There are no right of way rules to judge who had the attack. Simultaneous touches are valid, as simultaneous thrusts would damage both opponents in a real battle. The epee is the cousin to the dueling sword. It has a light, flat blade. Touches are scored with either the tip or the edge of the blade.
Speed is necessary, as is timing.
Like foil, but more akin to epee. The popular feature of the saber is the wrap around knuckle guard. The target area for saber is the entire upper half of the body, as the predecessor weapons primary use was on horseback. The weapons are still changing. Newer, stronger, better ways to make them are always adding excitement to the game.