What's the difference between morning star and a flail?

[Artek [General]]

Ignoring stat requirements and the fact that flails are unpariable - is there some meaningful difference I do not know? Better poise, higher overall damage? Flail appears to have a very smooth combo that seamlessly restarts, so great for R1 spam but that's about the only thing I noticed. Reach is not quite as big as I was expecting either.

[Old Captain Yon]

Flails do not bounce off shields and nothing when one-handed, that is pretty much it. Oh, and flails usually have better dex scaling while hammers are more str, but it depends

[Artek [General]]

Originally posted by Old Captain Yon:

Flails do not bounce off shields and nothing when one-handed, that is pretty much it. Oh, and flails usually have better dex scaling while hammers are more str, but it depends

Huh, I did noticed that they don't bounce off walking bellfries when I clean them... That is a very useful.

[vamirez]

While often confused, historically a morningstar is like a mace or club with a spiked ball for a head, hence the name. It does not have a chain. A flail is any weapon with a chain. While seemingly inspired from the tool of the peasant, flails used in combat were not tools but were specifically constructed to be weapons. They saw use for example in the Hussite Wars where the Hussites used armored wagon forts (yes :)) to fight off knights, and a flail with a long shaft could be swung from atop those wagons.

[Juno Brier]

One has a chain, the other doesn't.

Also flails can't be parried.

[Mirona]

flails are on a chain. morningstars not

[Artek [General]]

Originally posted by Juno Brier:

One has a chain, the other doesn't.

Also flails can't be parried.

Originally posted by Mirona:

flails are on a chain. morningstars not

TL:DR you claim there is no difference.
So...If flail can't be parried... And doesn't bounce... Then doesn't that make it a direct upgrade of the morning star? A crazy one at that? There has to be a selling point to MS and normal hammers, surely?

[Orfin]

I think flails are the least used weapon and for a good reason, bad moveset, reach, damage, poise, ashes of war, nothing good about them

[Sonnenbank]

Hammers do more poise damage meaning they will stance break enemies faster

[Artek [General]]

Originally posted by Orfin:

I think flails are the least used weapon and for a good reason, bad moveset, reach, damage, poise, ashes of war, nothing good about them

I found them to be alright.
Moveset is good - although R2s feel lacking in range.
Reach is... Shorter than you would expect, but not too short - maybe like Broadsword. Damage and poise seem fair - at the very least it perfectly compliments my Great Epe against enemies weaker to strike or those who dodge Epe a little bit too well.
Ashes of War though... Yeah... Ended up with Quickstep, for utility against swamps.

Originally posted by Sonnenbank:

Hammers do more poise damage meaning they will stance break enemies faster

That does makes sense. Fair, I suppose.

[Mushroom]

One is hammur, the other is stikc and ball.