The most overrated medieval / fantasy weapon

[NotaNuffian]

Most overrated would be the fist. Fists are not very effective weapons compared to swords and spears and bows, yet it's common for someone in a story to use their fists and be just as effective as everyone else. Even in unarmed combat, elbow and knee strikes are generally more effective than fist strikes, yet fiction almost always focuses on punches or kicks.

Most probably because people like the telegraphing punch that leads to a knockout, it looks cool and the momentum of it is great enough. In CQC, unless you are pinning or grasping your opponent where the elbows and knees have a greater chance of contact, punches and kicks with their, by comparison, range will be optimal.

To prove you right, https://www.quora.com/What-is-more-effective-an-elbow-or-a-punch#:~:text=A punch can be thrown,tend to be more
https://www.reddit.com/r/martialarts/comments/71ywq3/would_you_rather_get_hit_with_a_fist_or_an_elbow/destructive.

Though like what you said, most of the times my MC went into the fight with him pinning someone down and raining elbows on people. Either that or it is the Spartan kick. He got lucky when he is dealing a mook at a time.

 

[BenJepheneT]

Everybody is picking swords so I'll go with the bow. I'm so tired of every bow character being a slim, (elf) female. Ya need a lot of strength to draw out the string dammit!

So I'm starting a movement, #buffmencanusebowstoo
There needs to be more muscular men using bows!

Buff to use a bow but not buff enough to swing an axe?

It smells like COPE in here.

 

[NotYourTypicalMan]

It's all fluke

 

[MasterHiatus]

Are guns being overrated now or nah?

 

[BlackStarLine]

Swords are obviously the most overused medieval weapons known to man. I would love to see more variety. Hell, the MC in my novel that will probably never see the light of day or completion is trained in using a *quarterstaff*. A motherfucking QUARTERSTAFF. There also doesn't appear to be much love for the crossbow in most novels. It's got just as much, if not more, stopping power as a bow and arrow, with the advantage of being more compact and with a good number of variations available.