War hammer

right|300pxA war hammer (French: martel-de-fer, "iron hammer") is a long-handled weapon that was used by foot-soldiers, especially in the defense of fortified walls and in action against mounted men-at-arms.
==Design==
A war hammer consists of a handle and a head. The length of the handle may vary, the longest being roughly equivalent to that of a halberd (5 to 6 feet), and the shortest about the same as that of a mace (2 to 3 feet). Long war hammers were pole weapons, or polearms, meant for use against riders, whereas short ones were used in closer quarters and from horseback.
War hammers were developed as a consequence of the prevalence of surface-hardened steel on wrought iron armor of the late medieval battlefields during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The surface of armor had become as hard as the edge of a blade, so blades tended to ricochet. Swords and battleaxes were likely to give only glancing blows, losing much of their impact, especially on the high curvature of helmets. A war hammer could deliver the full force of a blunt blow to the target.
War hammers, especially when mounted on a pole, could damage without penetrating armor. In particular, they transmitted their impact through even the thickest helmets and caused concussions. Later war hammers often had a spike on one side of the head, making them more versatile weapons. A blade or spike tended to be used not against helmets but against other parts of the body where the armor was thinner and penetration was easier. The spike end could be used for grappling the target's armor, reins, or shield, or could be turned in the direction of the blow to pierce even heavy armor. Against mounted opponents, the weapon could also be directed at the legs of a horse, toppling the armored foe to the ground where they could be more easily attacked.
==External links==
Category:Weapons