual high-quality armor, or against formations like the ones used by Roman legionaires.

So for best army, I would say Roman legion infantry, cataphract heavy cavalry, lots of Mongols, and maybe an elite highly mobile katana wielders who move mounted but fight as infantry.

[Crookfur]

Pikes, pikes and some more pikes.

Possibly with a minor sprinkling of halberd, bills and zweihanders/great swords.

Side arms could be any flavour the user wanted but for cultural reasons would tend towards typical 15th century side swords.

Some light plate is probably worn but brigandines and Jacks would be more common due to a large focus on the speed and maneuverability of the pike blocks. Ain't no front rank of heavily armoured nobles going to slow down the Crookfur pike juggernaut. Said nobles can cover the flanks and carry out a final charge on horseback to make them feel important.


One thing to correct in the OP: a full plate harness could be and indeed was routinely used for fighting on foot, see the 100years war and the wars of the Roses.