What should you do if an Ork charges you with a bill? Pay it.

the winged spear's right by the zweihander in the Firelink graveyard

@xtremebrother77

6 жыл бұрын

Someursaul I knew it was not just me thinking about dark souls

@shubertcao

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed

"Shaft sticking out of the bottom". That's a serious medical condition, it should be sticking out the other side.

@TheAnon26

6 жыл бұрын

Well, different strokes for different folks...

@VulpeRenard

6 жыл бұрын

It's normal if you're a kangaroo, I think.

@politedog4959

6 жыл бұрын

Sticking out the head you mean?

Heh, the mount and blade engine restricts you to only poking when you use a shield with a polearm. Always wondered about that...

@s.w.4409

6 жыл бұрын

Alavaria In Bannerlord you will be able to thrust from above or below with a spear, even with a shield. Similar to the bayonet attacks in Napoleonic Wars. :)

@jackdawson7086

6 жыл бұрын

Simon W. Well i cant wait for bannerlord to be released...i hope it ll have as many mods as warband

@s.w.4409

6 жыл бұрын

Jack Dawson Absolutely, the Bannerlord mod support will be much better than the support for warband. I'm already part of a team working on a Lord of the Rings total conversion for bannerlord called Kingdoms of Arda. Check it out if you're interested :)

@jackdawson7086

6 жыл бұрын

Simon W. Wow really nice,i adore the lotr mods but i felt like warband didnt have one to show how wonderful tolkien s world is

@TheChiconspiracy

6 жыл бұрын

I wish they added an additional diagonal stab that you could do more from the side, that would require a different type of block. Hell, I wish you could use the spear overarm, but I don't think that will happen.

In Marozzo's treatise, the partesan is a cut and thrust weapon, when used with two hands, then becomes a thrusting weapon, when used with a rotella and is mainly gripped underhand, in this latter case.

You missed one important point though: LEGO figures *can't* thrust! Also while not actual combat use ranks of highly polished halberds with decorated shields must look awesome for parades, "Royal Guard" and other ceremonial uses.

OMG you are patches from dark souls, your resemblance to him had something to do with my subscribing 5+ years ago but this video sealed the deal

@xtremebrother77

6 жыл бұрын

Trusty patches knows his spears, no wonder why he made it to the end of the world

Matt, some time back Theng Thrand took a partisan head and mounted it on an ash octagon shaft and when they tested it, it was a monster. Zombie- Go-Boom took the exact same partisan head and mounted it on a mop handle and it was a joke. So I presume that the pole you mount your weapon on was demonstrated as very important. You did not address this, so I am mentioning it. Love the video, thanks. Dante.

Matt, I've heard tale of something called a "gentleman's tilt" in regard to pikemen on the front lines. I can't remember who said it or where I heard it, but it was something about how frontline pikemen knew they were basically the first to die, so some would tilt their pikes up and intentionally miss one another. Is that off base? Can you elaborate on that in a pike video, perhaps? I'm very interested in the equipment, history, and tactics of pikemen.

Dual wielding winged spears is the way yo go.

@yourveryownsun3236

6 жыл бұрын

Cinocephalus Duel wield pike, no one will ever come close to you

@MiTHMoN

6 жыл бұрын

Pike and spear: The "rapier and dagger" of gods.

@rafaelrubio4443

5 жыл бұрын

Do you play Dark Souls 2 by any chance?

@erikjarandson5458

4 жыл бұрын

Hah! Easily countered by dual wielding shields!

@StormhawkJuzo

2 жыл бұрын

All you guys dual wielding weapons while I’m dual wielding ladles

Hey Matt, Wondering if you could comment on the idea of "hands free" shields. I know of accounts from the Battle of Sempach that describe the Swiss tying boards and "lashes" to their arms in the absence of other armor/shields. They were of course famously using halberds, presumably to cut. I know that this battle has taken on a slightly mythical aspect in Switzerland so who knows how accurate those descriptions are. But I wonder what your thoughts are on pole arms used with "shields" of that variety and perhaps more ancient/Alexandrian shields which may have functioned similarly. Thanks! Great vid as always!

@matthewmuir8884

5 жыл бұрын

Pictish stone carvings also depict Pict warriors armed with two-handed spears and round "hands free" shields. I would love to see a video on this type of shield design.

How about having your shield hung up over your shoulder on the side and using cut-and-thrust polearm in both hands?

@MajaElise95

5 жыл бұрын

That would absolutely work. Me and my friends do that all the time during training. You won't get full use of your shield, but it will give you a fair amount of coverage.

@wulfheywood1321

5 жыл бұрын

@@MajaElise95 several people used to use a similar style in a Viking group I was in , The forearm went through a loop on the shield but the weight was on the guige strap, it gave them quite good control over the shield whilst still enabling good cuts with the spear. Their range of attacks with the spear was cut down but the added protection of the shield more than made up for this. The only problems they really encountered was if a sword/axe man got within the spears reach, this was because if they had to draw their sidearm their own shield was not as manoeuvrable as their opponents.

@carl8752

4 жыл бұрын

Wait, thats illegal!

@monadotheoneunovanwarrior4018

4 жыл бұрын

_So basically sode but in melee. Or the pelta used by Macedonian phalangites._

Instant like :) As Marozzo says in his partisan + shield chapter : here you won't be able to deliver any other blow than a thrust, for any other blows would be useless.

@scholagladiatoria

6 жыл бұрын

Cool! I've not read that bit of Marozzo, so very good to know.

@jancello

6 жыл бұрын

That's my nr.1 source for experimental viking spear-and-shield. Also the only HEMA source I know for any kind of pole-weapon and shield. I discussed the topic briefly in my Acta Periodica paper on Polearms in the Sagas. Glad to see we agree!

@demomanchaos

6 жыл бұрын

He isn't entirely accurate with that statement. Using your torso, hand, and elbow as points of a lever you can swing your spear to cut with one hand relatively well (The Dark Souls Gargoyle Halberd's one-handed R1 uses this sort of swing). It is actually a very important principle to using a spear one-handed as it is the most effective way to recover your point when it is knocked aside. Since you are using the spear one-handed you are going to have that extra bit of shaft behind you anyways (only a great fool goes into single combat holding their one-handed spear at the back) you might as well put it to use. Spear and shield is what I "majored" in during my last year or so in the Dark Age group I was in. While it is not very good against people with shields it is absolutely brutal against people with two-handed weapons (It is the best setup I've tried for a counter-thrust style).

@Robert399

6 жыл бұрын

+demomanchaos But the more effective you make it at chopping, the less wieldy it will be in one hand. Any spear-length weapon you can use nimbly in one hand probably won't have much impact on the target (assuming they've got at least heavy clothing). Certainly it would be nowhere near as deadly as swinging a two-handed polearm or a one-handed sword or axe (ignoring range). That being said, you clearly gain reach over the latter and the protection of a shield over the former. I suppose it's up to you whether you consider that trade-off worth it.

@demomanchaos

6 жыл бұрын

A 12 inch spear blade is plenty manageable as a spear and provides enough surface for a cut. A one-handed spear isn't going to be lopping any limbs off regardless of length and heft, but it will be enough to disrupt the opponent's advance and make them consider the possibility of being cut when your point is off line. That is all it needs to do really.

I love that Poleax, and it demonstrates the difference between that, and a Halberd. A halberd head is socketed, and all 1 piece. A Polax/lucern hammer/bec du corbin is usually Modular. the spear point is separate from the heads. So, you can actually take it apart, and combine a different spear head (Awl pick) with different cleaving/striking/hooking heads.

The location of that glass cabinet adds real dramatic tension to this video.

@MonkeyJedi99

4 жыл бұрын

Right? I kept waiting for the sounds of broken glass, or a jump cut to a cabinet draped with something cloth.

I'm surprised you don't mention more on Partisan and Rotella, described in a couple of ways in Manciollino and Marozzo, especially considered how much you referred to the Partisan. Now granted most of the strikes are described as thrusts, but in Manciolino's Opera Nova, Book 6, Second section on Rotella and Partisan, he specifically describes using the Partisan with a two-handed grip with the Rotella strapped to the arm, giving blows to the leg: "If he attacks your leg, parry with your partisan by hitting into his blow to the outside, towards his left. Let your right hand be higher than usual so that you can better parry, and riposte immediately with a blow to his leg. Then, recover in the guard already described." (from Leoni translation). Even the other plays that describe using the Partisan one-handed with the spear often describe parries done in a striking type motion, that I think is similar to a cut.

This question comes up a lot in my larp group too. In our system, if you hit an unarmored limb, that limb immediately becomes unusable. So the go-to tactic against fighters with polearms is to go for the arms. This way they are very limited in what they can do offensively if they are forced to fight one-handed. As a response to this, unless you have a fighter who is wearing lots of armor, or if you have a fighter who just thinks he's a badass and doesn't need help, you rarely see a polearm without someone with a big shield for the pole user to hide behind when their arm gets sniped.

With winged spears and partizan type weapons, part of me wonders if they don't show up for reasons of versatility. When in a formation with shields up, the soldier really only needs to be able to thrust decently. But if the melee breaks into a more disorganized scrum or they lose their shield (dropped, broken whatever), then having the option to use two hands on a pole weapon with some ability to cut is a definite bonus over being stuck with a pure thrusting spear or whatever sidearm they have. Likewise context is important here, it absolutely is possible to throw cuts one handed with a polearm by using the body as a point of leverage to swing the weapon, typically with sweeping horizontal cuts around hip level. This requires a lot of space and isn't at all suitable to a closely packed battlefield, but fighting against a bandit or two in the middle of a road it might be worthwhile. Still, I agree this would only really be practical with the lighter cutting polearms.

Thanks for the video. I think you're almost completely right on the subject. The example with using the halberd or bill with a shield is a good one, but as always you're focused on relatively modern times. In ancient times similar things were common. I'm not aware of any art showing billmen with shields, but there's plenty of examples showing men of an earlier age marching into battles carrying large shields to ward off missiles, with their primary weapons - dane axes - strapped to their back. And dark age shield walls would have had many men carrying shields and spears capable of multiple functions - the spear you're showing in this very video being a later example of the same type. And wouldn't the same be true of the hoplites? The dory was used primary for thrusting in mass formation, but it was a generalist weapon, one that could also deliver solid cuts when grasped two-handed, or even be thrown effectively for a nasty surprise. I suspect there was probably an unbroken tradition of spears like this being used in conjunction with shields reaching back from those times to the early bronze age at least. The lack of evidence of shields being used with later weapons of similar type probably has something to do with shields in general becoming less common in later period, as far as I understand *that* had a lot to do with improvements in the production of armor and drastic decreases in the price.

Note also Marozzo suggests that if the rotella is firmly strapped, you can let go of it and fight two-handed with the rotella still covering your left arm. Or else just drop the thing.

One could use the guige of the shield to keep it vaguely in front and use the polearm two handed. One particularly clever chap might even pass a strap in the shield handle and secure it to his left elbow to make sure the shield (hanging from the guige) will always cover his left flank, though it might be a bit cumbersome. Anyway, the guige can be made an essential part of your setup, and you could have both the shield and a halberd/bill: if the need to use the polearm arise, you swiftly sling your shield on your back and fight with the halberd. If the shield is absolutely required, you drop the halberd, put on the shield, and draw the sword.

Matt! Are there any treatises on using polearms with shields at all (cut or thrust)?

@scholagladiatoria

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, the Bolognese ones and a few other Italian ones. Marozzo is probably the most detailed.

@Toto-95

6 жыл бұрын

I love their sauce ! I'm sorry, i'll show myself out...

@emarsk77

6 жыл бұрын

From a quick search on Wiktenauer: wiktenauer.com/wiki/Achille_Marozzo#Fourth_Book_.28Pole_Weapons.29 wiktenauer.com/wiki/Gladiatoria_(MS_Germ.Quart.16) wiktenauer.com/wiki/Die_Blume_des_Kampfes#Spear.2C_Sword.2C_and_Shield_in_Armor wiktenauer.com/wiki/Gladiatoria_group#Spear

Are there any examples of soldiers using polearms with both hands but having a shield strapped to their arm? I've heard of examples of pikemen using shields but I'm not sure if this is accurate.

@kaizmorgan

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah! Check out the Battle of Sempach, there are accounts of people doing just that.

@kaizmorgan

6 жыл бұрын

I think in the case of Sempach it might be generous to even call them "shields". The accounts I've read are a bit tricky to translate to English but it just describes boards and maybe rope being tied on to people's arms during the battle to use in conjunction with Halberds. Probably a pretty haphazard set up, not a thought out strapping method.

@lmonk9517

6 жыл бұрын

They would be strapped like a Grecian shield but smaller. s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1d/ef/3d/1def3dd4eafd73ccd939025ff764b8cf--classical-greece-greek-history.jpg Then you can use the polearm two handed

@kaizmorgan

6 жыл бұрын

What makes you think that? I don't doubt that they worked in a similar way to Macedonian shields but I've seen no evidence for the use of actual shields with real straps at Sempach. They specifically mention "boards" and "rope" being used because the soldiers did not have access to real shields.

@lmonk9517

6 жыл бұрын

Obviously they wouldn't be one on one comparisons but they would most likely have used the rope to tie a strap for it to worn on the arm but also leaving the hand free to use both arms on the pole arm. They could have done it another way but the macedonian style would be the most simple and effective and therefore the more likely choice.

For an original source of a polearm used with a shield there are Dane axes used with shields, some covered with arrows, on the Bayeux tapestry. Also in the antiquity Macedonian phalanx used long pikes with a shield strapped to the left arm.

This is a Warhammer question. Halberd and shield is a common loadout for several armies. In fairness to the designers the shield provides missile defence on the advance and cannot be used with the halberd in combat. Some infantry so armed like Bretonnian halberdiers show the soldiers swinging with the shield slung on the back. All others show halberd and shield both carried, but standing or marching, not readied to fight. It might be what Matieu was after all along.

Not exactly the same thing but close, there's a japanese swordsmanship style (Tendo-ryu) which has some kata where the naginata (definitely a cutting polearm) is used one-handed with a kodachi in the other hand and iirc, there are some cuts to the belly (do) done with the naginata tucked under the arm and the cut done solely with the hip and passing footwork. It's just a trick really but here it is... Also Matt Galas woohoo!!!

Do you have a halberd? I'd love to see how you would fight with one.

Kite shield, lead hand through the end strap at the bottom of the point, other strap just above the bicep. Two hands on the weapon allowing full reach and utilization, as well as an extremely protected entire left side. Other option would be dual buckler forearm strapping.

I did see a demonstration several years ago with two people sparring with poleaxe and shield. However the poleaxes they used were much smaller than the one you showed both in the size of the head and length of the shaft. The shaft were about 4.5-5 feet long (about 1.5 meters), give or take a few inches (cm), and the heads looked to be maybe half to three quarters of the size you showed. The poleaxes were kept in pretty much constant motion once they started and it was very impressive, but as they pointed out really only useful in single combat. With the constant wide swings nobody would want to get within about 8 feet of them. Also, you probably couldn't keep fighting like that for extended periods of time as it looked positively exhausting.

This is fantastic! This is something I was wondering about in designing a combat system for a game, and here's the answer. I better sign up for Patreon so I can ask my own questions and maybe hopefully get an answer (if, y'know, it's not too much trouble)!

Advancing with a shield and then swapping to a two handed weapon sounds like a wise idea. Though dropping the shield sounds bad, especially if lots of people do it, because now you have a bunch of shields underfoot tripping you up. Also a pain if melee stops and you need to find cover from archers again. A better idea would be to have the shield on a strap and just swing it behind you when you need to fight.

Finally I've been waiting so long for this video

Matt, if you take just the metallic tip of the winged spear you seem to have a usable short sword with a cross guard. Very practical if the wooden shaft gets broken or if you need something for close combat.

@brotherandythesage

6 жыл бұрын

I was thinking more of a Zulu Iklwa.

i'm unsure where i picked this idea up but i'm fairly sure i read somewhere (on the topic of siege warfare) that in the preparation for an assault on a small castle, it was not uncommon for crude shields to be put together and given to soldiers who would not normally have them, to be dropped once the distance was closed, allowing for better use of their weapons.

That last example sounds Awesome !! Sounds like something out of a movie! Imagine charging in with a shield, Then THROWING the Shield at someone and Pulling out a Massive 2 Handed Halberd !! Sick City

Interesting point about thrusts. But rapier thrusts for example can change direction, go in circles and even are dealt not in line with the arm. Once they connect, thrust should move in a straight line, but that is nor necessary for the way to the target, i think.

Wonderful how you mention the Warhammer Tabletop, because my Temple Guards were exactly what brought me here.

Might it be possible to use a smaller, strapped shield (more like an oversized vambrace) with a cut and thrust polearm, or would it get in the way?

You know that a man that can easily calculate 12" with eye sight is packing.

There is pictures of exactly what you said about having the shield for missile fire and having a two handed cutting weapon. The Bayeaux Tapestry coming to mind. Though, as you say, they are shown not to have them in hand in combat. Albeit, as I recal, all the pictures have the shields on the back, but I believe some do have arrows in them, and I would be hard pressed to believe they faced into arrow batrages with them on their back. So that at least is a thing. As you say, though, even at my strongest I don't think I ever would have been able to effectively swing a Dane axe one handed, and I spent a lot of time having to swing sledge hammerd at odd angles, sometimes one handed, so had developed similar muscles to what would be required.

If you have the time and access to examples, would you please cover Asian polearms? Thanks for all the great videos.

What about the Varangian Guard? I've read and seen them depicted as weilding a Dane Axe and also carrying a shield. Usually the shield is slung on their back in pictures, but what was it for? Advancing under arrow fire or using with a sword if their axe was lost?

@blasty137

5 жыл бұрын

Anglo-Saxon housecarls also wielded Dane axes and carried shields on their backs, since they were noblemen I would assume that they also carried swords which would be used in combination with the shields. It was probably the same with the Varangians/Viking huscarls.

The wings seem most useful for stopping excessive overpenetration and perhaps for fighting against mounted troops to pull the riders down.

Makes sense. Aren't there 15th century examples of artwork depicting infantry with polearms (of the poleaxe/warhammer variety) and large oval shields assaulting a wall? They do seem to be using it just to shelter from arrows, I think even as they are climbing up ladders....

I might remembering wrong, but I recall that Warhammer fantasy halberds were twohanded, so the shields were indeed only there to protect against arrows.

An example of a shield + spear character in videogames is the Valkyrie from For Honor. I'm not an expert on weapons but her spear looks like a cut and thrust spear (and she certainly uses it to cut).

Something that I'm curious about. Are there any examples of small shields which could be strapped onto your arm being used with pole-arms. I'm fairly certain that Macedonian phalanxes used a smaller than normal shield which was strapped to their arm alongside pikes/long spears. So are there any examples of this being done with pole-arms?

Adding to your point about role-playing games and videogames, using an oversized weapon or a polearm with a shield makes at least some sense when fighting big monsters. Assuming the character is inhumanly strong, wildly swinging a pole in a Dark Souls/Monster Hunter fashion is not overly absurd, and it looks cool :)

Hypothetically (not historically), would it be possible with a Greek hoplon/aspis, given their design being a strapped shield with the hang grip close to the edge, to use a shield and polearm-type weapon effectively? Many depictions of phalanx units wielding sarissas tend to show the shield being strapped in place on the arm, with the left hand freed to help maneuver the weapon. Could the same work for polearms?

you could use it with a shield that is entirely bound to your arm with your hand free enough and close enough to the front of the shield to use it to hold the polearm. you focus so much on the specific polearm but you really just need a shield that is designed to allow you to use your shield arm. it's not the best shield at that point, but still protects you somewhat.

Hey scholagladiatoria, I love your content. Would you consider doing a review of Brienne vs The Hound? It's on of the better fights from GOT imo.

Do a test with Lindybeige like spearmen against swordsmen. A line of halberdiers using the weapon twohanded with simple board shields hanging from their shoulders will be one of the most devastating formations you will find. There are heraldic depictions of shield and poleaxe.

Hi Mr. Easton. I remember an italian quattrocento oil painting of "pavesari" (shield armed lancers, for the protection of the genoese crossbowmen) with a lance with a heavy (but I dont know exactly the type) cut and thrust head. I either don´t know if this painting is historically accurate. Cheers, and thanks for your excellent channel.

Hey Matt great video! I know they're not the most common and I suppose maybe not even European but I know there are spears I believe used commonly by cavalry with a ball countereight like a pommel at the back end. They tend to be quite short but it is a spear you might use with a shield. :) quite specific and not too common a weapon as far as I know but I thought I'd mention it

When you get round to painting the shield, will you make a video on it? I'd love to see the process.

Possibility: Use the weapon as a somewhat cumbersome spear with a shield while in formation. When the fight splinters into individual melees, discard the shield.

Great stuff as always.

The Zulu had a spear specifically designed for fighting with the shield in cutting and thrusting but it was really short

I remember, back when I was doing reenactment fcombat (I've since moved on to reenactmen cooking... :-P ), some people using the carrying strap on a shield (specifically a kite shield) to make a sort of passive "wall", while having both hands relatively free to use a cutting polearm effectively within the rules of the reenactment combat. Of course, I doubt this would work very well in real life - while they had a decent range of movement, and could do a lot of cuts, I don't think they would have been able to deliver them with much force, owing to the shield resting on their front arm. Though the setup allowed for quickly throwing the shield onto the back, allowing for full movement and use of the polearm.

Amazing video, as usual :3

Excellent video Matt ! Any idea on the use of shields from horseback ? How it was exactly done ?

Can't you also grip the bottom of the shaft with the hand that is also holding the shield strap? I feel like there's enough room to hold both so you can fight and have a little bit of semi-effective shield cover.

@MALKton

6 жыл бұрын

would be too restricting to your offense movements, and you couldn't effectively adjust the shield to really meet an attack if you're just holding it with nothing but your forearm or elbow. i think shield on string and held vs archers and then sliding the shield on the back when you're down for melee is the way to go if you have mid- to heavy armor

Matt, would you consider the Zulu Iklwa a polearm with a cutting capacity? (Or even a polearm for that matter?) Or would you rather call it, say, a "sword-type weapon with a really long handle"? Because it was almost always used with the Zulu shield, as far as I know. It might be considered a rare exception to the general rule? Speaking of Weapons with ambiguous classification: The Nagamaki! Long-handled Sword or Polearm? Or another exotic exception that falls in between?

I wouldn't think it's super effective but what about carrying a smaller strapped shield with a polearm mostly for blocking arrows/bolts and switching to a 2h grip on the pole when engaging in melee to cut? Without dropping the shield that is. I'm sure the range of motion for the polearm would be significantly reduced, but perhaps there is a specific design for the shield that would make it more plausible.

What about "sarissas" (AKA macedonian pike)? In terms of weight they are comparable with polearms and they were used with strap shields. The context is indeed very different from middle ages, sarissas were not used to cut at all, and served as a sort of pike block that might give you the chance wield a shield too. But the question is: a similar type of shield (strapped to your shoulder, leaving the left hand free-ish) could be used to wield a polearm in some way? very bulky, kinda restricting, but possibly increasing defence capability? Secondary question: why late-medieval pikemen did't have such kind of shields for better protection?

@grailknight6794

6 жыл бұрын

NicAimo it would be useless the mechanichs of cutting with a polearm would be hindered by the shield so youd end up again at the same problem why use a poleaxe to stabb only when you can just get a spear! Second point i think it has to do with armor! In the late middle ages when pikeman or billmen where a thing they usually had pretty good armor! Helmets,mail shirts,brigandines,gambesons,gauntlets...

@NicAimo

6 жыл бұрын

@Lufretari Ilir The cutting mechanics would indeed be restricted, but a shield of that type would leave you some sort of freedom to cut( you could still grab the shaft with 2 hands). About question 2 you are totally right. My point was that i'm not sure that all the infantry could afford full plate armor, but still i've never seen pikemen with shields in late medieval depictions.

@lpapay1165

6 жыл бұрын

1) formation fighting, same as in pike block: singular spearman does not fence, you strike as a unit not individual, using speed and press/mass of whole block. Cutting is not something you would do in such scenario- again because you are trying to "hedgehog" the enemy. 2) By the time pike block emerged front ranks have munition-grade plates on them, and projectile you are dealing with are musket balls. Both means shield is obsolete/useless weight. BUT Scottish shiltrons are recorded to suffer really badly because of lack of both armour and shields during Falkirk Battle.

@NicAimo

6 жыл бұрын

@L Papay Thank you for the clarification about question 2! My comparison with the macedonians wasn't about the fighting style, but just to say that it's technically possible to weild a pretty big shield and a two handed polearm at the same time (in the video, Matt associates the use of the shield to the loss of a hand).

@grailknight6794

6 жыл бұрын

NicAimo well yeah although not all medieval infantry had plate armor! All of them had variying degree of armor like i said gambeson,helmet,brigandine,mail.. but by the 14th,15th,16th century which is the time were you have infantry mostly not using shields anymore but two handed polearms! There shielded infantry still but less, so the thing by those times even the poor infantry man had actually really good armor! Watch a video matt did called "medieval infantry armor"

Amusing how this equally applies to late-19th-c. bayonets -- they're pretty much the same weapon (but single-edges, i.e., a glaive) as he's demonstrating with, just with a rifle as the shaft. And have a quite heavy blunt end for use in close.

Follow-up question: Can you strap a shield to your left forearm while using your left hand to hold the spear (leading hand)?

In short, I would think that they could be, but pretty much as Matt says, it'd depend on what kind of weapon and how it could be used. Some would just be pretty unwieldy and not very handy to use like this due to the weight or shape of the 'warhead'/blade. Also wouldn't work quite as well at close range or in close quarters, but out in the open you can swing a spear a little more spiritedly.

How practical would an 8 foot halberd be? How effective would a sword-staff be on horseback?

I think fantasy games imagine these troops armed the way of Macedonians, so essentially with the shield strapped to the upper arm and the left hand free to operate the halbard. I believe this sort of makes the shield useless unless you're under volleys of arrow, as it was mentioned in the video but it does remind me of the very large, square sholder defense samurai wore that effectively had no use in close combat because they were pushed back over the shoulderblades but stopped arrows while advancing. Could be done, I figure, but the pikemen blocks of the reinassence were primarily a cheap protection for musketeers and artillery, so maybe they weren't armed with shields because it would make it more expensive to equip them. Also, what use is a shield that will be shot through by any musket? Probably by that period there weren't even enough arrows to justify the extra weight.

The answer to this is: plate armor. No need to carry a shield and worry about all that when you've got a suit of armor on Then you can swing your pike/cut and thrust spear/spontoon/bill/etc to your heart's content! :)

Strap the shield to your arm to cover your left flank. Then fight with a polearm 2 handed.

Years ago I did re-enactment where we were taught that a round shield (viking context) would be worn via its long strap and using a thumb-loop, so that a 2-handed spear could be used. I have no idea what the evidence is for this being accurate though.

I'm wondering that is there any kind of glaive with small head, without any additional hook/spike & light enough to use it 1 handed (assuming its jab only when used 1-handed)? while also can still be used for cutting if you use it 2-handed (light cut, much more like a knife on a staff)

Hey Matt, You already mentioned the Uruk-hai. Isn't thier use of shields closer to that of the ancient greeks in Phalanx formations where I believe they have both hands on the weapon. Would it be possible to use the the small Uruk-hai arm wrapped shields in conjunction with poleaxes etc? And would it gain you any benefit? Great Video by the way

I wonder if you had something that about 90cm long grand total (with pike on top) some kind of light axe / hammer + spike short poleaxe would you be able to use it with a shield? If the right hand is used as hand that guides the weapon and left hand only as extra guide/ support. What if standard shield is carved / cut in a manner that would benefit maneuvering of such weapon? Also could it work with "lantern shield" ?

If you lose the use of an arm with the ax, I would think the best option would be to flip the ax over and use the head for a "pommel" and the shaft as the "blade" or striking surface.

Of course you can if your Strength is 18(99)

@MonkeyJedi99

4 жыл бұрын

AD&D represent!

Would it be possible to hold a polearm two-handed with a strapped shield on the offhand? You wouldn't necessarily need to hold on to the shield with your hand if it were strapped to your arm, right?

Now, I know that pike and musket were paired together in the late Mediaeval period, as I understand in alternating files such that each rank was pikeman, musketeer, pikeman, musketeer... etc. And I know that crossbowmen worked in tandem with a pavise bearer, to protect him against return shots as he reloaded. So, with the advent of pike blocks, was there ever any need or record of the front rank replacing their pikes with sword and shield? Given the evidence that the great swords were used to good effect to break past the points of the pikes, the front rank would then be better prepared to defend against this threat.

Is it viable to have shield and bill/glaive/halberd just to advance into the arrow storm then ditch the shield when at melee range. Or is that too wasteful? Similarly can you have a targe/strapped shield and still use both hands to wield a two-handed polearm?

What about something short and light like a zulu spear? They where used with shields and have a blade long enough to cut, but could you actually use one to cut effectively ?

Hello Mat Do you know any formations that were effective and against what using shield in the front lines and spear, pike,halberd in the back? Sorry if I did not spell right.

was? and if so why was the sabre the go to choice for cavalrymen and infantry officers during the Napoleonic era? as seen in sharpe?

No halberd + shield allowed in Warhammer tabletop :D Maybe while having 3 or more hands.

What about small shields mounted to the fore-arm or upper-arm that expose the lead hand to grip the pole weapon with? i'm quite sure that counts more as armour rather than 'using a shield' but would it get in the way too much?

great video love your work, but what about shields with over a shoulder strap that way one could use the weapon and protect themselves by turning to their shoulder. The reason I say this is the fact that that we see the Macedonians and Scott's using strapped shields this way with their long pikes. and correct me if I'm wrong but i always thought that halberds were not used for swinging but for hooking, draw cuts, but most of all thrusting in large pike block like formations.

Hi Matt, I want to ask you on account of this video. Had you considered the use of the wing spear as result of a need in combat to use it actually with the round or other types of flat shields with central pivot axis. What I mean by that, is the actual wings should be considered as active protective part of the weapon while right(front) hand is exposed to the oponents weapon and rear hadnd is holding both shield and the shaft of the spear. That is Maybe why the shaft of the spear should be thinner on its "false" end. And also the rigidity and top heavyness of the spar might balance this kind of use for any type of striking.

Is it useful to use a small shield strapped to your arm while using a halberd with 2 hands?

Wouldn't making the shaft octagonal or hexagonal significantly help with cutting with the spear one handed and single handed? Also, have you checked out Roland's new shield video? His strap arrangement allows for surprising number of different grips.

Idk if it was absolutely used this way, but the wing lets you really mess with shields. If your high thrust is parried with the shield edge before the wing passes it, the wing will strike the shield up high and you can attempt to fold the shield top in towards them while attempting a second thrust. If they parry past the wing, drawing back and down will fold the shield top out and towards you, also opening them for a thrust. Can you do it with one hand? Probably not.

The only way I would see a shield and polearm would be kind of like a phalangite would do, it would be a small shield strapped to the arm (that you did not need to hold with your hand) that allowed you to grasp the weapon with both hands. Not sure how effective that would be but that is the only way I would see that working.

Would it be possible to wield a spear with two hands, while using a buckler or targe? Maybe, it would be possible to hold the small shield in the front hand, which serves only as support and keeps sliding along the shaft anyway.

What are your thoughts on the Dorian spear? (Outside the Middle Ages I realize) those would seem to have at least thrust/pull cut capability.

hey matt you reviewed the PBT Warrior Mask a while ago and you wanted to do an update review later. Do you have any update on it now? im currently looking for a fencing mask and this one looks pretty good.

@scholagladiatoria

6 жыл бұрын

It's a good mask, though the mesh is quite soft and dents quite easily. If you don't get hit in the head much then that may not be a problem - the design is good.

What about using a guige and arm straps to carry the shield while using the polearm in two hands still?

@nevisysbryd7450

6 жыл бұрын

The shield will largely be off to the side and far back as it would likely be on the supporting arm and effectively make the polearm more cumbersome due to weighing on the arm without adding much protection due to being off-line. On the back with a guige, sure, although that is going to be needless extra weight unless facing missile fire.

I didn't think a small buckler would get in the way much at all. I could see that being a thing.

For winged spears and boar spears, has there been found examples where the cross bar is positioned perpendicular to the edges?

Is there any historical backing behind the concept of using a weapon with two hands whilst having a shield or the like strapped to the left forearm without gripping it? It's something I see very occasionally in fantasy works and I'm curious.

The only issue I have with the shield and halbert is that if you throw it down you have now created an obstacle and tripping hazard for your comrades behind you to maneuver over or around.