After years of gaming and reading up on the subject, I'm curious what y'all think on the subject of fantasy's staple weapons. I encourage you to leave a brief explanation as to what your weapon of choice is. Feel free to mention something I have missed in the poll.

*The swords of Europe tend to have a straight, double-edged blade and a cruciform outline (exceptions like the saber and cutlass exist). Eastern Swords are characterized by curved, single-edged blades optimized for slashing (scimitars, katanas, ect). I am by no means a technical expert in either class, so this definition is nothing more than a cursory way to distinguish one type from the other.

**A better definition for blunt is a hafted weapon. Both axes and various bludgeons are wielded in a similar manner although axes have a cutting edge. For simplisity's sake, they are all classified as blunt weapons.

Not sure what the diff in Eastern and European swords is, but I am a sword-aholic, it is about all I ever use.

Unless I am mistaken...European swords tend to be double-edged, where as Eastern tend to be single-edged, like katanas and scimitars.

Myself, I voted Bow. In particular the Elven Bow. The reason...elves. I have, until recently, played almost exclusively Dunmers. I have shifted to a Bosmer for a main character in my FF. Ranged attack and sniping have been play playstyle in every RPG I play.

I picked daggers. They're small, quick, and easily concealed.

My first vote goes to bows. Much like Thomas Derelas, I tend to gravitate to the elven archer types in games. Or even the non-elven ones when only humans are available (such as in the Diablo games). IRL, I also have a fondness for the horse archer cultures of the steppe, particularly the Scythians and Sarmatians.

My second vote would go to Western-style swords. There is a mystique to swords. They have always been the weapon of choice of the warrior-aristocracy in every culture that developed them. They are a symbol of not only power, but prestige, and even artistry (for making a good sword is no easy task). I just wish fantasy RPGs would use the right names for them. I always want to roll my eyes when I see a "longsword" in a game, when it is really an arming sword.

I add my vote to bows, as well. Not just for the elven types, but for humans, as well. It's not just keeping into Orlando Bloom's stereotype that all of my elven characters tend to be archers, it's just what I like, and I was among the people who were not too happy that crossbows are not in Oblivion. Being medieval fantasy, why wouldn't they be, especially since they were in Morrowind. Thrown weapons I can understand, but ditching crossbows seems kinda lazy to me.

My elf always keeps a short blade or dagger at his side for backup, though. In case things get too close for comfort. He is not Buffy, Mystic Archer extraordinaire, he is a ranger who only tends to use his Illusion magic to charm through diplomacy, see in the dark, and keep animals from devouring him. In fact, he makes very little use of most other magic at all when I'm playing.

GAAAH!!! Can I change my vote to whichever is double-edged? GAAAAH !!!

I don't think you can, but we'll just make note of it. Personally, I've come around to blunt weapons, axes specifically. Naturally, they have limitations but axes are very effective against shields and armor while excelling as tools of peace. Compared to swords, blunt weapons are cheaper and easier to mass produce. They're also more familiar to the average person than the prestigous sword. From a physics standpoint, the humble axe makes better use of leverage and imparting energy on impact. That being said, every weapon has its place. Swords tend to be more wieldy in experienced hands than axes.

On a side note, the Vietnam-era tomahawk is seeing a resurgence in the US Armed Forces as a close-quarters weapon and tool alongside the fighting knife.

Thank you !! (single-handed longsword/double-edged blade)

I'm personally unsure as to whether axes should be classified as blunt since they...well...aren't.

But anyway I put my vote in for staves, staves specfically that is, because they are the greatest defensive tool someone could have. A good staff user can always have a weapon, can always defend themselves, and does not need to be a target just for carrying one. It's not even a weapon, it's just a tool, but it's uses are so varied and dynamic it can take that role.

Gotta go with the good ol' katana. Eastern for me.

What you are thinking of is probably the classic Western arming sword, the medieval knight's personal sidearm. Or the earlier Viking sword, or old-school gladius.

Bow. Why send an elf where an arrow can go?

I favor western swords. My heritage is largely German so I just gravitate to the European designs. In game I use claymores most of the time since they are most similar to the Zweihänder, a 4-5 foot long sword used to hack through pole arm formations and can be used to repel mounted soldiers.

I also like falchions which are a single edge sword that "combined the weight and power of an axe with the versatility of a sword."

In a lot of games, and I'd probably have to include TES IV, there's not a lot of difference between any of the single-hand weapons. Same animations, similar damage, reach and speed. There will be more difference between types of the same class, than between the classes. So it normally comes down to bow, sword and board, or two-handed, as the three real choices that make a difference. Many games give you no choice but to use all of them (or magic) in different situations. An enemy with a ranged attack that you can't reach needs a ranged response, so blunts or blades aren't going to help, but then tight, twisty tunnel dungeons don't let you use a ranged attack like a bow.

Then there's the usual rock, paper, scissors situation where the best weapon to use depends on the enemy. Bow beats two-hander beats sword+board beats bow (or the other way round with different game mechanics). Any game's going to build that in.

But for looks, a two-handed sword every time!

Throwing weapons. More specifically, throwing knives, tomahawks and slings. Especially slings.

The reason is because they can be easily produced and rocks can be found anywhere so you don't have to worry about ammo for the sling. They can be easily concealed and let's face it; a knife, tomahawk and a rock colliding with your head is hazardous to your well being. I hope they add Slings for Skyrim.

Next up is the Crossbow. This can impenetrate through chainmail and damage the integrity of heavier armors like platemail.

Well I am a Viking byblood and heritage, so a giant axe or iron sword is the style for me...always liked battering my hapless opponents in ES III an IV with great weapons.

Large blunt heavy things for me. Subtlety becomes unnessessary if you have a large enough axe/hammer/mace, also they're durable. It would be nice if more games made more of the difference between different melee weapons though.

I went for the bow !

a few good archers can destroy the ranks of an entire army before they make it even close to the archers.

plus, in an emergency, the arrows can be used as a melee weapon

Have you (or anyone else on here) tried the "Throwing Spears" on Fallout: New Vegas yet? I have gotten them several times ... and chickened out trying them in spite of the fact that their damage is like 31 in early levels. Maybe because I have such a bad aim with everything else? Lol.

Ive got an image in my head now of a raider camp, everything calm, beautiful sunset, and hundreds of spears flying OVER the camp with someone cursing after every throw!

Personal favorite? Tough to say. My characters generally carry multiple weapon types on them at any given time. I favor the western sword over the eastern, with the one-hander over the two-hander in most situations, but not all, for the ability to also use a shield. I enjoy having the mace handy (particularly a flanged mace) or a war-axe for dealing with those annoying heavy-armor types (said annoyance does not apply to me).

Here's how I generally play, though. I'll let the board feed me suggestions about how it works out as far as weapon preferences.

If it's a heavy-armored opponent, I typically go shield and mace.

If it's a light-armored opponent, I use the shortsword's speed with the shield.

If it's an unarmored monster with reach (Xivilai, Ogres), bust out the longsword with shield for the distance and speed balance.

If I have the drop, coupled with distance, on an enemy, I default to sniping.

If I'm facing off against an archer, from an inferior position, I summon and send in mooks of ghosts/zombies/skeletons/scamps to draw off the attention. Then I re-position. Proceed according to appropriate strategy.

For enemies best dealt with using spells, I close to melee and commence spamming on-touch spells. Spell stacking frequently employed.

For enemies where magic is less useful than poison (Xivilai and Ogres again, also the upper level Dremora and those pesky Altmer Marauder Battlemages), I'll poison an appropriate weapon with the appropriate poison effect (shock, silence, paralysis, and damage magicka are my favorites).

If I know I can absolutely afford it, I get into a fist-fight with my enemy. It's unbelievable fun to kill a rat with a single punch. Or a deer.