Aka ‘single sword’ also sometimes called a ‘riding sword’ or even a ‘short sword’ (to distinguish it from a longsword). The arming sword was traditionally worn on the left side, which is why modern horseback riders always mount their horse from the left, though few remember the ancient reason. Oakshott types Xa, XI, XIa, XII, XIII, XIIIb, XIV, XIX, and XXa can all be examples of arming swords. The European arming sword is typically a single-handed, double-edged sword about 3 to 3 1/2 feet long in overall length, with a blade somewhere between 29 and 35 inches. The blade is strait and normally parallel edged rather than sharply tapering. This may correlate best to the weapon called a “long sword” in most Role Playing Games and Computer Games, though it’s worth remembering that in period swords of all types were most often referred to simply as ‘swords’ without any further categorization.

Name	Size	Reach	Speed	Defense	Base Damage	Attack Types	Primary Attack Types	Armor Pierce	Grapple	Hardness	HP
Sword, arming	M	3	3	3	1-8	SCP	CP	0	0	10	4

Norman Arming Sword, 12th Century, Sicily. This would be a 4/2/3 weapon.


Sword attributed to Henry V (the attribution is probably apocryphal), English, 15th Century


An arming sword with a broad blade (Oakeshott type XV) probably late 14th or early 15th Century.


A Venetian Schianovesca with a very broad blade, late 15th Century