by Centurii-chan
this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2024
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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
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.
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.