Longswords, used by the medieval knights were probably one of the most adaptable swords in existence, excellent in thrusting attacks, sharp, well balanced, strong and flexible, and could be used in many ways including the infamous hilt strike. Katanas, used by the samurai, were elegant blades that focused on being offensive and ending fights with one swift strike. The curvature of the blade allowed for longer cuts while the tapered point of the blade still made it efficient in thrusting attacks.
Longsword Pros
Fine point excellent for penetrating openings in armor and chainmail.
Sharp edges on both sides of the blade.
Well designed guards protected the hands of the wielder.
Sturdy hilts could also be used as a weapon if swung at the opponent.
Blade edges could sustain heavy blows without chipping
Longsword Cons
Difficult to wield with only one hand.
Hard to draw from a sheathe, the long hilt got in the way and would require both hands.
Expensive to forge.
Blade edges dulled quickly.
Katana Pros
Curved shape allowed cuts with more power and length.
Simple hilt design allowed katanas to be wielded single handedly, but at the cost of power.
Single edge blade allowed the placement of a hand behind the blade to add more force when cutting if necessary.
The simplicity of the hilt and curvature of the blade allowed for fast unsheathing to deliver a quick attack.
Retained sharpness for long periods of time.
Katana Cons
Although the katana could still be used as a thrusting weapon it was not as effective as a longsword.
The tsuba or "guard" on top of the hilt provided little to no defense to the wielder's hands.
Required an extremely long time to master. Most techniques required quick reactions from the wielder to attack while avoiding enemy attacks.
Blade could easily chip with hard blows.
Shortsword vs Wakizashi
The shortsword was lighter and easier to manufacture than the longsword. Due to its weight it was the common weapon for footsoldiers and allowed them to wield shields as well. It was shorter than the longsword, but could still use two handed techniques by placing a hand on the pommel if necessary. The wakizashi closely resembles a katana but smaller. Commonly carried by Katana wielders as a secondary weapon the wakizashi is every bit as sharp and deadly as a katana in close range.
Shortsword Pros
A smaller sword allowed for easy portability.
Cheap to make and easy to use.
Edges dulled fast but would not chip from contact with armor.
Dual sided blade provided two cutting edges while retaining excellent thrusting power.
Shorstword Cons
Unlike the longsword not all shortswords had a guard to protect the hands.
Blade dulled quickly.
Wakizashi Pros
Similar to the katana but in a smaller form. Curved blade allowed for longer cuts even at small size.
Easy to use, required less skill than the Katana and extremely effective at close range.
Simple hilt allowed for a fast draw
Wakizashi Cons
Single edged blade only allowed cuts from one side.
The edge of the blade could chip if it came into contact with a hard object.
Just like the katana it lacked a decent guard for hand protection.
Zweihander vs Nodachi
The great Zweihander was an uncommon sight in the battlefields but still a weapon with a purpose. The Zweihander provided more power than any other sword if the wielder was strong enough to carry. Extremely effective against armor and spears the Zweihander would be used in the front lines to push through enemy defenses. The nodachi, a weapon rumored to be able to cleave a horse and a man in half would be used in open battlefields to fight enemy calvalry. Only the strongest and highest ranked soldiers would be issued nodachis in battle.
Zweihander Pros
A long weapon that had a hand placement on the blade to adjust hand positioning.
Could be used very defensively
Excellent thrusting power and could overpower enemies with brute force.
Zweihander Cons
Difficult to carry around, used mostly in the front lines.
Large size and heavy weight made attacking with it slow.
Not very good at cutting enemies.
Nodachi Pros
Great against cavalry, larger size and weight gave excellent cutting power.
Easier to wield than the greatsword, could keep opponents at a distance.
Just as sharp as a katana it could keep a sharp edge for a long time.
Nodachi Cons
Hard to use in small spaces, restricted to open fields.
Even though it was large it still couldnt provide as good of a defense as a greatsword
Extremely expensive to make and the blade could chip if it struck something hard
