Can the two-handed greatsword (spadone/montante/zweihander) be used one handed?
Why Worldbuilding Stack Exchange recommends it
Worldbuilding Stack Exchange answerers and commenters link it as evidence that a large two-handed sword can plausibly be used one-handed when writing fight scenes or designing fantasy weapons.
Recommended by 3 people across 3 different months, 2018 to 2022.
What it is
Matt Easton of Scholagladiatoria demonstrates that a historical two-handed sword (montante, spadone, zweihander) can be wielded one-handed, citing a few period treatises that show one-handed thrusts and occasional cuts. He stresses these are special-case techniques, since the sword is heavy and slow in one hand and normally used with two.
What people said
Recommends elemtilas · 2018-03 · Worldbuilding Stack Exchange · on “Handling a sword blade (directly) to stab”
The answer is Yes, of course, a warrior can grasp his own sword by the blade, and the old fighting manuals show this technique clearly (half-sword technique). There are also instances where it is recommended to grasp the opponent's sword. Here [LINK] is good treatise on the topic of half-sword technique, when it's used & why. From Medieval Combat (a translation & description of Talhoffer's Fechbuch ), we read: "The half=sword techniques were originally devised for fighting armoured opponents. The sword is gripped on the blade with the left hand and used like a short spear or bayonet to slice or stab into the armpits, groin, face, throat and joints." Even though the technique was devised for
Recommends Daron · 2021-11 · Worldbuilding Stack Exchange · on “How to make a duel between knight with a greatsword and mage with a one-handed sword fair?”
". . .it is too big to do anything but horizontal slices or two handed thrusts." You can do a lot of things with a greatsword: [this video]
Recommends Maddock Emerson · 2022-02 · Worldbuilding Stack Exchange · on “How can I make this sword useful?”
I see no issue here. I feel like you answered your own question; the sword is heavy, so requires an inordinately strong wielder, or since you're making it for a game, high STR level; but if you are able/willing to wield it despite its clunk, it gives you bonus magical effects that make up for the disadvantage compared to a normal greatsword. For connntext here's a video of a guy one-handing a historically accurate two-handed sword: Can the two-handed greatsword (spadone/montante/zweihander) be used one handed? [this video] Those things are about as beefy as swords got, excluding ceremonial/decorative/etc. that weren't meant to be used in combat anyway. Granted, this is a highly experienced martia