The Scythe

History

A scythe was created as an agricultural tool for mowing grass or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe not because it was originally a weapon, but because it depicts him as a "Reaper of souls" or a "Soul harvester".

About

A scythe consists of a wooden shaft about 67 inches (nearly 6 feet) long called a "Snaith". Modern day snaiths may be made out of metals or strong plastics. The snaith may be straight, or have an "S"-shaped curve to it, but the more sophisticated versions are curved in three dimensions, allowing the scythe user to stand more upright, preventing any back or muscle strain. A long, curved blade about 24 to 35 inches long (around 3 feet) is mounted at the lower end, perpendicular to the snaith. Scythes always have the blade projecting from the left side of the snaith, with the edge towards the mower. In principle a left-handed scythe could be made, but it could not be used together with right-handed scythes in a team of users, as the left-handed person would be swinging in the opposite direction.

Review

I would rate the scythe with a 9/10 for melee weapons. It can swing fairly quickly if you have decent upper-body strength, has a massive range compared to nearly all melee weapons, and can dispatch multiple zombies at once with the huge blade. The only thing keeping this weapon from getting a 10/10 on the scale is that the range could be hindering if there are a lot of zombies, or if you are in close-quarters combat situations. However, this is easily one of the best melee weapons you could get your hands on.