So... polearms

The problem here is that no one is trying to kill anyone. No one is in fear of their life. That’s not how people fight. They’re standing still and holding one arm behind their backs.

They’re armored. It’s unlikely a slash would do much. It should be a simple matter to outflank the spearman on open ground. They aren’t working together. It feels like they’re playing a real life turn based RPG where they stand in spot and parry. Ridiculous.

Compared to the game though, you’ll see they hold the spear with the left arm forward. This is how right handed people hold spears. In the game, Henry holds it with his right arm forward. His only unlocked attack is a left handed vertical swing. No thrust/stab. No horizontal strike.

This discusses right hand on top

There’s an argument to be made for the halberd, but the spear? No. No right handed person uses a spear with the right hand on top. The problem is the game doesn’t really make a distinction between the two. The other problem being that there are no directional attacks, or combos, or special moves like the other weapons.

Polearms are an afterthought, and completely unfinished. Even the NPCs are protesting by dropping halberds all over Rattay.

If you talk in the video, well technically yes, but they are practicing unarmored fighting. So slash is legit.

Isn’t supporting the point made in the video ? Like, indeed they do not fear of their life, but the point is, in the video, the spearman has clearly the advantage here. So in real life or death situation, the two swordman wouldn’t be even more afraid of the spear ? So it’s not a problem.

In the game you can do thrust, but only while locked to an enemy, as for any other weapon.

And you assume that you cannot be ambidextrous. Personally I do AMHE, I’m left handed and combat with longsword and rapier as left handed. I never yet had lesson on polearm, but I would totally take the shaft with my left hand forward, I feel it more natural (and I just learn that this is not how I should do as a left handed). Too I shoot bow as a right handed (left hand on the handle of the bow). So they can be ambidextrous ? haha.

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No. In a life or death situation. Give me another person that isn’t a moron over a spear any day. These kinds of martial arts sports are not real. That isn’t how people fight, any more than a boxing match is how people fight.

I make no such assumption. However the game is not ambidextrous. It doesn’t even make a distinction between spear and halberd, any more than there is any difference in how a sword or axe handles.

Try this then

Can I ask what is you field of expertise or experience in the matter to make such claim ? Because, AMHE… :open_mouth: OMG, sorry XD I’ve just realise that I wrote the term in french (my first language), I meant HEMA… Which stand for Historical European Martial Art. and are base on treatises wrote by peoples that actually use those technique to kill. But anyway, I don’t claim that I would be better or worse, I don’t know, I, never yet fought with polearms to try it out. Have you ? I only claim that polearms in the game are clearly bad implemented compare of what they are in real life.

Expertise is irrelevant, as for experience, life? Boxing is not fighting. Are you saying that it is?

Sport is not real. Take away the fear of your own life. Take away the goal being to kill and to live, and the result is play acting.

Let me explain why two people are better than a spear, and why the swordsmen in the video were doing it wrong. When someone swings a giant spear at you, you don’t plant your feet in place, take the full force of the blow with one hand, and attempt to “parry” the spear. You move, you deflect. You never plant your feet. You never stand still and just “parry.” Only someone reading from a HEMA, or similar, manual would attempt this.

Instead you distract with one person, while the other circles around. In the open, there is no way to prevent this. You charge in, you deflect. You take one hit if you need to, but you disable their weapon, and the other person attacks from the side or behind.

If what you’re saying is that the spear will win anyway, then the only logical choice is to run or attack as I described, if you can’t possibly win anyway.

Expertise is irrelevant. Really. Ive been trying to ignore you, but this i can not let pass. Does studying mean nothing? How about doing labs in school in preparation for your future. That is still “fake” in the way that you use it.

You have obviously never been in a boxing match, using your own example. Even that is terrifying enough as is with all the safety precautions and doctors on hand. Now take a fight with your life in the line.

Do you know how hard it is to dodge a quarterstaff? Because thats what a spear is. Deflecting obviously isnt always an option.

Remember if you take a hit your dead its over, and in the context we are talking about even if you do manage to kill your opponent you still have a very high chance of dying.

The person with the spear also isnt stationary, like you seem to imply, it isnt that easy to circle around

The spear might not always win, but the reach leverage and impact certainly make a huge difference.