it may be dead, but the topic is still alive and will always be alive.
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the thing with the weapon specials is that they are never truely "even"
Slashing - Nothing
Bludgeoning - Bash
Piercing - Backstab
Archery - Distance
And because of those FACTS, all 4 weapon classes can never truely be even. And yes, distance is a huge special to a weapon. Arrows can shoot up to like 500 meters, a sword or club reaches 1/100 of that distance.
Slashing needs cleaving. (ironically "to cleave" means to take apart and to stick together
).