If you think about it, a halberd is just a defective, meaty trebuchet
Idk man I quite like the simplicity of the goedendag
I know this is a meme… buuuuuuut the halberd is a specialized weapon that excels in its role and almost no where else. The spear, however, is versatile and useful in most combat situations.
Obviously the Poleaxe is the superior weapon.
What is specialized role of halberd?
Seems a weapon that long should be thrusted, and being a bit lighter would help with aim/retraction and retrusts. Using a super long axe seems impractical, hence my first question.
Halberd is a kind of specialized multitool. It’s for fighting in formation, looser than pikes, but still fairly close-order. The point allows it to stab and repel riders, the hook for dismounting any riders who feel like lingering too long, and the axehead for the killing blow on infantry or dismounted cavalry.
Think of it as the difference between a Swiss Army Knife and an everyday survival knife. The Swiss Army Knife will do some things better than the survival knife, but the survival knife has more universal versatility, is hardy, and easy to handle.
That being said, the halberd is more useful than the original commenter gives it credit for, the disadvantages compared to a two-handed spear mostly relate to a less-optimal weight and wieldiness (the axe head being rather large and heavy compared to a spearhead) rather than an essential inability to mimic the usage of a spear in most cases. The halberd is more useful against armored targets, or with some room to maneuver in formation. The spear is more useful in extremely tight formations and is more nimble.
This is a billhook. It hooks Bill.
Plucks Yew.
That’s just miniature spears with a fancy propelling mechanism! More proof long stick with pointy end is the superior weapon!
So what you’re saying is it’s not the size of the spear but it’s how you thrust it?