I'm certain that a lot of people would say that "cunt" is a more effective swear word than "fuck." Long ago, neither word was considered vulgar, and there were even 14th century headpieces known as "cunt hats," if you can believe that.
But my favorite bad words are those which defy our expectations as English speakers. For instance, in Catalan there are no curses that do not invoke the name of God. In order for something to be considered offensive, or at least upsettingly so, it must include an insult to the creator, or else someone near and dear to Him. So, instead of "fuck you," there is a phrase that translates to "I shit on the blessed cunt." Very odd.
As for my all-time favorite English swear, it has to be "lickspigot," the modern day equivalent being "cocksucker." Americans are somewhat less inventive, but we have a few good ones, too. "Motherfucker" springs to mind. Still, the word "fuck" offers more in the way of utility, and is quite a bit punchier. | 
Swear Word Curse-Off 
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