Inca Military

Hand-to-hand combat was the most common form of fighting. The Incas used battle axes and lances made of copper, bronze, and stone. However, these weapons were not sharp enough to penetrate Spanish armor. Also, they used an assortment of clubs. The largest, the porra, required two hands. It consisted of a long wooden handle with a ball of copper or stone that had five or six protruding points. The porra was not capable of penetrating a Spanish helmet. One of their most effective weapons used by the Inca was a sling or warak'a. It threw rocks with such force that they could break a Spanish sword in two. The Incas did use the bow and arrow, but they were not very accurate and they were also useless against Spanish armor.