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Pole user rule (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 months ago by PugJesus@lemmy.world to c/196

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by Centurii-chan

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[-] Gormadt 18 points 6 months ago

Spears are also easier to make, so you can make them faster.

So basically it's a numbers game

Yeah halberds are more versatile and can be incredibly effective, but you can equip a lot of dudes with spears and less training.

At least that's my understanding

[-] rarWars 11 points 6 months ago

While the halberd's blade offers a lot of options for hooking your opponent, it equally gives them an opportunity to hook your polearm and manipulate it themselves. The simpler spearhead is also lighter than that of a halberd, allowing for more sustain when fighting for long periods.

I would definitely prefer a halberd (or billhook) over a spear given the choice, but it's not as much of a direct upgrade as you might think.

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I just read about swiss mercenaries a while ago and wondered the whole read why they didn't have a short range weapon like a knife or axe too. Probably because of this.

Btw, they needed a whole century to equip the army with spears. Things sure moved slower back then.