By the late 13th century, the sword reigned supreme as the primary weapon of knights and men-at-arms. However, with the introduction of steel plate armor, the popularity of the sword as a battlefield weapon began to wane, as it could not cut or crush steel plate. Enter the warhammer...
The Warhammer was perhaps the ideal weapon to use against an opponent clad in steel plates. The heavy hammer's head could crush the strongest helmet or plate suit with just a few blows, and the rear spike could rip through that armor like a modern can opener! In battle, the hammer side was usually used first to knock down and stun an enemy. Once it was on the ground, helpless, the hammer was turned around and the rear spike used to punch a hole in the hull for the killing blow.