Melee Weapon 1v1

[Donfuy]

Although my first post in this thread is allusive to scissors, I have chosen Katana.


You know, Metal Fatigue's Katanas.

[Atilla]

I would be interested in the impact of shields on spear use. It seems to me that a person possessed of a sturdy shield might be able to better close the distance to a spear-user, since it is quite possible to block strikes with a shield (this, indeed, being the reason they exist). Have you any experience of this, Suki?

What about polearms? Or are those halberds of another name?

Polmarms are the supertype to which halberds, spears and tridents belong. See Roy's attempt to buy a polearm for a list of some of the numerous types of polearm.

[capt_weasle]

Heheh. "Don't have much call for that around these parts." Gotta love Monte Python.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

I would be interested in the impact of shields on spear use. It seems to me that a person possessed of a sturdy shield might be able to better close the distance to a spear-user, since it is quite possible to block strikes with a shield (this, indeed, being the reason they exist). Have you any experience of this, Suki?

Sadly, the only attempt at a shield he made ended up only being effective for slashing weapons. The spearhead could fit neatly through the gaping holes in the middle of the thing.
But I can't imagine why you couldn't just stab alternatingly at the feet and upper torso. You can stab extremely rapidly with the spear if you sacrifice a bit of power behind each stroke.
You could charge with the shield and get too close for comfort, though, I suppose. Just hope the spear doesn't slide around the shield and stab you in the face as you do so.

[blue_tetris]

Axe plus shield beats spear plus shield.

[Tunco]

Axe plus shield beats spear plus shield.

Spear is the worst one out there, Only high range weapon, has no chance of 1 to 1 fight.

[Donfuy]

Axe plus shield beats spear plus shield.

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT VIKINGS HERE?

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

Axe plus shield beats spear plus shield.

i have a bugbear frenzied berzerker he uses a double war scythe one hand tower shield in the other hes unpottable axe shield is for losers you should use double war scythe
its a weapon i made
up ask me for details ill email you them to you my gm let me use them so its cool

[Tanner]

Axe plus shield beats spear plus shield.

It's true because it works that way in Fire Emblem.

[taaveti]

I would be interested in the impact of shields on spear use. It seems to me that a person possessed of a sturdy shield might be able to better close the distance to a spear-user, since it is quite possible to block strikes with a shield (this, indeed, being the reason they exist). Have you any experience of this, Suki?

Sadly, the only attempt at a shield he made ended up only being effective for slashing weapons. The spearhead could fit neatly through the gaping holes in the middle of the thing.
But I can't imagine why you couldn't just stab alternatingly at the feet and upper torso. You can stab extremely rapidly with the spear if you sacrifice a bit of power behind each stroke.
You could charge with the shield and get too close for comfort, though, I suppose. Just hope the spear doesn't slide around the shield and stab you in the face as you do so.

In terms of foam weapons, that's pretty much exactly it: a spear should go for the legs (unless you're really good at body fakes, in which case you might be able to pull off a shoulder wrap), and a shield (or anyone else without the spear's reach) should wait for a miss then charge inside the spear's range. In that case, it's generally 50/50: if the spear gets a leg while the shield moves in, they win; if they miss the leg shot, the shield wins.
In the real world, it might also be practical for the spear to attack the shield itself (either in an attempt to penetrate the shield or to embed the spear in it, dragging the shield down and out of the way), although that would be pretty risky in a 1v1 context.
In general, spears work much better in a supportive role than in single combat: pairing a spearman with a sword and board or another spear covers the dead zone so someone can't just charge in, going a long way to negate the big disadvantage while keeping the reach advantage.

[Atilla]

In the real world, it might also be practical for the spear to attack the shield itself (either in an attempt to penetrate the shield or to embed the spear in it, dragging the shield down and out of the way), although that would be pretty risky in a 1v1 context.

Getting your only weapon stuck in someone's shield seems a bit suicidal in 1v1 combat. I mean, many shields were deliberately designed with wooden rims rather than metal so that the opponent's weapon would get wedged, enabling you to move in and attack while they try to remove it.

[noops]

I would be interested in the impact of shields on spear use. It seems to me that a person possessed of a sturdy shield might be able to better close the distance to a spear-user, since it is quite possible to block strikes with a shield (this, indeed, being the reason they exist). Have you any experience of this, Suki?

Sadly, the only attempt at a shield he made ended up only being effective for slashing weapons. The spearhead could fit neatly through the gaping holes in the middle of the thing.
But I can't imagine why you couldn't just stab alternatingly at the feet and upper torso. You can stab extremely rapidly with the spear if you sacrifice a bit of power behind each stroke.
You could charge with the shield and get too close for comfort, though, I suppose. Just hope the spear doesn't slide around the shield and stab you in the face as you do so.

While this is true, wouldn't it also be possible if you had say, a tower shield, or perhaps an aspis, it would be much easier, seeing as how they're fairly large, and, if what Atilla says is true, it, the spear, could conceivably be wedged into the sheild, if one took a crouched position, aiming the shield in such a way that the feet and possibly ankles are expose, while the rest is covered. This is incredibly specific, however, so I don't think it's very practical, you know?

[taaveti]

In the real world, it might also be practical for the spear to attack the shield itself (either in an attempt to penetrate the shield or to embed the spear in it, dragging the shield down and out of the way), although that would be pretty risky in a 1v1 context.

Getting your only weapon stuck in someone's shield seems a bit suicidal in 1v1 combat. I mean, many shields were deliberately designed with wooden rims rather than metal so that the opponent's weapon would get wedged, enabling you to move in and attack while they try to remove it.

Yeah, it kinda hinges on having a backup weapon and/or someone standing next to you to kill the guy when his shield drops. Given that, it was a pretty common tactic in Roman times: fairly heavy spears with soft metal tips would be stabbed or thrown into the enemy's shield, where the tip would bend under the weight of the spear and the shaft would drag on the ground, encumbering the enemy's shield. Then one could charge in with a gladius and an unencumbered shield and make quick work of the poor guy who probably just had to drop his shield.

[Radium]

Yeah, it kinda hinges on having a backup weapon and/or someone standing next to you to kill the guy when his shield drops. Given that, it was a pretty common tactic in Roman times: fairly heavy spears with soft metal tips would be stabbed or thrown into the enemy's shield, where the tip would bend under the weight of the spear and the shaft would drag on the ground, encumbering the enemy's shield. Then one could charge in with a gladius and an unencumbered shield and make quick work of the poor guy who probably just had to drop his shield.

awesome tactice. <3 the romans.

[Aldaric]

Excalibur

[bobaganuesh_2]

a rotten kumkwat. seriously.