Epee is a weapon entirely based on the small sword, the preferred dueling weapon of the later years of the Renaissance. The rules are structured to simulate as closely as possible an actual dueling situation. In epee you can strike only with the tip of the weapon, as the original small swords had no edge. To more accurately represent a duel the rules of epee tend to be a little looser than the other two weapons; for instance there is no right of way in epee. Instead, should two opponents attack together and both arrive, both will receive a point, and as a result it becomes crucial to defend even as you are attacking. Also, in epee everything from the top of the head to the tips of the toes is a valid target, opening up new avenues of attack and forcing a fencer to defend a much larger area. Epee fencing is characterized by periods of slow feeling out of an opponent and careful planning of an attack followed by fast and furious exchanges of blade play in which one or both fencers may be hit.