Opponent picks topic.

Despite Mastery's alteration of the topic, I will continue to assume that we are referring to personal weapons, as comparing the effectiveness (how good something it at completing its intended purpose) of a cutlass to a missile is as comparing "apples and organges." If mastery intends to include missiles, or other "non personal" weapons, that would be violating the rule against "unreasonable topics," and although in that case I would be arguing against Mastery's alteration (I am not currently), Mastery would be violating the rules first, resulting in a seven point forfeiture for him.Otherwise, I am happy to argue that the cutlass is "by far" the most effective weapon, given that "by far" is hardly an objective measurement.Moving onto my arguments, I will first prove that, in a zombie apocalypse, blades are preferable to all other forms of personal weaponry, before moving onto proving that the cutlass is preferable to all other blades. In this post, I will only argue the first contention, while in my second post I will argue the second. In later rounds, I will rebut Mastery's arguments.First Contention: Blades are the most effective weapons in the zombie apocalypseIn order to accurately judge whether or not blades are, as a category, superior to all other categories of weaponry, I will be judging them according to several criteria. They are as follows:Resiliency:Due to their simply design and relatively uncomplicated maintenance, blades are some of the most resilient weapons one could own. Even years or decades into the apocalypse, a well cared for blade will continue to be an incredibly lethal tool. High grade steel means that the weapon is unlikely to split, crack or break unlike a wooden bat or club. Lack of moving parts and complicated machinery means that they are unlikely to be defective, and even less likely to fail. A firearm, on the other hand, requires expertise, time, effort and equipment to maintain, and even a bow needs far more care than any sword. As long as the blade is kept sharpened, and is properly cleaned and sheathed, the wielder has nothing to worry about.Speed:Although one might initially think that an automatic rifle would be a "faster" zombie killing weapon, the reality is that unless you are a trained shooter who can destoy the brain with nearly every shot, this couldn't be further from the truth. Additionally, while one can unload quite a bit of ammunition if the weapon is set to automatic, this is incredibly inneficient, and as such, most wielders would be firing the weapon set to semi automatic. Although perfectly adequate in terms of speed of disposal, a well honed blade can be quickly and efficiently brought down and up, allowing the wielder to dispose of dozens of undead without undue expendature. If every hit is a kill, and if the wielder can destroy a brain just as often as a rifleman can bring a zombie into their sights, steady their aim and pull the trigger, then there is no reason to assume that the firearm will kill zombies more quickly. When you take into account the fact that the rifleman needs to be reloaded, while the blade can be swung continuously, the "edge" so to speak clearly goes to the blade. As the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks states, "blades don't need reloading."It's also important to note that, while other melee weapons share some advantages with blades, many are weighted towards the end instead of balanced towards the guard, rendering them much slower on the recovery.Handling:In blade on blade combat, incredible finesse and training is required as I, a fencer, can attest to. However, any individual that has learned the simple technique of cutting with a blade without excessive force will be more than capable of dealing with scores of undead by themselves. Additionally, given that even the largest blades are surprisingly light, with most one handed weapons weighing under two pounds, tiring out is not something that the blade wielder will have to worry about. On the other hand, a firearm's recoil, and the surprising difficulty of accurately aiming a ranged weapon (especially when the target and shooter are both in motion), makes for quite unwieldly weaponry in the hands of one who isn't trained. Even with a recoiless ranged weapon, such as a bow or crossbow, aiming is a difficulty, and these weapons are both slow and only partially effective against zombies. Blades avoid this entirely, as one has to try in order to miss a target that isn't actively avoiding the attack. On top of this, because blades don't use ammunition, the weapon only stops working if it breaks. If ammo runs dry, one is defenseless.Engangerment:As zombies are attracted to loud noises, firearms will only draw the hoard in, forcing a hasty retreat. Bladed weapons are silent and don't require recovery of ammunition, making them more effective in clearing buildings and slipping through or past hoards. Blades allow the wielder to dispose of zombies one at a time rather than all at once.