[OB]Shard Weapons

[Bridge 4.0 he/him]

If Kaladin could turn Syl into Sylspear how come there aren't any different types of dead shard weapons. There are only dead spren swords and not any other kind of weapon. 

My guess would be that swords are the default weapons and when not in use they just turn back into swords. Also maybe the Knights Radiants just did not know that they could change their weaponspren.

[StrikerEZ he/him]

I know I've seen a more explicit WoB that basically said that the reason that sprenblades are swords even though they could change shape was just because that's what form they were in when the Radiants abandoned their oaths, but I couldn't find it. Here's a WoB that kind of says that:

Quote

Questioner

What was the reason for choosing the base form of Shardblades as blades, why not another form? Was it because of the spren?

Brandon Sanderson

Why was the base form of Shardblades chosen to as blades, as swords? It is because the Shardblades were devised... They were devised as imitations of the Honorblades, which were created and given to the Heralds. And so since the original pattern was the Honorblades, they were built to feel like the Honorblades.

source

 

[Weltall]

Here's the specific WoB:

Quote

Questioner (paraphrased)

Why were all the Shardblades swords when they can take on any weapon form they want? Would they all revert to swords when they die?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

When they die they'd revert to the basic form which was a sword since they were patterned after Honorblades.

source

The Radiants of old were well aware that their spren could take other shapes; Wyndle mentions that there were definitely some which became bows (string and arrow sold separately, stormlight batteries not included) and in Oathbringer we see a Stoneward summon his spren as a hammer during the Aharietiam vision.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Weltall

[Bridge 4.0 he/him]

So how come there were only swords?

[Szmit]

40 minutes ago, Bridge 4.0 said:

So how come there were only swords?

They can change shape, but their true/perfect form is a blade. Even Syl instinctively became blade at first despite Kalladin's talent with spear.

[Weltall]

5 hours ago, Bridge 4.0 said:

So how come there were only swords?

Their default form is 'big sword' because the spren were patterning themselves off the Honorblades, which are swords. When they were killed by the breaking of the oaths, they reverted to sword form regardless of any other forms they may have taken. Think of their Physical incarnations as shapeshifters with a default form. As mentioned, we've seen Syl default to sword form even though she and Kaladin both know that he's more comfortable with a spear.