| Sword Evolution isnt the issue. Use should be.
In my humble opinion.
The foil is the practice version of the short sword, the epee of the rapier and the saber of the military saber. All are the root weapons are deadly. But all are also specialized.
1. Foil/Short Sword: Good in tight confined spaces. Dominates swords for ages but is replaced by both the Epee and the Saber which prove to be improvements for both military and dueling use. Not a weapon to face a mounted saber attack with or fight a duel against a rapier in open ground. Unless you want to die.
2. Saber: Powerful on the battlefield. Lacks finesse in the duel as usually point will defeat edge. Read about straight cavalry sword vs curved saber by any accounts from the Napoleonic period to justify this one. Additionally mounted attack against infantry or dismounted sword will usually win. Rapier and Short Sword against mounted saber is another way to die.
3. Epee: The refined evolution of the one on one fighting weapon. Too weak for the 19th century battlefield, but certainly effective in a 19th century duel. Faster and point effective against dismounted saber and accepted as superior in the dueling. Outreaches the short sword and would be devastating in typically open dueling fields.
Conclusion. Foil/Short Sword for fighting in tight places or if you are in the Roman legions. But leave it at home for more advanced warfare or open field duels. Saber for cavalry and 18th-19th century warfare. But leave it at home for duels.
Epee, well bastard son or not it is the superior dueling weapon over both foil and saber. As a game it reflects reality better than the other two weapons. But then again it is all a matter or preference. I love Epee as my weapon of choice for its realism and demand for strategic thinking and chess like finesse.
I find foil to be artistic and almost dance like, graceful and technique focused. I find saber to be dramatic and dashing and maybe the most flashy and romantic of the three.
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