So my group is playing Warhammer Fantasy (2e?) and I am creating an Estalian Diestro ( think Inigo Montoya). I was looking at the foil or rapier weapon and it sparked me thinking: what was the most deadly fencing weapon historically? The epee, small sword, saber, estoc, rapier, or something else? Most search results focus on fencing as a sport not actual combat. The situation would be single duel/ small group combat not actual war. I would love to hear some opinions!
For one-on-one dueling, using a weapon you can wear as a sidearm, the rapier has the advantage; that’s what it’s optimized for. If small group combat is a possibility, other swords might be useful: an estoc if you might encounter armor, or a curved sword if you need to move quickly between multiple opponents.
I would rule out the epee and small sword. They are basically rapiers that sacrifice effectiveness in order to be less cumbersome as fashion accessories.