I would like a warhammer because I don't have any technical skill with weapons and I can go free style smashing with it.
Upgrade specialist in another world. Mc starts with a brick. And Steamed Bun in The King's avatar uses one too...
Polearm (spear, yari, halberd) is true battlefield weapon. Whereas sword is secondary weapon. You want to raise your survival chance? Choose spear not sword. Vs monster? Spear Vs slime? Spear Vs godlike entity? Spear SPEAR IS THE KING OF BATTLEFIELD!! ALMOST IN EVERY ERA, ALMOST EVERY CIVILIZATION, ALL THOSE GREAT HERO USE SPEAR AS MAIN BATTLEFIELD WEAPON HAIL SPEAR AND WOE TO SWORDSMAN!!
But in late medieval and Renesas they used halbeard and poleaxes (poleaxes were even knightly weapons) But you're right 3.9/4
Spear is probably the best weapon. Yes, halbert and pole-axe are close BUT they're still second. Spear can still be used with a shield while halbert and pole-axe can't be while a spear can still be used to cut. Obviously, the MC will still need a back-up weapon on the hip, so either an axe or sword will do the trick. Actually, that depends on the amount of armor and realism implemented. Hammers and maces work too, but are more cumbersome as a back-up.
If I had a choice in weapons and the experience to use them. I would choose... Shield- I like the Spartan shield because of the multiple option on bashing your opponent. The next favorite would be a Roman shield. Sword- Knecht kriegsmesser. A little shorter for single hand use, but you can wield this single handed. It’s just your endurance would last longer with a lighter blade. Knife- The Kukri is my favorite for in close attack.
What about maquahuitl? It is an ancient Aztec weapon. You take a flat wood club, and turn it to a sword by embedding sharp pieces of obsidian to it's sides. The shards rip your enemies flesh like a saw, and the ones that break from the wood remain in the wound and cause more damage. The main character could be a poor guy, or be stuck inside an ancient ruin with only old useless weapons and armor. He could break small pieces from them. He could carry a small pouch with glue and spare shards. By the way, you can make glue by boiling animal hide or melting tree sap. The wood part is cheap and easy to shape. There is stories where shards of ancient powerful relics are used while making new weapons. He could do something similar. Imagine a maquahuitl made with pieces of magical pottery, enchanted potion bottle shards and monster scales Image of a maquahuitl: Spoiler
Poleaxes and halberd is considered spear. And don't forget this is weapon that it's design is survive for hundred thousand maybe million years. From prehistoric to dawn of modern firearm. It said that bayonet is descendants of spear type weapon. Cheap, Effective, almost everybody from levies to knight ccan use it, has range advantage over sword. Yes spear have all that quality. Spearmen can even block cavalry. Oh did you say shield. More often than not spear has higher chance of winning. The most effective way to defeat spearmen is shower them with arrow.
Or go full plate and spears can do nothing That why ppl were having sidearm Let's say halbeards were newer version of spear different times different weapon and different rent definition of cheap
A weapon that matters is a gun. If a gun doesn't matter because of magical world, then any other weapon also wouldn't matter since you could even make umbrellas, lamps and bricks into weapons, no reason why not gun in that case too.
A glaive as the main weapon, with a shield, two slightly curved swords, around a dozen throwing daggers and a god arm crossbow as sidearms. Paired with a chainmail. Why a Glaive? It has a long reach, is cheap and if it breaks, you can still use the tip as a shortsword or a cleaver. Can also be used in a mounted charge (Warhorse, tamed Beast Mount). Shield? Block arrows and bash idiots. Dual Wield Swords? Each sword can be used alone, or together, one can block while the other kills. Throwing Daggers? Can be used as a throwing weapon or as a normal dagger. Crossbow? Enemy shoots at you? Shoot back or use it for hunting (food and enemys). Chainmail? Decent protection, while being relativly light and doesnt hinder movement, can be repaired on your own, you can still swimm while wearing it.
Halberd and poleaxe for me. Honestly speaking, I am sick of seeing the protagonists of many battle series always using a sword, katana or dual wielding two swords and would rather see them use a different weapon. Worse part about this is that these protagonists also almost always use a very similar fighting style as well worsening the situation further. As such, I would pick halberd and poleaxe since these weapons are not that typically used in novels and they allow a lot of flexibility in how I want to use them. I would also pick tonfas as a side arm since it can be used both offensively as well as defensively and is an underrated weapon.