Broadsword
The Broadsword is the starter primary sword for the Man-at-Arms, and the starter secondary sword for the Knight.
The Broadsword (like most other weapons) can do swing damage with the horizontal and overhead slashes, and pierce damage with the stab. Generally speaking, the stab should be your primary means of attack against Vanguards and Knights, with the horizontal slashes being used to hit Archers, Men-At-Arms, and anyone who is difficult to hit. The overhead can be used on any foe to add variety and unpredictability. It's fairly important to not use horizontal slashes on Knights in particular, as they have high swing damage resistance.
The Broadsword's stab in particular is quite valuable and should be your primary means of attack, since pierce damage often goes through enemy resistances relatively unscathed. It's beaten by the Norse Sword in this respect, but at the cost of attack variety and some damage.
In the right hands, this is a reliable weapon for every situation and every foe -just don't forget to block.
See also:
Man-at-Arms
Trivia
- In spite of the weapon description, the Broadsword can actually be used alongside every offhand shield in the game: Buckler, Heater, Kite, and Tower.