Top ten greatest weapons in history

[GrimTuesday]

Katan #1 hahahahaha you're funny.

#10 Flintlocks. Although these could kill someone no matter what they were wearing and thus got rid of the heavy armored soldier, they were highly inaccurate and took a long time to reload (about 20 seconds if you were good) the only reason I include it is because it paved the way for guns.

#9 The European sword. This sword is about as basic a sword as you can find. These swords were not meant for decoration, these were weapons of war. While simple, they were very versatile and had many different way to use them on the battlefield.

#8 The spear. This is a no brainer because it's a fucking spear, the only thing older that it is a fucking club. I won't get into the different types of spears but needless to say they were highly effective on the battlefield

#7 The club. This might seem silly to put this on my list however I do not believe one should write the club off. A club can come in many different forms all of which are capable of dealing death no matter what you're wearing.

#6 Damascus swords. These swords far outclassed any sword that the Europeans could create. the Woolz steel that was used in the creation of these swords had the prefect iron to carbon ratio as well as other types of metals which made it even stronger and able to hold an edge.

#5 The AK47. because this gun has only one moving part it is incredibly simple to manufacture and use. Also because of the lack of parts to get shit in this gun will run forever no matter the climate.

#4 The English longbow. These weapons were insanely powerful and could kill a man from something like 400 yards away. In addition to range it could also punch through armor without much problem.

#3 Pole Arms. This includes any weapon which is on a pole besides spears and lances. Take for example a bill (because everyone already talked about the Halberd). this is a relativity simple weapon, it's just a piece of sharpened metal with a hook on the end. However this weapon could play hell with a cavalry charge in a way that no spear could. The hook allowed foot soldier to haul a knight down from his horse thus taking away one of his greatest advantages.

#2 The canon. It shoots huge fucking balls of metal, need I say more?

#1 This one will likely get some people confused but I stand by my choice that the ax is the best weapon in human history. This weapon has been around almost since humans first discovered tools not only for doing work to survive, but also to wage war on other people. The ax is very versatile as it can be used as both a cutting weapon, a puncturing weapon (depending on the type of ax you are using), and a smashing weapon. If this weapon was not the best suited for the purpose, why did it not cease to be used as a killing tool until guns came around?

I didn't include the lance in here specifically, is because in order for it to be as effective as it was it required the horse.

The reason I didn't include guns is because I don't know a lot about them and don't want to come off a jackass who wants to look cool because he knows all about guns when he does.

 

[Lord_Panzer]

1)Cannon- Made castles obsolete, breaking the stalemate in medieval warfare which castles had produced allowing for major conflicts in the early modern period to shape world history.

I love you.

No one seems to understand just how fundamental a shift warfare underwent with the advent of the cannon, not just used in siege warfare but in conventional battles as well. Hell, were it not for cannons we wouldn't have guns.

 

[spartan231490]

1) Human Brain.....after that its all redundant...

You can kill someone with a feather if you try hard enough, therefore the only thing that can truely be called a weapon is the intent.

 

[SimuLord]

Just a thought, but I haven't actually submitted a list. Keep in mind that a fair few of these are one man's opinion and do not necessarily represent the "best" so much as "what one guy thinks is cool."

10. The Smith&Wesson Model 29. Because let's face it, Dirty Harry IS a BAMF and that counts for something.
9. The Henry Repeating Rifle (Fallout 3 players know it as "Lincoln's Repeater"). As close to a hand cannon as the 19th century produced.
8. The Browning M2 .50 cal. An asskicker of pure awesome.
7. The Claymore anti-personnel mine. Just a dirty, nasty way to fuck someone's shit up.
6. The cutlass. Just to let everyone know where I stand on the pirates vs. ninjas Internet meme pissing contest.
5. The M1911A1. For my money the greatest pistol ever made.
4. Those BFG-9000 cannons the Ottoman Empire loved to use. Bordered on Awesome But Impractical but scared the fuck out of Christian Europe and kept wall repairmen in work for weeks.
3. The M4A1 Sherman tank. Anything that invokes the Civil War's great shit ruiner with the efficiency of Henry Ford's assembly line techniques is my kind of weapon.
2. A wire coathanger. Killing people before they're even born. (yeah, so I went for a dead baby joke. Sue me.)
1. A good old-fashioned fist to the face. The oldest, most tried and true, and still the most badass way to ruin someone's day.

 

[s0m3th1ng]

The love affair in the West with katanas annoys me. They are not lightsabers, they cannot cut through another sword, and their quality actually varied considerably. A katana was only the perfect weapon for ITS PARTICULAR BATTLEFIELD - i.e. against other soldiers wearing no armor or armor made of bamboo wood.

Against a full suit of late-medieval European ruffled plate armor, slashing swords are relatively useless. European swords of this time were used more as clubs than cutting weapons. Puncture-style weapons such as crow's beaks and pikes were far more effective against plate armor, as were crushing weapons (maces, mauls, hammers) that could cause blunt force trauma to the wearer through the armor.

IMO the greatest weapon in world history is the nuclear bomb. Not because it is powerful, but more so that it radically changed the nature of world conflict forever. Conventional total wars between nation-states have become all but extinct.

Agree on most points. The katana is useless and will be damaged on any sort of metal armor. However not many people were outfitted in plate armor and the broadsword was still an effective weapon.
And the nuke should top any list here.

 

[spartan231490]

I noticed as couple factual discrepancies, and I want to make sure they are addressed.

For #10, I believe you confused the crossbow with the longbow. The crossbow was a complex, expensive, and hard to use weapon. Just reloading it required exact form and a huge amount of upper and lower body strength. It was usually only used by expensive, well trained mercenaries who could actually hit a moving target with it. The longbow, on the other hand, could be used by people ranging from a peasant to a trained archer. The arrows used by long bowmen had a long, dense tip that could rip through armor, essentially making knights and plate armor obsolete.

For #9, the bowie knife could be used for a decapitation, but it requires a lot of skill and you run the risk of losing the knife if it gets stuck in the person's spinal column. A much more common, and gruesome, strategy was to stab the opponent in the gut and, using the curved end, drag the blade down, disemboweling them.

For #5, you forgot to mention the M1's biggest fault; the way it ejected the empty clips. After the last shot was fired, the entire clip would fly out of the gun, making a very loud, very obvious PING. This sound led to the death of many American troops (the sound was basically an announcement saying "My clip is out, so come shoot me."), but was eventually turned into an advantage. American troops would throw an empty clip on the ground, which would make the same sound as the empty clip leaving the gun. This would cause enemy troops to pop out of cover and taken out by an M1 with a full clip.

The crossbow is much easier to aim and fire than a longbow, and it also has more power. Now for it's disadvantages: It requires a more time and strength to reload it, and the added weight in the quarrel over the arrow which allows it to have greater power also reduces it's range.

 

[Shock and Awe]

The idea of making a top ten for weapons in general is slightly silly if you ask me, but I will offer a short list of all time greats.

ICBM/Nuclear Weapon Combo: The Nuclear Weapon is scary on it's own, make it able to hit anywhere in less than an hour and you have a true terror weapon.

Biological Weapons in General: These weapons are capable of annihilating our entire race without even being seen, and cannot be fought, nothing is more terrifying.

The Sturmgewehr 44: This rifle may not have been to impressive in and of itself, it ushered in a new age of service rifles.

M1 Garand: By far the greatest weapon of the war, it was almost as accurate as any other service rifle, with eight times the number of shots available.

The Spear: This simple weapon was simple to use, and make. It was the back bone of all armies for thousands of years, that does more to explain than anything else.

Combat Aircraft: Hell hath no fury like a trained pilot in a good bird. Whether its a tank buster like the A-10, an Air to Air menace such as the F-22, or the hand of god such as the B-52 or B-2, nothing has changed modern war like the aircraft.

The Military Industrial Complex: When a nation goes to war, it must have support, without it victory is impossible. The MIT is the backbone of any army. If it is stronger than your opponent, victory is already half won, if not, you better change that.

Oh, and did you seriously put the ICBM in "Honorable Mentions" then make the Katana #1?

 

[TheTim]

the Katana is a Fantastic weapon, but its not made to be a thrusting weapon, so you can only slash with it, so if it went up against a shield or plated armor it wouldnt do shit. Ak-47 is my top pick. Or the longbow

 

[Lord_Panzer]

4. Those BFG-9000 cannons the Ottoman Empire loved to use. Bordered on Awesome But Impractical but scared the fuck out of Christian Europe and kept wall repairmen in work for weeks.
3. The M4A1 Sherman tank. Anything that invokes the Civil War's great shit ruiner with the efficiency of Henry Ford's assembly line techniques is my kind of weapon.

4 was a Great Bombard, and yes, they fucked Constantinople up big time.

For 3, I'd debate that tanks don't count as weapons in the traditional sense. Weapon system, sure, but it's a fort with treads, not a gun.
Besides, a Sherman? Come on. The T-34 was better, and that thing only worked because Stalin used the same plan for them as he did for the infantry: numbers over skill.

 

[Knifewounds]

#1. The Katana: There is no such greater weapon than that which can feel as an extension of the person who's using it. In that light the katana as a sword, and a weapon is perfection. It has perfect balance, precise control, its has great strength while still being flexible, and its shape, and sharpness combine create a powerful edge. It is every bit a slashing sword as it is a stabbing, and thrusting one. Honestly I believe it is impossible to create a sword as perfect as the katana.

Katana at number one? The Katana is a nice sword, great for swinging attacks, but it hasn't got much penetration ability. I'd suggest that the Damascus Scimitar or the Pattern 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre could easily compete with a Katana.

The katana had great penetration ability. Don't mistake its curve as a something hinder its penetrating performance. The very fact being that the curve would help cut the blade deeper into its target. The scimitar is a great weapon, and is about as versatile as the katana, what it lacks is the katana's durability. If put head to head the katana would wreck the scimitars blade(note I didn't say cut in half) It's simply just a stronger blade. The Pattern was a great weapon as well however it lacks the slashing ability of the katana, and scimitar. It's a great penetration weapon which is great if your on horseback though.

 

[Canid117]

I'll see your Katana and raise you one of these.

I'm sorry,but the pike would take #1.
It's so simple,a modern rugby player can pick it up and use it effectively.

I hope you are not trying to imply that Ruggers are dumb in any way.

 

[Grey_Focks]

....really? katana, best weapon of all time? Okay, you kinda had me up until that point. I wouldn't even put it my a list of 10 greatest melee weapons of all time. Is your opponent wearing bamboo armor (or something with the same level of protection) and ALSO wielding a katana? No? Congrats, you have a disadvantage.

Broadsword gets my vote as best sword, with rapiers coming in second.

Also, you don't seem to have any "big" weapons. What do I mean? Siege weaponry, bombs, chemicals, etc. Hell, technically, I'd consider tanks weapons, too. I don't know enough about all sorts of weapons to make my own list, but I hope I atleast gave you (or someone) some ideas.

 

[Cameron Sours]

Peace Love and Understanding? Anyone?

 

[Aulleas123]

I'm a big fan of pre-industrial warfare.

10.) The atomic bomb/nuclear weapons in general - Possessed by most developed countries today
9.) The pike - Used from the Ancient Macedonians up into the eighteenth century
8.) The English/Welsh Longbow - Used by England from about 1200 to about 1500
7.) The bombard cannon - Used by the Turks from about 1350 to the nineteenth century
6.) The Roman Gladius - Used by the Romans
5.) The Saxe - Symbolic weapon used by the Saxons until about 1000
4.) The Franchesca (throwing axe, I probably have the name wrong) - Used by the early Frankish tribes
3.) The horse - From the era of the stirrup until the twentieth century
2.) The composite horse bow - Used by nomadic tribes of horsemen (such as the Huns or Mongols)
1.) The human body/mind - Durr

 

[carpathic]

#9. Bowie Knife: This is the knife that practically coined the term "Now that's a knife!" for it large size. The Bowie Knife is one of the few knives I know of that could actually decapitate someone in on swing. Not only that. It can be used for just about everything that involves survival, and in my book a great weapon can be your greatest tool.

Actually, it wasn't the size that made the bowie great, it was the steel. As far as they can tell, Bowie actually figured out how to make damascus steel. Yes, it was an awesome knife but it was made great by virtue of what it was comprised of, not its' inherent design.

 

[SultanP]

Saw the title, knew the katana would be on there somewhere near the top, and boy, you did not disappoint. Ugh.
I find it funny that you mentioned other weapons becoming obsolete, but not your beloved katana, smells like a katana/Japanese stuff fanboy to me.
Now, I guess it is great, as far as swords go, and I love swords, but putting it as number one is just ridiculous, especially over stuff like an AK47 or any other ranged weapon. I doubt a katana could even do much against the halberd.
In conclusion, number one? no!

Edit: I know I may partially be channelling the voice inside me that says "not the fucking katana again", because I'm sick of fans of Japanese stuff pulling it out of their ass every second they get, but that voice wants it off the list completely, and I'm not saying it doesn't deserve to maybe be on there somewhere...

 

[CrazyMedic]

Longbow wins over both Crossbow and Katana. It was made for killing even heavy cavalry at a great distance; it did just that with such effectiveness that its praises are still sung and a longbow-inspired rude gesture is still in use.

I would a long bow just below a katana as a katana is one of those things that cannot be improved upon many many many people have tried and they all have failed there is no better sword then a katana but the long is basically the same but I think the amount of training and strength required to effectivly use a longbow puts it below a katana, any moron could kill someone fairly easily with a katana but give that same moron a long bow and he could probably not be able to get an arrow into the air. It is the one of those things a katana is easy to use hard to master but a longbow is hard to use hard to master. I also would mention the cheytac m200(for you guys who play mw2 it is also called the intervention) it can put 3 rounds into a target from about a mile and a half away(I think) with only 16 inches of each other which is a world record.

the Katana is a Fantastic weapon, but its not made to be a thrusting weapon, so you can only slash with it, so if it went up against a shield or plated armor it wouldnt do shit. Ak-47 is my top pick. Or the longbow

the katana can cut though the shield with a generally enough force to break the wielders arm.

 

[Requx]

The fact that there were no warships nukes or planes makes me very sad...also elephants shoulda been on there.

 

[Knifewounds]

A Katana? Kind of played, don't you think?

I was expecting something a bit more interesting.

And absolutely useless against chainmail.

Even though you could just thrust the blade into the chain mail, and it'll go through just like another sword. I mean all you need to penetrate chain mail is a pointy tip, and a strong blade which the katana has. And don't give me that oh, the katana's not a thrusting weapon bs. It's curved design doesn't hind any of its abilities.

 

[Whodat]

Denel NTW-20mm Anti Materiel Rifle. Look it up, its used for room clearing.