Superior weapons technology was by no means the deciding factor in the Spanish conquest of the New World. Strategy, tactics, European diseases and even the written word helped the numerically inferior Conquistadors overcome the likes of the Inca and Aztec civilizations.

However, Spanish offensive weaponry certainly gave the Conquistadors a distinct battlefield advantage. Here is an overview of the most commonly used Spanish Conquistador weapons.

Close Combat Weapons – Conquistador Infantry

The sword was the most widely used Conquistador weapon, and an effective one at that. Standard medieval Conquistador swords came in two varieties: the more common one-handed sword (approximately 3ft in length) and the two-handed sword (approximately 4.5ft). While native body armor provided efficient protection, the medieval steel sword still proved brutally effective.