Spear vs Halberd, what is the TRUE king of medieval weapons?
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- Опубліковано 10 бер 2024
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#medieval #spears #historical #sword #sparring - Розваги
I bought a bunch of antique spears online. But when I received them, they were all missing their spear heads.
I got shafted.
😂
🤣
Ho! Ho! Ho! Jolly good.
I THROW MY POMMEL AT YOUR BAD JOKE
Awww…. I was invested in your cool spear collection, and then my imagination was crushed… uh, impaled.
Halberd, spear with DLC
A medieval bill with a spike and a hook beats both....
halberd is spear dlc
spear is stick dlc
Stick is the dlc you have to buy with the stone dlc that you get from the raw materials expansion pack
@@brokeandtired the Bill hook is the predecessor of the Halberd they use the same style of combat so it would mostly be up to the wielder
@@kevinmorriceSpear is the stick DLC that worked so well that it took thousands of years before they could come up with a counter for it
Hear me out: what if the halberd and the spear were joined with a chain to create a polenunchucks
Popechucks😂
Polechucks is the stupidest idea I have heard in a decade.
That's stupid and I love it.
I mean, it could be an interesting decoration to have. Nice ice breaker.
Absolutely devastating! You could wipe out an entire army, by equipping it with that!
All pole weapons: "Can I copy your homework?"
Spear: "Sure, just change it to not make it obvious..."
Ah yes it’s as if war didn’t have niggas TAKING THE WEAPONS THE ENEMY HAD AND IMPROVED THEN OR TOOK THEM APART AND ALL but I can’t tell if that era was true or not so when I get to the gate I’ll ask the angels 😊🙏🏾
Even the spear copied its homework from the pointy stick found lying around.
@@VainerCactus0 some would argue that pointy stick is already a spear, just a primitive one.
@@qgqsrg1 I would retort that a spear implies some work to improve the pointy stick, such as sharpening or hardening in some way. An unmodified pointy stick is not a spear until you begin the upgrade procedure.
@VainerCactus0 hmmm, could agree with the sharpening.
Ah, but you're forgetting about the mini-spear. You know, the tiny one with the feathers on it that you would throw from a really long distance away with the help of a string and stick. That tiny spear was *very* deadly!
But don’t forget, they also had a string and stick that threw full size spears… 😂🎉😂
There's also the atlatl, which doesn't need string.
The metal spears that fly around and fire hellfire missiles at the opponent are actually much better.
I'll see myself out.
I don't think arrows were actually really deadly in battlefield scenarios. If they would have been so deadly i think there had been armys equipped mainly with bows.
Would that make javelins small spears and pike big spears?
Where do halberds come from?
When a Daddy Axe and Mommy Spear love each other a Blacksmith will deliver a baby Halberds on the doorstep.
I think it is obvious that the spear wears the pants and the battle axe...
You have that backwards 😜
It's Daddy spear and mommy ax...
@@inthefade What did Vikings wear?
@@Amoschp524 Leopard skin.
I concede to your point but now the Axe can trap the spear with "Does this haft make me look fat?" @@RachDarastric2
Shad+Nate= discussions and civil
Shad+Nate+Tyranth= Goblin mode and a total enjoyment to watch seeing who can be the biggest dork.
Spear is king when you fight with no* armor .
Halberd is king when armor comes in
But spear can go w/ shield. But if full plate is available, then I guess shield isn't as necessary and Halberd takes it at that point.
Spear could still be used against heavy armour
@@CosmicG777if the spear goes with the shield it looses its fencing agility
At the battles of Auray and Poitiers, Froissart writes that the dismounted French knights used shortened lances 5 feet long. Was this because the English infantry was less armored? However, the Gladiatoria group's manual describes several techniques for attacking opponents in plate armor with a spear.
@@Watari_toppa Spears never completly disapeared from the battlefields, so it makes sense that someone would write down how to use them against armor. Spears have just so many good points that make them attractive as a weapon of war. They are easy to procur and maintain, easy to train how to use them, very good in formations. So even in the age of fullplate armor spears where still relevant. Especially for lords with tight budgets XD
One of the big strengths of the spear that a lot of people forget is that it's a relatively cheap, relatively easily manufactured, easily maintained and repaired yet also extremely effective weapon that can be easily modified for your specific circumstances.
A major part of the effectiveness of ranked spear or pikemen was the lengths of the weapon allowed troops with more specialized weapons to be easily intermixed into the ranks, including ironically, halberdiers. Pikes were great against calvary and infantry that failed to break past the up to 16 foot length of pikes for example. One vulnerability they did have was their length, but you could literally fix that by mixing in troops with other weapons, including yes, shorter, conventional spears as well as bows, swords, axes maces, more specialized polearms ect. A lot of times you can even use those troops equipped with shorter more maneuverable weapons to carry shields to help provide physical protection from arrows, stones, thrown javelins ect as a whole.
That said, there's one area where halberds historically really excelled in over conventional spears that isn't often well known; and that's in defending a position from higher ground such as a hillside, parapet, ect. Halberds can be used pretty effectively to break or detach siege ladders, effectively move a line of infantry back, or obviously, do some devestating overhand cutting strikes pretty much directly onto the vulnerable heads, necks ect of advancing infantry or calvary.
Conventional spears can do some of these things, just not nearly as well as the halberd.
The cheapness and ease of manufacture is a great point. Do you have 20 people with spears vs 10-15 people with halberds? If you need weapons yesterday, the spear has a fantastic advantage.
So, combined-arms warfare. History really is a circle, lol.
I've always took the halberd as a trained guardsman weapon while the spear makes for a solid field infantry weapon.
spears are the meat, and mixing in other weapons can range from spice to complimentary veggie pairings
i feel like spears are only good against people who care about getting stabbed, because how do you approach a spearline without taking heavy losses. its probably why spears fell out of favor when mail came around and general poleweapons like bills, becs, and why its also a crap weapon a against swarms of things that dont care, like zombies in got season 8, yeah you might get a few of them, but theyre rushing past the lethal point and thats not assuming theyre not shoving bodies into the shaft from climbing over each other
"That's two dead idiots" (12:24). I love Nate's little moments of clarity. I also love how much of this video is a couple of big kids having a stick fight in the back yard. I'm looking forward to the halberd test. :D
The insane grins while sparring are the icing on the cake 😂
Halbard is a spear too. It's a spear with an axe head on it. So you get two for the price of one.
Different balance though, and easier for opponent to hook/trap.
You lose the ability to throw though, and also lose the poke speed. Halbard also can't be used with a shield as easily, using it 1 handed is much more difficult.
@@MrSirFluffy I mean, how well can you really throw with an 8 foot spear anyway? Javelins were small for a reason. Halberds were developed when armor was very advanced - and you usually want good armor over a shield. Bonus points for Halberd - you get langlets for extra durability.
@@psssshhh7730 Alot of cultures throw spears, javelins for olympic sport are a different thing. No one is gonna throw 50+ yards with a spear. It's more for semi-close quarters.
Good shield doesn't exclude armor, it's not a one or the other type of thing.
A spear plus shield is better than a halberd. Both can still have armor if they want.
All true but you gain the ability to smash a full plate knight in to the ground and can pull as will as push him off his horse.@@MrSirFluffy
Everyone else: spear Me: d a b e c k
you are definitely 13 or a 16 year old stuck in 2017-2018.
Now to be fair, I am on a mediocre mood which could explain my upfront harshness.
Enjoy.
Many other sword community channels talk about and show swords, but not other weapons. That's why this channel is a staple in my youtube subs. I get to see different types of weapons and how they might be used. Its not just a discussion or a look at some treatise that may or may not have been accurate.
Keep up the great work, Shad and crew!
Most just sit in a chair and talk 😅.
These guys do it all, all kinds of weapons and theories about them. Really interesting stuff and they have fun, other channels can't compete in my opinion, this is the gold standard.
I am really happy to see halberds and spears. I love swords. But it is really interesting to see another types of weapons - especially such as these.
Its why I watch this channel more. the variety of weapons shown is much more diverse.
@@shawn6860 Yeah and they actually test the weapons out if they are really useful for what they were made for.
Partizan (spear) for sure, you can thrust in confined places, attack while having your shield up, and you get a wide attack with R2. And it's really good if you pair it with a great scythe for boss battles!
...Wait, what do you mean we aren't talking about Dark Souls here?
partizan moveset r2 is great, nice to have an attack that isnt a straight thrust
Now I’m going to have to upgrade the Partizan and give it a try…
The stock halberd carried me through DaS1. Then I got the black knight halberd.
I like the Gargoyle's Halberd a bit more. Those combo moves while two handing it is devastating. It just murders the forest covenant npc's.
With that Halberd plus Sunlight blade miracle, you can cut through them all in seconds. It's my go to when I'm farming souls.
no one talked about armor which is where the halberd shines cause its a pickaxe
The one handed lunch with a spear is hard to replicate with the heavier halberd. Also spear + shield...
SPARTA!!!!
Damn those lunches!
You might have a hard time holding onto that spear with one hand, especially when clashing with the weight of a halberd
@@mericaman8877 Macedonian shield? It allows you to still have 2 hands on the spear
they tested swords vs spear with shields , you would be surprised how harder to fight is with shields when wielding a spear . shields were a must vs other spears in formation , but on 1v1 against a sword you want to have 2 hands on that spear.
Halberd is just spear+
(edit: lol shad literally calls it spear+ at 3:59)
Well put😂
Spear+axe
I'd argue it's more an Axe +
Best combo is both for trapping on the Billine
If you only have one in the line it's inferior
''Halberd is just spear+''
My my you are mistaken for the Partisan=Spear+.
A Halberd came from the voulge in development & is just a Spear-axe.
I recommend any reader check out my seperate thread though it is a tad long winded it cover a few branch's of the commonly argued 16 to 18 of Polearms though I say their are more at 21 but I do not hate myself enough to write them all down in order to explain them.
There's a good reason why the Pope to this day uses Swiss Guards armed with halberds. To this day it is a vicious crowd control weapon in the hands of a well trained guard.
It offered chances to hook into armor and dismount an armored knight, it had a sharp hardened spear tip for penetrating the vulnerable spots in armor, it has an angled axe head to deal devastating blows with huge leverage at long distances, it had the angled axe bladed as a cross guard to keep enemies at distance. The hardened, stengthened shaft made hacking through the shaft very difficult while not adding huge amounts of weight to this somewhat top heavy weapon.
It does however require a lot more training to be used proficiently than a spear. It's production also requires quite a lot more skill, materials, and time.
This. Halberd is a bodyguard weapon that can be used for crowd control very similar to a zweihander. Your ward can crouch down while you go helicopter mode, lol.
You can actually find videos of bodyguard techniques with zweihanders, it looks sick
Those halberds that the swiss guard carries are purely ceremonial. The swiss guards that actually mean business are carrying assault rifles, and they are all probably carrying a glock somewhere on their person.
Needs more Shadlands content :( So wholesome and family friendly
Just started watching you guys. Haven't stopped.
I think the biggest advantage the halberd has over the spear is against armor. I would assume the spear is pretty crap vs plate armor (and not just full plate armor, but brigantines etc), as where the halberd is specialized to deal with armor compared to the spear.
I think that can also be shown historically as we see the move away from spears to other pole arms (halberds or halberds “like” weapons) with the advancement of armor. It’s also when armor begins to be reduced due to firearms that spears (pikes) begin to dominate again vs the halberd/halberd like pole arms.
On spear vs armor: yes, spear is somewhat weak against heavy armor, so it is possible reason for halberds and other polearms to become popular (though you can still choke it up, but then you sacrifice your primary advantage - length).
Though I think that pikes became so popular not (or at least not only) because of reducing armor, but because pike is so much a superb weapon for a big infantry block. Facing a line of pikemen four men depth you receive so much hits, that impact alone can make you fall - I've seen it during XVI century recreations. And it is really good vs cavalry. We can see it, as pikes are becoming widespread from the middle/end of XV century onwards, though full armor was still very much in use at least untill the XVII century.
We all know the best is the bec de corbin
The Long Bec has it's uses as well. The Giant Bec is just too OP. If we ever make a ranged Bec it is all over.
All that's missing is a bec launcher
The Bec de Corbin is the undisputed goat of multi-purpose medieval weaponry, because it can get through just about anything without hesitation.
Becy is a great girl.
Maybe, but I wouldn't want to rely on that unless I was wearing plate armor.
Thanks for all the awesome videos !
I am so glad Shad's health is looking up. A fired up Shad video is a fun treat especially after a hard Monday.
Thanks for the hit editing. It makes everything much more easier to understand for us :D
Historical question for you shad: if you guys can't train with properly weighted weapons _(no pressure)_ how'd they do it back then? Did they wail on each other with blunt weapons while in full armor? Or were they skilled enough to not hurt each other? _(A bit like how we did sparring when I was in Taekwondo, where we pull our punches and kicks, and not literally sidekick our partner in face as hard as we can.)_
I believe that tournements in the often had an armoured melee(seemingly in the high middle ages, I don't know whether it was popular in the late middle ages), from whence the sport of Buhurt comes(pretty much full contact fighting, no thrusts allowed).
@@crusader5256 interesting, I wish Shad could address this.
I was waiting so long for you to make the halberd video it's one of my favorite weapons
Love your videos!!
Ahhh I've been waiting for this video for years! I don't think you could've chosen better timing.
I was just thinking about this a few months ago and now the perfect video to listen in the background appears to remind me I never got an answer for it
Oh Man I have been waiting for this Exact thing it’s been on my mind it’s almost as if Shad and crew We’re reading my mind.🤔
Or maybe you're reading their minds 🤔
Thank you for uploading.
Great video and great combat. 👏🏻🔥
I think spear is better for ease of use, and then as proficiency rises, the halberd has more options which can add more value, but then beyond that spear seems like the highest ceiling since it can go for the most deadly option and trim all the fat so it has the highest likelihood. I think the difference would be if armor comes into play, spear can only really go for gaps in the armor, halberd or some other variation has more weight and such to deal with it
The thing is that many Knights and Men-at-Arms did opt for the Spear when in full harness. So it obviously did very well in armored fighting.
Kaladin Stormblessed says Spear
Shad, love the videos.
You guys rock! I'm literally eating any of your video to help me "adjust" some things in my own RPG. Keep the good work flowing ^^
Honestly just enjoying seeing you guys have fun
I'm 6'2" and 250lbs, was in the infantry, and hunt/fish religiously. The reason I bring it up is I have a lit of experience carrying things around in case I need them. And I personally like to avoid anything that I even think would eventually seem pretty heavy at the end of the day. I promise a pound or two makes a hufe difference over time.
If I'm ever in a situation where I would need a halberd over a spear, I'm near fully confident I can outrun, avoid, or outmaneuver my problem better if I'm not lugging a ton of junk for a "maybe" scenario when the spear is just as well, if not better, at the other situations.
Sure, it is better against a well armored opponent(s), but in almost every other situation between the two the spear seems to be the more efficient option.
Except you don't run or maneuver and probably not avoid either; you'd be taking part in a battle, part of a unit. There's no space and it's probably not even allowed as you'd be in a formation.
Also maybe, actually probably, you want the 'maybe', since if you move back you lose honour, and if you go forward and through you get to boast and suddenly all the hottest camp followers want to be in your tent.
Shock infantry is typically quite indoctrinated, as they need to be to survive.
@@nvelsen1975 Most of combat isn't. Even in an ancient or modern context. Most of the time you're just demonstrating area denial and lugging all your equipment around.
If I'm supposed to get into a melee because the enemy thinks it's productive, I'd rather have the lighter of the two pokey things, especially if the people by me all have them too.
Maybe it's personal preference, but I can definitely jab a lot longer and faster with something lighter therefore fighting longer than something heavier.
This content is so nerdy and I can’t get enough of it. I feel at home.
I love all Shadiversity videos!!!!
The true king was that weird throwy thing from The Beastmaster.
Krull
You mean Krull
@@Rensune No, the Krull thing was more of a frisbee. The Beastmaster thing is more a boomerang.
What, the radio control shurikan?? Yes, anything you can throw at someone from 50m away and then move around with your mind probably has a significant range advantage 😂
I love Shadiversity. You guys always make entertaining videos and look like you are (mostly) having fun doing it.
Loved the red dots! Such a fun video.
I love all Shadiversity videos!
Watching these makes me miss classical fencing and LARPing. But then my old joints remind me why I adopted different hobbies.
I would vote for the spear due to it being lighter and more maneuverable. Also the fact that pretty much everyone can pick one up and know how to use it.
Thank you gents. I've always wondered about this.
Good stuff, guys!
Neither. Quarterstaff. Stick is king. Kneel before stick.
A face-off between the kings of the medieval European battlefield!
Awesome, glad to see some of the old shad style content.
i love the sound effects coming from our boy Shad lol
That was fun-thank you.
14:24 I like the way you plug your patron/YT membership ect
"I caught it with my face" lol
Great video.
im watching a couple of toddlers have fun playing soldier thanks for the content i honestly learn quite alot from your videos most of the time and i get some entertainment out of it
The halberd is a Swiss army spear
Spear plus sounds like Shad new streaming service haha
Ah another fun video
TY.
Please talk about the Kudayari spear and kan style. It would be amazing! Love your videos
The king of the battlefield is the ARTILLARY. Change my mind
As an ex army guy, yes. I would not want to fuck with artillary.
Bec de corbin tho?
Awesome vid
At the beginning I swear I was watching a planned conversation between two teachers for a stage performance lol
Nate really did a number on Shad in this one. For a one on one weapon, the spear does seem to have a heck of a speed advantage.
I think it does. These were prop weapons so it wasn’t their real weight. If they had used real weapons in think the spear would have the speed speed advantage, even if slightly, which is massive for a fight,
King? Clearly Nunchucks!
i love all shadiversity videos
I would love to see some weapons tested in a small space to see what is best. Maybe a corner or a narrow hallway.
Anything where the defendant is limited to a particular space/room
The king of the battlefield is the BOW. Change my mind.
Patay
I agree! The bow was the king of pre-modern weapons!
That’s what they said except the real king is catapult
The king of the battlefield whoever does better with what they have. Skill, quality, numbers, tactics, timing, weather, environment, luck, courage, luck, reputation, luck.....
My preference is throwing darts. I have a side quiver with 37 of them, which I throw. Once out I am close enough to then throw my javelins, which I have 7 of.
Next I switch to my axe, and I have a sword and a dagger as backup weapons.
What's that? You are going to try to shoot at me with your bow before I can? How rude, now I have to repair my shield.
Halberds got more mass. SO you can't throw it as far, but then again when you throw a spear it's gone forever. If you're going to throw anything though what you'd want is a javelin I suppose.
But what if we throw in the mix a Bill(-hook)? now he have 3 scary sticks!
Some halberds have a pronounced hook, some bills have a spike, so the line gets blurry.
my fav part of of ur series was vs mythical creatures coz no ones reallt done it properly
id really love to see that again
Seeing you two clash with these two long staff weapons makes me think of the fight between Robin Hood Vs Little John in Robin Hood: Men In Tights. XD
I once saw one of those large group mideval fight competitions. One team had a group of 5 or 6 halberdiers, and the repeated downward chops from the back line were absolutely devastating. I'm pretty sure a few people got carted off in an ambulance thanks to those halberd strikes.
I really like the more combat oriented video style!
I enjoy how much you're having doing larp fighting, despite the fact that this has nothing to do with how proper training weapons handle. Especially the growling, that is very nice.
Shad, I think you need to get a lucerne considering how much you like the Halbert and the Bec de Corbin. And yes, I think destroying the car door with it would be a good video :D
I love the 'hit' indicators!
Shads videos are being recommended to me after months of no recommendations! Don’t give up Shad! I’m hoping this is happening to all viewers. ⚔️
Would love a video on Glaive weapons also (Guandao/Woldo/Sovnya/Naginata)
Gotta love the southern hemisphere, this time of year most of the videos feature "it's a hot day" :)
Lineybiege already addressed how you carry your spear around. In two part, 1) walking stick with a hole drilled near the end, and 2) an odd dagger with a handle that happens to fit over the end of your walking stick. You instert the pin to hold the dagger on to the walking stick. A bit of wrapping can also be unwound to make it a staff sling.
3:38 "This kills me more often, in a "blunt" combat training..." o-o
I just watched the “UA-cam sucks and is killing us” video and now I’ve been getting your videos recommended again
an amazing trick i used to do with a halberd: a combat of formation against a formation, if i see before me a foe with a shield and decent armor and helmet (which you would expect to see on buhurt type games) i swing it upside down aiming at his head. options are as follows: 1)he receives a severe blow on the head and falls out of formation, 2) he blocks the strike with shield, i hook the shield and pull him out of formation, 3) he resists pulling out by pulling his shield onto himself, i instead push the axehead of the halberd onto his shoulder or visor, shoving him out of formation
the axe parts that you could hook with will also allow the opponents to hook you in reverse, they can bind on the axe head, if you have a stream lined spear you cant bind on the side of the haft you can only deflect it. in a formation of multiple rows, behind those with shields etc, the axe head will also increase the likelyhood of catching onto your own allies. ex if they had a spear with a big guard/wings or like a trident or something they could reach up and bind on your axe head and lock up both weapons
Love the energy in the sparring guys. One thing I don't think is accounted for though is the weight of the weapons, and is actually a significant benefit to the Halberd. Depending on the strength of the attacker and defender, a halberd could just blow right through someone's guard. Granted it'd be much more likely if they were using a one handed weapon.
I'd honestly go with a billhook myself; get a choppy one i.e. the museum replicas version and you have basically all the benefits of a halberd without having to flip the weapon to hook with it. You could even theoretically redesign it a little to incorporate a small hammer head instead of the back spike.
I love that you comented it on the video, the real "king of the weapons IN THE BATTLEFIELD" is the pike, the 6 to 10 meter pole with a spear head (for reference look up "the Rendition of Breda, Velázquez"). And also, that is what you find in the Renaissance and Barroque: The tercios and their analogues were formations of pikemen and riflemen and they ended the historical meaning of cavalry forever and were only relegated out of the battlefield by heavy artillery and better firearms with greater cadence and accuracy.
Also, during that time the self-defense weapon of choice for many was the rapier, which was the perfect complement in close quarters when pikes were unusable (like storming a city or for policing).
If it’s the one spears where it’s like thin handle to where you shake it and it can spin to where you can confuse your enemies and strike anywhere
I don't even care which one is functionally better, my favorite medieval weapon at all is a halberd. I ADORE Halberds, and I am glad to see you both giving it some attention!
I had a monk who used a pike. Making tactical use of the reach advantage was awesome. And if anyone closed in to engage, he was still a monk. He could use unarmed strikes against anyone who got inside his weapons reach.
What about the bill hook? You got all of that with a more pronounced hook. Especially against an opponent with a shield. You get the spear and the hooking from the halberd. Plus depending on the design you can still basically have the blade of the axe if you put the blade below the hook. I don’t know what’s better because I’ve never trained with pole arms so I’ll leave it up to the people that have
Have you guys tried one of those flexible spears with the red "fluff" at the tip that you often see in kung fu movies?
It would be cool to see how it holds up against other spears
You could use the Halbert backwards and strike with the false end because it's more mobile due to the weight distribution. Then follow up with the true end when you have the advantage.
I love that warcries while fighting
I would love that poleaxe head on a shorter handle to use as a one handed weapon with a shield. 13:33