Did swords pierce armor?

The edges can still be used against more lightly-armored opponents: no matter how effective a sword is against forms of armor such as brigandine and mail, no sword, no matter how sharp, can cut directly through plate armor. For most of the medieval period, fighters would use a sword and a shield together.

How were swords used in battle?

They were particularly effective against cavalry, so long as the cavalry attacked from the front. Where swords remained particularly effective is as a cavalry weapon, particularly the sabre. Light and one-handed, you could slash at your enemies from above while still controlling your horse.

Can a sword pierce a breastplate?

The answer to this is a general ‘no. ‘ Especially since you say ‘reliably’ – swords in any form are not armour-piercing weapons. Regarding the use of swords in battle, it is true that a sword cannot penetrate plate armour.

Can swords cut chain mail?

They don’t. They might cause damage through the maille or they can be thrust into maille and maybe break a few links but generally maille stops a sword cut.

Can a sword go through chain mail?

When the mail was not riveted, a thrust from most sharp weapons could penetrate it. However, when mail was riveted, only a strong well-placed thrust from certain spears, or thin or dedicated mail-piercing swords like the estoc, could penetrate, and a pollaxe or halberd blow could break through the armour.

Can a sword thrust pierce through plate armor?

A sword thrust wouldn’t pierce through plate armor. But you could still hit the person inside the armor if you were to use a thrusting sword and aimed for the chinks and seams. Plate armor isn’t all one piece, after all, so there will be weak points.

Can heavy weapons pierce armor?

A particularly large/heavy sword, like a Claymore, wouldn’t pierce the armour but in the hands of a very strong man it could reasonably dent the armour seriously enough to cause major damage, in the right spot (like the helmet, shoulder, etc.). Ditto your heavier axes.

Why did longbowmen win so many wars?

English and Welsh longbowmen won many a battle, even though vastly outnumbered, because their longbow arrows could pierce armor and had the advantage of being loaded swiftly; whereas a (mid-14th century) crossbow required a minute or more to reload, a longbowman could get off an arrow every five seconds or so.

What are the different types of armor in medieval warfare?

There was also hardened leather armor, scale (not certain about the terminology) which was smaller pieces of metal attached to cloth or leather in rows, and mail (chainmail). Mail was good against slashes and the like but could be penetrated by particularly strong a thrust from a pointed weapon.