Wow, now I finally see what's really behind it, not that some of the shortest 2handers are OP (far less damage and reach), but that you don't like the idea of an archer with 75 wpf in 2h whooping your ass with a short blade when you have 150 wpf in 2h or polearm using an elegant poleaxe or german greatsword because you can't manual block.
Honestly at this point I like the iron mace but it gets really boring running around with always the same weapon so often I will just go no melee weapon, shoot, and if melee appears near just run away with 7 soon to be 8 athletics and lighter armor. Thats what people really want: kiting archers. If I really feel like meleeing once I use up my 2-3 stacks of arrows depending on bow i just run over and pick up someone's dropped german greatsword or highland claymore.
These swords are no different than the 1hers I listed earlier except they can be used 2handed and thereby use 2handed melee wpf. Similar damage, sometimes even less reach, and the same speeds. Others who actually will retire and respec will be using almost identical weapons with 1 slot because they are 1h (though it sounds like paul might make them hybridized too). It makes sense to ahve the shortest, cheapest 2handers be 1 slot just like the longer polearms have several. And no bastard sword is not OP by any means, its very very short, same thing with katana. If you are really intimidated by a guy with 75 wpf in 2h using a bastard sword and thereby voted no on the poll, I would highly suggest a lot more time in the duel server.
And Paul, if you consider 1-slots based on how powerful they are, why is the basic axe and pratice sword 2-slot items which would fit into the category of weak, but are carried on the back and not the hip.