Quote Originally Posted by Partysan View Post
- so maybe it doesn't matter at all whether you swing or thrust, the weapon just needs to be pointy and have some minimum force
- so does the type of movement matter at all?
Well, if the last two pages tell you anything, they tell you it's difficult to come to a conclusion on the subject. Anecdotal experience is anecdotal, and scientific research may or may not accurately represent the mechanics and reality of the subject.

I think it's fair to say that thrusts present certain advantages in generating and targeting power to a specific point, and therefore in armor penetration. Most armor-piercing weapons that are meant to be swung, however, are designed with a relatively heavy "head" meant to enhance their ability to gather momentum.

Perhaps a fair way to put it would to say: thrusting in general presents a simple physiological advantage for placing force in one direction towards a single point, while armor-piercing weapons like picks and hammers are designed to replicate this physiological advantage with the addition of momentum through mechanical design.

I know that's a little ambiguous still, but it seems like a fair summary of what we've been discussing.