History Main / SliceAndDiceSwordsmanship

* The page quote comes from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. Syrio Forel, [[RedBaron the First Sword of Braavos]], looks down on the Westerosi style of combat, which is very rigid and hack'n'slash-heavy, in favor of a more agile and elegant style known as the Braavosi Water Dance.

* Inverted by [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] Triple H. His signature weapon is a [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]], but he ''thrusts'' it at his opponent/beatdown target, since swinging it [[{{Kayfabe}} is too dangerous]]. Any time you see him swing his sledgehammer rather than thrust with it, you know his opponent will dodge long before it actually makes contact.

* ''VideoGame/LiesOfP'' {{Downplay|edTrope}}s the trope due to the weapon mixing mechanic. A weapon's fighting style is based on its handle, which makes it perfectly possible to make a rapier with a slashing moveset or a [[InvertedTrope wrench with a stabbing moveset]]. The game plays this realistically by giving each blade "Slash" and "Stab" multipliers, with most blades having one neutral modifier and one negative modifer. If a "Slash" blade is put on a "Stab" handle or vise versa, the weapon receives a damage penalty.

* ''Film/TheForceAwakens'': Inverted. Rey has a staff, and uses it correctly. The problem is when she ends up with a standard lightsaber. Since she has no training or experience outside the staff, she keeps trying to use the saber in the same way, resulting in a lot of weird stabbing motions when normal slashes would be more effective.

* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'': "Old-school" swordsmanship on Safehold as of ''Off Armageddon Reach'' is all about hack'n'slash, to the point that it's specifically noted that Crown Prince Cayleb's weaponry instructor believed "swords had points for a reason" and taught him thrusting as well as cutting.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has been averting this trope its earliest days. Monster descriptions included resistances to particular weapon types and optional rules altered the effectiveness of armor based on the type of weapon used. For example, mail was less effective against bashing and more effective against cutting weapons. Specifically in 3.5, weapons were classed as piercing, slashing or bludgeoning. This came into effect when you faced an enemy that had Damage Reduction against a certain type of attack. Ever tried to stab a skeleton? 4th Edition, however, removed this particular mechanic, mainly as part of its campaign to make things simpler.

* Characters in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' will happily slash away with rapiers. As will they if they use the monkey grip feat to wield a spear one handed

* Charlotte from the ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' games would often stab with her rapier, but her heavy slashes featured her swinging it..sort of. It's generally shown as slashing in a very distinct triangle pattern which [[RazorWind is still a lethal hit if the enemy walks into the bit she drew]].
* Ryu Hayabusa in the Xbox remake of ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' both stabs and slashes with katanas, broadsword-styled {{BFS}}es and a staff-that-gains-pointy-bits.

* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'':
** An egregious example is Raphael from ''Soul Calibur 2'' and ''3''. Whilst his rapier is clearly fully edged, he usually swings his as if the bit on the end weren't quite as important. Raphael also uses his 'rapier' very much like a 'sabre' which is a primarily cutting weapon even though it can also be used for thrusts. They make up for it in Soul Calibur 3, where the generic 'Lance' users are fond of swinging their oversized spears.
** Amy, Raphael's adoptive daughter, gets a unique move set in Soul Calibur 4 to replace her generic style in the prequel. Many of her attacks actually do focus on thrusting and stabbing, though she too has quite a few "slash attacks". Her swords are fully edged though.
* The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' has been averting this for years:
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' introduced a system of giving each weapon a separate "slash" and "thrust" statistic. Normally, this applies only to the main lead, even if other characters use similar weapons. ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' gave the slash and thrust stats to ''anyone'' who could use a sword, which was most of the cast. ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' went further, giving main character Rid separate ''experience'' for slashing and thrusting as well, which partly determined when he would learn his techs. Farah in the same game had separate stats and experience for her fists and her feet, but no one else in ''Eternia'' used swords.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfHearts'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' remake use slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning as "elements", so enemies can be strong or weak against them. Basic attacks naturally have at least one of these attached, as well.
* ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has three physical damage types: slashing, piercing, and strike damage. Mitsuru uses rapiers but the rapiers deal slash damage, not piercing damage. Somewhat subverted, though, in that most of Mitsuru's attack ''animations'' are thrusts. However, the nameless protagonist can use her weapons too, and he tends to play the trope straight. The one handed sword class of weapon does include some slashing type swords, but the animations never change. Two handed swords (Dai-katanas) always slash, though.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', thrust (upward mouse movement) is accurate but weak while hacks and chops are more powerful/less accurate the closer they get to down mouse movements. This is the same for all weapons (so you can thrust with a axe).
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' averts this, as the game gives different values to weapons for Slashing, Hacking, and Thrusting damage. For example, a spear has high Thrust damage but low Slash and Hack damage but a claymore has high Slash damage, mediocre Hack damage, and low Thrust damage, while an axe has high Hack damage, mediocre Slash damage, and low Thrust damage. The method of attack you use depends on how you are moving when you strike, although you can turn this off in the Settings in order to always use the weapon's most damaging style of attack.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', plays it straight, only allows hacking and slashing, even with daggers. Stabbing is a power attack only available at higher skill levels, and can be done with all blade weapons regardless of type.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' plays this straight most of the time, but finishing moves often end with impaling someone on a sword. Sneak attacks with a dagger may also end up being back-stabs instead of slashes.

** Most other Creator/NipponIchi games like to play this one straight. ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' subverts this somewhat by having swords and rapiers as separate weapon classes. Swords and katanas are used for slashing, while rapiers stick primarily with thrusting attacks. Though in ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'', ridiculous special attacks aside, weapons were actually used properly.
* In ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts1'', Keith merrily wields a rapier, without ever stabbing anyone with it. At least his InfinityPlusOneSword is an actual sword, rather than a rapier, thus justifying his attack-type somewhat...
* Gwendolyn from ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' wields a spear, and while she DOES stab on occasion, she's mostly slashing with it.

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] with Lancer in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. The game goes out of its way to point out that swinging a spear actually ''is'' a perfectly valid and effective technique; it covers more area than a thrust and is therefore harder to avoid, and even if the tip of the spear doesn't draw blood the shaft is still swung with enough force to break a rib.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'' has elements of this. Edward Kenway mainly [[DualWielding fights with twin blades]], most of which are cutlasses and other backswords. However, he can also equip pairs of narrow rapiers and smallswords, historically intended for thrusting and sometimes shallow cutting, yet share the brutal hack and slash animations of the bulky cutlasses. Repeatedly bashing a blade into an enemy's shoulder until it cuts deep into the torso looks a bit awkward with a skinny court sword.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'': Did you notice Marth's Shield Breaker attack changed from a Slash to a Thrust between ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl''? That's because his weapon is primarily a thrusting weapon. His moveset still has plenty of slashes to it, though.
* In ''VideoGame/AvalonCode'' rapier is one of your weapon. You use it to slash enemies, just like any other sword.
* ''VideoGame/{{Soulbringer}}'' averts this. The game uses "piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning" damage types like [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]] below, with certain types doing better against certain kinds of armor; bashing works against non-human creatures like skeletons or rock beasts, slashing against unarmored enemies, piercing against humans wearing metal armor. Unlike D&D, some weapons do more than one type, depending on the attack, and attack positioning can overcome type weaknesses. Greatswords, for example, do slashing damage...but attacking the legs or bringing it down hard on the head of a helmeted foe still hurts like hell ([[BreakableWeapons your weapon, too]]).
* ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'' Plays this rather straight in a few ways. Rapiers are available as a one-handed sword, yet it carries the same slashing animation that every sword uses in the game. Knights are also able to use an [=AoE=] skill called Brandish Spear, which involves swinging a spear to knock away nearby enemies (although the attack animation doesn't change).
* Each game in the ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' series averts this trope either partially or completely. Most often, daggers are used exclusively as thrusting weapons, while swords are either used to thrust only or a mix of thrusting and slashing.
* The earliest ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games show all melee weapons as making over-the-shoulder slashes, rather like axes. This gets somewhat comical when Kain does it in the fourth game with spears that were clearly designed to pierce rather than cut. By the sixth game, however, spears get a special thrusting animation, and later games give each weapon and/or character a different attack animation (though they all do the same damage.)
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', the characters attack with spears with a variety of stab and slash movements.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''. Rapiers (which are a different class than swords) have a unique animation, as do spears. There's no 'damage type' though.
** Kimahri in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' only ever uses his spear to stab when using a jump overderive. The rest of the time he swings it pointy end first. Then again, many of Kimahri's "spears" are actually halberds or other pole arms designed for slashing as well as stabbing, so it makes a certain amount of sense.
** Freya of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' plays this trope straight. With the exception of maybe one of her spears it is very obvious by design that they are meant for thrusting or stabbing but her attack animation involves swinging her spear except for when she uses her Jump attack.
** ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'' manages to [[PlayingWithATrope play this several ways]]. Rapiers proper avert it by Lightning showing proper fencing form, while spears play it straight by dint of Lightning swinging them around more than she thrusts. Most ordinary swords have Lightning showcase the same mix of thrusts and slashes as she used in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2 XIII-2]]'', which inverts the trope when she uses various weapons with flat tips or sharp curves.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''. Although Gladiators do practice hacking and slashing, they do not wield any rapiers; those are the province of Red Mages, who practice more ''Franchise/{{Zorro}}''-appropriate swordsmanship. In fact, like Lightning, Gladiators occasionally invert the trope by thrusting with a sharply-curved blade.

* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''' sword sets (Katana, Broadsword, [[SwordsAkimbo Dual Blades]]) let the player customize what kind of weapon(s) their character uses. The animation stays the same no matter what weapon is chosen (katana, rapier, sai...).
* Averted in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', where stabbing and slashing are separated by a different contact area and penetration power which both vary by the weapon. You cannot slash with a spear or pike, or thrust with a ax, you can only do a shaft bash and a flat slap respectively. Played semi-straight by the AI, however: If a weapon has two attacks tagged [SHARP] and [BLUNT] in the code, a warrior will nearly always choose to use the attack tagged as [SHARP]. This is ''usually'' a sensible default but can be problematic versus undead enemies, because they're immune to bleeding or critical hits from stabbing weapons and cutting their limbs off [[AnimateBodyParts creates more problems than it solves]], and are therefore most efficiently disposed of by [[ChunkySalsaRule "pulping"]] with blunt-force trauma.
* Averted with ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''. While the normal short sword-type weapons can both slash and thrust (and indeed, the unique AwesomeButImpractical Penetrator Sword has bonus damage on thrusting and has a very wide slash range due to its long blade), slash weapons like Falchion, Kilij and Uchigatana can only slash while straight swords like Rapier and Estoc can only thrust. Same goes with thrust-only spears, while weapons like Halberd primarily slash. The thrusting weapons are very efficient against armor (as it pierces) and can be used while blocking; slash weapons inflict Bleeding status effect, which is basically a weapon-induced Poison effect, with reduced healing capability thrown in.
** Also averted with its SpiritualSuccessor ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''. The Balder Side Sword, for example, averts this trope due to the fact that the weapon it is based on, the side sword/arming sword, is sharpened along its edges, allowing for slashing attacks as well as a piercing attack (like the in-game strong attack portrays).
** The ''Dark Souls'' Estoc, unlike its ''Demon's Souls'' counterpart, has a slashing strong attack in addition to its normal thrust, effectively making it the opposite of the Side Sword. Its in-game item description mentions that the blade has been sharpened to allow for slicing.

* In ''VideoGame/BetrayalAtKrondor'', all swords can be used to slash or stab -- normally, a stab is accurate, while a slash sacrifices accuracy for more power (and tires you out). However, one of the swords is a rapier, where the slash is appropriately less accurate ''and'' less damaging.
* Subverted, inverted and played stright in ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'', where type of melee attack depends upon your movement at the moment you start charging the attack (if you are backpedaling, you will prepare to a thrust, if strafing - a side swing, and if running forward - an [[SwordOverHead overhead slam]]; if standing still, you make a hacking move). This, however, doesn't save you neither from slashing with the rapier-like sword nor from much more interesting things like stabbing a full-plated foe with ''a hammer''. [[spoiler: Or with HUGE one-handed machete thing with long side-pointed spike on its already blunt tip.]]
* Because of sprite limits in the ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series, all characters have one stabbing motion and two-three slashing motions for one-handed weapons and an equal amount for two-handed weapons. They mix these attack animations freely without regards to weapon type, leading to such gems like doing overhead swings with spears and stilettos and stabbing motions with greatswords and quarterstaffs. Certain {{Game Mod}}s correct this.
* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'': Matt yells at a sword using enemy using SliceAndDiceSwordsmanship that he's holding a thrusting weapon. [[{{Hypocrite}} Despite]] him using both thrusting and slashing motions regardless of his weapon.
* This trope zigzags in ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' by Creator/{{Koei|Tecmo}}, depending on character, franchise, and sequel number. Sometimes characters will use their weapons appropriately.
** For instance, the mystic character [[LadyOfWar Nu Wa]] from ''Dynasty Warriors 3'' carries a rapier ([[MST3KMantra never you mind]] the AnachronismStew involved). Most of her attacks involves precise thrusts. Contrarily, [[OldSoldier Huang Zhong]] from ''4'' carries a ''[[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090824063607/dynastywarriors/images/7/74/Huangzhong-dw5weapon1.jpg kan dao]]'', a kind of squared-off sword with a single edged chopping blade. While he does slash people with it, he also stabs them as part of his moves. Given how the tip is clearly blunted, it's a wonder he can damage enemies that way.
** Samurai Warriors is somewhat better about this, largely thanks to weapon design and not cloning move sets. [[TheHero Yukimura Sanada]] will thrust and slash with his spear, but as it has three blades set in a cross shape, this is forgiven. Tadakatsu Honda has a spear with no thrusting attacks, but given how it looks like [[http://images.wikia.com/dynastywarriors/images/f/fc/Tadakatsu-sw2weapon3.jpg this]] that may also be forgiven. More questionable is Nagamasa Azai. While using a lance, he does thrust with it, but many of his moves are wide, sweeping blows with the blunt length of the lance.
* ''Videogame/ChivalryMedievalWarfare'' assigns specific damage values and attack speeds to each weapon type. Swords are generally great for slashing and stabbing, spears are best for stabbing, polearms are best for overhead slashes, et cetera. Specialized weapons like the saber deal pathetic damage outside of slashes, whereas others like the thrusting dagger are great for shanking players. However, the game allows you to attack in almost any fashion, so someone wielding a spear can swing it in a slashing motion to swipe away an obnoxious [[FragileSpeedster man-at-arms]], though some weapons (like javelins and flails) cannot perform certain attacks.
* ''Videogame/{{MORDHAU}}'' does similarly; you can both thrust and swing with any weapon, but some are clearly better than others at it. Nothing stops you from smacking someone with a spear or rapier, or poking another with a maul or mace, but the damage is going to be disappointing. It ''does'' work to disrupt the enemy still, so using the weapon the wrong way for a quick stun remains valid. And some weapons, like more standardized swords and certain polearms, can do both perfectly well.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': The Sword-and-Shield and Dual Blades use a variety of slashing and thrusting attacks(mostly slashing) regardless of whether the individual weapon design for that set is suited for either. This can lead to a lot of slashing with rapiers or even stabbing with what is effectively a ''club''.
** Averted with the Lance. It has exactly one attack that ''isn't'' a thrust, a wide sweep that is amongs its least-damaging and least-flexible moves. However, it covers a broad area and knocks smaller monsters away, meaning it remains useful.
** Zig-zagged with the Gunlance, which adds a few heavy slams to the moveset. Emphasis is on "heavy", though; Gunlances have enough weight to make these strikes count, and they're used to set up highly-damaging shots.
** Inverted with the Great Sword. Their sheer size makes for an effective shield, but they're not designed for this and doing so quickly dulls the edge. Likewise, the Charge Blade's shield forms the axe head in greataxe stance and so blocking will cost sharpness, but since it's designed to be used as such it decays slower than a Great Sword block.
* ''Videogame/TheEndTimesVermintide'' and ''Videogame/VermintideII'' zig-zag this trope with weapons. First, Sienna's ceremonial dagger and Kerillian's daggers are very rarely used in the thrust. Kruber's and Sienna's one-handed swords never are used to thrust. While spears are sometimes used to swing, Kerillian swings both of hers with surprising frequency (which is justified as as they all have a large, edged heads, making them closer to glaives than spears). Victor Saltzpyre uses slashes with his rapier as his primary light attack, though his primary power attack is a clean thrust. Inverted when hammers and even axes are sometimes used in clumsy thrusts. Finally, while most HEMA today believes the halberd favored the spear head while also using the axe head, Kruber's halberd favors slashes heavily even if he does thrust on about a quarter of his attacks, though the charge attack is a stab and has one of the longest ranges in the game.
** Krubers usage of a weapon changes on both its make and if it's paired with a shield or not. With a sword he'll rely on swings while a sword and shield will have him incorporate thrusts into his heavy attacks. Brettonian longswords he also tends to swing since they're noticeably thicker and rely on more riposte-focused attacks regardless if it's paired with a shield. For spears he tends to focus on thrusts for quicker attacks and swings for power attacks regardless if it's a heavy two-handed spear or a spear and shield.
** Warrior Priest Saltzpyre inverts this. Both the two-handed Holy Great Hammer in addition to the Skull-Splitter paired with a Holy Tome have heavy and deliberate thrusts in their movesets despite being hammers.

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', thrusting weapons like Zelda's Rapier and Volga's Dragon Spear are mostly just used for slash attacks. Justified in Lana's case, as despite the English name "Spear", the weapon is treated more like a MartialArtsStaff[=/=]MagicStaff that happens to have a point on one end (the original Japanese name was Grand Tree).
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': In game, all bladed weapons use a single downward swing to attack, but during the (in-engine) cutscenes, plenty of people get stabbed.
* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'', all melee weapons (two-handed and not) use the same animation, which means that you can swing around an arming sword as if it was an hatchet and wield a halberd by holding on the bottom end and swinging the head at the enemy like a club.

->''"Remember, child, this is not the iron dance of Westeros we are learning, the knight's dance, hacking and hammering, no. This is the Braavos dance, the water dance, swift and sudden."''
-->-- '''Syrio Forel''', ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''

* In ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'', Keith merrily wields a rapier, without ever stabbing anyone with it. At least his InfinityPlusOneSword is an actual sword, rather than a rapier, thus justifying his attack-type somewhat...

* Soma in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow'' averts this. Rapiers thrust, short swords slash, etc and both are considered different kind of damage (others including bludgeon and light).

* Averted in ''Series/{{Rome}}'' where professional soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo use the gladius exactly as it was designed.
** In one scene ProfessionalKiller Timon is sent to assassinate Glabius, who grabs a sword off his slave and takes a big swing at Timon, only to fall to a single stab to the chest.

* An egregious example is Raphael from ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur 2 and 3]]''. Whilst his rapier is clearly fully edged, he usually swings his as if the bit on the end weren't quite as important.
** Nevertheless he does possess a number of [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat heinously vicious]] thrusting and impaling attacks in his moveset.
** Raphael also uses his 'rapier' very much like a 'sabre' which is a primarily cutting weapon even though it can also be used for thrusts.
** They make up for it in Soul Calibur 3, where the generic 'Lance' users are fond of swinging their oversized spears.
*** Amy, Raphael's adoptive daughter, gets a unique move set in Soul Calibur 4 to replace her generic style in the prequel. Many of her attacks actually do focus on thrusting and stabbing, though she too has quite a few "slash attacks". Her swords are fully edged though.
* The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' has been averting this for years: ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' introduced a system of giving each weapon a separate "slash" and "thrust" statistic. Normally, this applies only to the main lead, even if other characters use similar weapons. ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' gave the slash and thrust stats to ''anyone'' who could use a sword, which was most of the cast. ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' went further, giving main character Rid separate ''experience'' for slashing and thrusting as well, which partly determined when he would learn his techs. Farah in the same game had separate stats and experience for her fists and her feet, but no one else in ''Eternia'' used swords.
** However, despite being ''technically'' averted, the attack patterns don't change, meaning that your hero will usually still be slashing about with his rapier anyway--it just won't do as much damage as stabbing... which makes the Tales series' use the most realistic possible rendition of this trope.

* ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has three physical damage types: slashing, piercing, and strike damage. Mitsuru uses rapiers but the rapiers deal slash damage, not piercing damage. Somewhat subverted, though, in that most of Mitsuru's attack ''animations'' are thrusts. However, the nameless protagonist can use her weapons too, and he tends to play the trope straight.
** The one handed sword class of weapon does include some slashing type swords, but the animations never change. Two handed swords (Dai-katanas) always slash, though.

** Also [[AvertedTrope averted]] to hell and back in general, since carefully exploiting every weapon's weaknesses is the only way relatively-normal Shirou can survive more than a femtosecond against most of his enemies. In a separate case, Saber calls Assassin a coward when the latter duels from the edge of his longer Katana's range and refuses to engage her directly; Assassin apologizes and points out Saber's heavier European broadsword would cut through his weapon effortlessly and waiting to exploit a weakness is the only way he can fight.

* Did you notice Marth's Shield Breaker attack changed from a Slash to a Thrust between VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Melee and Brawl? That's because his weapon is primarily a thrusting weapon. His moveset still has plenty of slashes to it, though.

** Actually, some D&D weapons did more than one type of damage (Shortswords could be used to either slash or pierce for example). The attack positioning is still unique though.

** Kimahri in VideoGame/FinalFantasyX only ever uses his spear to stab when using a jump overderive. The rest of the time he swings it pointy end first. Then again, many of Kimahri's "spears" are actually halberds or other pole arms designed for slashing as well as stabbing, so it makes a certain amount of sense.
** VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX's Freya plays this tropes straight. With the exception of maybe one of her spears it is very obvious by design that they are meant for thrusting or stabbing but her attack animation involves swinging her spear except for when she uses her Jump attack.

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', thrusting weapons like Zelda's Rapier and Volga's Dragon Spear are mostly just used for slash attacks. Justified in Lana's case, as despite the English name "Spear", the weapon is treated more like a SimpleStaff[=/=]MagicStaff that happens to have a point on one end (the original Japanese name was Grand Tree).

* ''Videogame/TheEndTimesVermintide'' and ''Videogame/VermintideII'' zig-zag this trope with weapons. First, Sienna's ceremonial dagger and Kerillian's daggers are very rarely used in the thrust. Kruber's and Sienna's one-handed swords never are used to thrust. While spears are sometimes used to swing, Kerillian swings hers with surprising frequency (which is justified as as they all have a large, edged heads, making them closer to glaives than spears). Victor Saltzpyre uses slashes with his rapier as his primary light attack, though his primary power attack is a clean thrust. Inverted when hammers and even axes are sometimes used in clumsy thrusts. Finally, while most HEMA today believes the halberd favored the spear head while also using the axe head, Kruber's halberd favors slashes heavily even if he does thrust on about a quarter of his attacks.

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', thrusting weapons like Zelda's rapier and Volga and Lana's spears are mostly just used for slash attacks.

** On a related note, the less said about ''both'' series' numerous {{Improbable Weapon User}}s, the better.

* The page quote comes from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. Syrio Forel, [[TheRedBaron the First Sword of Braavos]], looks down on the Westerosi style of combat, which is very rigid and hack'n'slash-heavy, in favor of a more agile and elegant style known as the Braavosi Water Dance.

Animation - whether traditional or for video games - often produces the same effect for entirely different reasons. After consuming media with this trope in effect, the audience may [[TheCoconutEffect expect it]], and so a fight scene with [[RealityIsUnrealistic realistic techniques]] may not look right. Second, in video games, if multiple weapons must be animated being used in different ways, this can drive up the cost in terms of memory and budget for animation. This is less of a factor in current-gen games, but examples from earlier eras of gaming may have fallen prey to this. Additionally, just like in live action, sweeping cuts are easier for a viewer to follow. In general, the player has to believe they can counterplay an attack, or the move will feel cheap. Since thrusts can be subtle in their movements, animating a big swing can make it easier to both follow the action and react to it. Furthermore, an attack has to visually describe its own hitbox, and a wide slash with some nice SwordLines allows an equally wide, noticeable hitbox. In games where slashing and thrusting ''do'' coexist, it's often the difference between having a narrower or wider hitbox that really matters from a player's perspective. Finally, the choice can be stylistic. Realism is rarely a priority in animation.

Put a sword [[HeroesPreferSwords in the hands of an]] {{RPG}} [[TheHero hero]], and he will use it to hack and slash at his enemies, even if he is given a thrusting weapon. This is not limited to swords either. Daggers, stilettos, etc. will be used to slash at opponents even though these weapons were specifically designed to thrust, with some types even lacking a cutting edge.

* ''Videogame/TheEndTimesVermintide'' and ''Videogame/VermintideII'' zig-zag this trope with weapons. First, Sienna's ceremonial dagger and Kerillian's daggers are very rarely used in the thrust. Kruber's and Sienna's one-handed swords never are used to thrust. While spears are sometimes used to swing, Kerillian swings hers with surprising frequency. Victor Saltzpyre uses slashes with his rapier as his primary light attack, though his primary power attack is a clean thrust. Inverted when hammers and even axes are sometimes used in clumsy thrusts. Finally, while most HEMA today believes the halberd favored the spear head while also using the axe head, Kruber's halberd favors slashes heavily even if he does thrust on about a quarter of his attacks.

* Some forms of unarmored fencing are based on cutting more than thrusting:
** [[KatanasAreJustBetter Kenjutsu]]
** Sabre fencing
** [[Literature/{{Blossfechten}} European Longsword]]
*** Note that Medieval and Renaissance swordsmanship was nowhere near as clunky and slow as is usually depicted. There was a wealth of techniques that were both well-considered and well-tested, directly comparable to their Eastern equivalents.
*** Conversely, ARMOURED longsword fencing inverts the trope...unless you are half-swording, and are using your sword's guard and hilt to bash in your enemy's armor.
** English and Scottish Backsword
* Several Chinese martial arts teach sweeps and overhead slashes for spears. Many of these are carried over from staff routines and the shaft of a spear can bludgeon opponents as well as a staff.
** Likewise with European spear fighting. Though spears are primarily used for thrusting, the European schools of martial arts still included strikes with the shaft and cuts with the edge of the spearhead.
* Played straight with [[BayonetYa sword bayonets]]. While they are intended for thrusting, they are ''extremely'' suitable for slashing as well, effectively turning the rifle into a halberd. Many bayonet fighting techniques include slashes.
* Contrary to what most people think, the Gladius ''is'' in fact a viable slashing implement; it's just that Roman military doctrine only seems to teach the legionnaires to make sure their victims are ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice.
* The only way to kill an opponent in full rigid plate armor with a sword is to thrust at the gaps and joints -- basically everywhere the plate ''wasn't'' -- as plate armor was designed to deflect the blow away from the body, and a sword wasn't capable of cutting through it. A heavy enough blow ''may'' have caused blunt-force trauma, but a mace (or better yet a hammer), was by far superior at this due to distribution of mass.
** Picks became an effective weapon for this sort of combat because they did a great job of converting the massive angular momentum of a swinging blow into a piercing thrust concentrated on a single point. Most war hammers actually featured both a flat hammer head and a sharpened pick head; the flat head could smash helmets and the pick could puncture thinner armor. One of the results from this style of either pick or mace was that even if you caused little damage to the '''person''', you would cause heavy damage to the '''armor'''. Think it's hard to move in full plate? Try it with a few crushed-in joint plates.
** On the other hand, if one '''were''' to fight an armored opponent without a pick or a mace on hand, and '''all''' they had was a sword, there were other parts of the sword that were usable...particularly on the longsword:
*** The pommel of the sword was heavy enough to serve as an impromptu mace or hammer, and some styles of fighting incorporated this as a finisher for armoured enemies known in English as the "Murder-Strike" ("Mordhau" or "Mordstreich" in its native German). It would be done by grabbing the sword by the tip of the blade with both hands and just swinging the thing to hit them with the guard or the hilt.
*** As mentioned above, half-swording was another way to get around armor. This involved grabbing the sword by the blade and allowing such tactics as using the hand on the blade to guide the thrust to chinks in the armor. This could be used to stab, or if that was ineffective, to use the sword as a lever to pry open sections of armor.

Animation - whether traditional or for video games - often produces the same effect for entirely different reasons. After consuming media with this trope in effect, the audience may [[TheCoconutEffect expect it]], and so a fight scene with [[RealityIsUnrealistic realistic techniques]] may not look right. Second, in video games, if multiple weapons must be animated being used in different ways, this can drive up the cost in terms of memory and budget for animation. This is less of a factor in current-gen games, but examples from earlier eras of gaming may have fallen prey to this. Additionally, just like in live action, sweeping cuts are easier for a viewer to follow. In games, the player also generally has to believe they can counterplay an attack or the move will feel cheap. Since thrusts can be subtle in their movements, animating a big swing can make it easier to both follow the action and react to it, furthermore, an attack has to visually describe it's own hitbox, and a wide, sweeping slash with some nice SwordLines allows an equally wide, noticable hitbox, indeed, many games where slashing and thrusting ''do'' coexist, it's the difference between having a thin hitbox and a wider one that really is the main difference from a player's perspective. Finally, the choice can be stylistic. Realism is rarely a priority in animation.

Animation - whether traditional or for video games - often produces the same effect for entirely different reasons. After consuming media with this trope in effect, the audience may [[TheCoconutEffect expect it]], and so a fight scene with [[RealityIsUnrealistic realistic techniques]] may not look right. Second, in video games, if multiple weapons must be animated being used in different ways, this can drive up the cost in terms of memory and budget for animation. This is less of a factor in current-gen games, but examples from earlier eras of gaming may have fallen prey to this. Additionally, just like in live action, sweeping cuts are easier for a viewer to follow. In games, the player also generally has to believe they can counterplay an attack or the move will feel cheap. Since thrusts can be subtle in their movements, animating a big swing can make it easier to both follow the action and react to it. Finally, the choice can be stylistic. Realism is rarely a priority in animation.

* Inverted by [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] Triple H. His signature weapon is a [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]], but he ''thrusts'' it at his opponent/beatdown target, since swinging it [[{{Kayfabe}} is too dangerous]].

* Averted in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', where stabbing and slashing are separated by a different contact area and penetration power which both vary by the weapon. You cannot slash with a spear or pike, or thrust with a ax, you can only do a shaft bash and a flat slap respectively.

Cutting occasionally with a thrusting weapon does not necessarily fall under this trope: for example, rapiers had sharp edges and fencers we taught to cut in response to certain tactical situations, despite the thrust remaining the primary means of attack. Spears could also be used for swinging attacks, especially when outside of formation fighting. This trope kicks in when a character seems to ''prefer'' cutting over thrusting despite the weapon design encouraging the opposite, and especially when the weapon is shown to be more effective at cutting than it would be in real life.

* Film/{{Pumpkinhead}} features the inversion, where one of the youths tries to kill the monster by using a machete in an icepick grip stab. This is a pretty weird thing to do with a tool designed for chopping and slashing. The monster stops his hand before it connects, but that rounded point doesn’t look like it would have gone in easily.

* Film:{{Pumpkinhead}} features the inversion, where one of the youths tries to kill the monster by using a machete in an icepick grip stab. This is a pretty weird thing to do with a tool designed for chopping and slashing. The monster stops his hand before it connects, but that rounded point doesn’t look like it would have gone in easily.