Mount&Blade/Proficiencies

One-handed weapons
Basic swords, axes and maces are in this category. This is the most usual weapon type, since it allows the player/unit to use a shield, and are very fast weapons. Defence and swiftness ofcourse has to come for a cost, so the drawback to this weapon type is "short" range and "little" damage. (The reason I put short and little in "" is because it's just realative to other weapon types.)

Two-handed weapons
Two handed weapons deal more damage than one-handed weapons, but are generally slower. While on horseback all weapons are used with only one hand, so two-handed weapons suffer a 25% penalty to speed and damage when used from horseback. You also cannot use a shield despite having a hand free.

The Bastard Sword is a special type of two-handed weapon; as indicated in its pop-up it can be wielded either way. By putting away your shield you can switch to two-handed, and vice versa. When on foot it allows you to have the two-handed advantage against melee foes by wielding it with both hands while still leaving you the option of using a shield when under fire from ranged troops.

Polearms
On foot, polearms require some special tactics. Spears and spear-type weapons are often misunderstood on foot. When wielded in two hands, they can do incredible damage with the thrust attack and decent blunt damage with the whacking attacks. The thrust attack does piercing damage, as well, which is more effective against armor than normal. If you want to use a shield with spears, you will need to sacrifice power and the whack attacks. A spear and shield is excellent for supporting your troops; doing excellent damage from great range and behind able to protect yourself with a huge shield at the same time is excellent. For fights when you don't have troops to fall back into, however, it's usually best to use it two-handed.

There are also slashing type polearms like glaives. These are rather poor at close range and slow, but deal incredible cutting damage at range and are excellent weapons.

On horseback, the thrust attack for most polearms is decent if you aim it correctly. The primary use of polearms on horseback is "couching" them. By galloping and not clicking the mouse button the lance will "couch" into your character's armpit; in this state the tip deals impressive damage even if you are unskilled and the polearm cracked. Increasing polearm skill will increase damage and tip aiming accuracy, but to increase damage most significantly you will need to find a better weapon. In most cases, however, a solid hit will one-hit-kill an enemy.

Once you have a good number of points into this skill weapon speed isn't an issue if you use it on horseback to couch, so damage and range become the most important factors.

See Arena for more.

Archery
See ../Ranged/ for more.

Crossbows
The following crossbows exist in the game, listed in order of most damage:
 * Hunting Crossbow
 * Light Crossbow
 * Crossbow
 * Heavy Crossbow
 * Sniper Crossbow

Like other ranged weapons, crossbows can be cracked (reducing damage) or bent (reducing accuracy).

Advantages

 * deals good damage even with low skill
 * Very accurate (99%) even with low skill
 * very long range
 * shots don't arc as much making long-range shots easier

Disadvantages

 * slow reload
 * can't reload while moving on foot
 * only Light and Hunting Crossbows can be reloaded on horseback
 * damage dealt is strictly limited by the crossbow, so you need to get a better one to deal more damage

Throwing
Throwing weapons are the hardest to use properly, they have the worst accuracy, lowest range and the most arching of all ranged weapons. Throwing weapons unlike other ranged weapons can be used while holding a shield so you can throw something between blocks. They're also fast and immediately have maximum accuracy so theres no need to wait a long time for the aiming reticle to decrease in size. Many throwing weapons though have low damage but their power skill has the highest boost so their potentially very dangerous. They can also be thrown very rapidly. They give you an effective ranged weapon without having to spend two inventory slots (A launcher and ammo with Crossbows/bows) and without having to sacrifice a shield.

Firearms
This special type has been included from Mount&Blade 0.750 and onwards. Firearms have completely different handling from bows or crossbows. This skill is only available in mods, not all of which have it enabled.