It could be a boar spear, those tines could work as hooks

That would be an excellent point for debate, I'll save that for another day

In this case I would agree

All the top spearman I have seen are most adept at running usually backwards from a charge,be it from one or many

Boar spears have tines to keep from over penetration, they would make fine hooks, the point only spears we have used generally have a 3 or 4 inch pc of rattan taped behind the head, it makes an exellent hook to pull a shield aside so your fellow spearman can get that oh so great face thrust

Use your situational awareness to avoid the spearman. Then get a pistol and practice draw and combat accuracy. Then the next time you come across the spearman, you avoid him again because that's the smart thing to do. In any conflict the weakest and most potent link is always the person behind the spear or the gun.

Been done before with .577/450 Martini Henry

ITT op finds out arfcom cannot follow rules

Yeah, well what do you know, anyway...

it sounds like you're talking about the commonly invoked HEMA perspective: "sparring vs kata."  the reason i say this is because you're using the concept of 'rote,' which is a common HEMA misconception about how most japanese swordsmanship is taught.  but i know that you're a sincere guy, so i'll answer sincerely.  since my background is japanese sword (though not nearly as deep as some of the guys here), i'll be coming from that perspective.

at the end of this sunday's practice, i was heaving and sweating after getting the shit beaten out of me by my senior.  we were just working through two basic kata, but he was pushing me to the edge of my capability.  every time my structure or movement was wrong, he whacked me to show me how i was wrong.  i got hit in the face, smashed on the hands and forearms more times than i can count, and whacked all over my legs.  none of these strikes were part of the 'rote' kata.  instead, they were all variations to show me why it was wrong not to move in a certain way.  the kata were just the framework to teach proper movement.  when you cut, move like this.  when you parry, move like this.  if you don't move like this, here is where he's able to kill you.  kata teach you how to manage your body properly.  i started in HEMA, and keep touch.  from my adopted perspective in japanese sword, the overwhelming majority of HEMA players are incredibly sloppy from a technical point of view.

OTOH, MMA has shown the world that if you want to learn to fight, you probably ought to fight.  i've been practicing iaido pretty intensely for about 5 years, but i will admit with no hesitation that any 5-year HEMA or kendo player could kill me easily if he survived the first half-second.  sparring/randori teaches you what pressure and aggression are all about.  it teaches you how to manage the interaction of swordsmanship.  what if he does the wrong thing?  what if someone comes in a weird way? this is what sparring teaches--the ugly, messy side of fighting.

OTOH, sparring is a game, and gamers play the rules.  sparring teaches you that getting hit isn't the end of the world--it happens all the time.   what you learn is sparring is limited to the few techniques 'that work.'  this sounds great, but it narrows your choice of responses.  kata force you to work everything every time.  the net result is that the people who disdain kata in favor of sparring develop the ability to play the rules really well, but don't fully develop themselves as swordsmen.  meanwhile, the guys who only ever do kata lose touch with what it's like to be in a fight.

so back to the end of sunday practice (kenjutsu, not iaido), our teacher decided to pressure-test the senior who had been teaching me.  all kata, but more and more intense.  clearly my senior was getting pushed in exactly the same way that he had been pushing me.  last kata, his blood was way up, and he was fighting for all he was worth.  as they moved together, our teacher threw his practice sword, hitting the senior in belly with what would have been an incapacitating puncture.  not part of the kata at all.  it was just another lesson.  the whole point of kata is that if you don't manage your body right, you're going to die.

so i have a foot in both camps.  i recognize the value of randori, but i firmly believe that kata is how swordsmanship should be taught.  learn with kata, then refine with sparring.

anyway, hope this didn't bore anyone!  i'll talk swords all day!

agreed.  i can deal with a norman lugged spear, but once you get to prongs and shit, it's a partisan or something.  BUCC will know.

Jesus, I’ve been watching some euro HEMA competition. If I had known about that when I was young I’d have failed out of college. I’d have been all over that shit.

You can look up ARMA as well, there are a lot of groups all over the western world, most are into medieval or Renaissance armored fighting, it's more of a young mans sport though

The only HEMA I'd seen before this is a bunch of old folks and nerdbodies. The actual competitive athletic folks actually look like they're doing something worth doing.  I would have totally been into that.  I'm too old and slow now.

It's a large org., bigger in Europe were it started, it is not a sport for the old or infirm, also years ago in the us the rules were loose and there were a lot of offshoots

Take all your clothes off

Shit in your hand and start throwing it at him

Your supposed to apply woad all over as well

In terms of melee weapons you really can't beat a spear. It's really the superior weapon because of the long reach. The spear user will always have an advantage.

The only way to equalize your chances is to also use a spear.

My opinion is that the spear is useful for a range of things but is not the magical super weapon that some would believe especially when used in single combat

It's not a super weapon but it gives you a big advantage. The best analogy I can think of is that a spear is basically the historical equivalent of a rifle. It's difficult to conceal which makes it not popular for civilians and nobility to carry around. It's generally only used for war. A sword or an axe would the the equivalent of a pistol which is not nearly as potent of a weapon but you can always carry it on you which makes it an excellent and far superior self defense weapon compared to a spear.

+1

and @spearweasel

Almost all flawed from the onset in one way or another.

The two biggest variables for both parties are impossible to gage in a simple written question.

         nobility would generally carry a sword, concealing weapons came much later and also you must consider armor, the big advantage with spear is reach and works well with obstacles of any type as it used to stab, were with a sword and shield its actually 2 weapons it only lacks the range of the spear and that can be made up with closing with the opponent, once you are close in the spearman is at a disadvantage unless he retreats or pulls a backup weapon, the shield presents a huge problem to the spear, as it ruins a lot of angles of attack

It does promote discussion about a subject I like though

Thank you.
Lol

Ax work is also going to be dependant on what kind of ax your using.

What I mean is some weapons can be carried on the person, like swords and axes which can be worn on your belt for self protection. People generally probably wouldn't find that to be very out of the ordinary. But if you were walking around carrying a spear in your hand all the time people would probably find it very strange and unusual and people would stay away from you because of the stigma attached to it sort of like open carrying nowadays.

And yeah I think sword and shield is probably roughly on par with spears but again shields are not something you would carry on your person and is generally used for war.

Spiked pit trap.

No people in medieval Europe were concerned with concealing weapons at that time, knives would be carried by nearly all, and on the battlefield there would be many different types of weapons, small hand weapons would be backup for the swords, spears, etc, shields were in very wide use and men at arms would carry them as well as spears the fine armor and swords would be nobles and on horseback they would have lances and sometimes shields , my scenario only involves 1 on 1 field combat against a spear, I assume both are in armor and the question is taking out that spearman

No swords here


My family literally (actual definition, not today's verbal exclamation point) made their bones carving out a foothold in Normandy by ax and spear, and got to England by being the shield and spear on Williams left side.

Swords as a primary offensive weapon  are for "warriors"
Ax and spear are for professional fighting men.

Its fun to romanticize "warriors", but professional soldiers get shit done.

Laughs in red beard.

Shields were not used?, swords are not used for defense?

I dont know.how many members have actually been in a real fight with an actual edged weapon, but even if you some out the winner its not something I would recommend.
I had to trash that entire uniform.

Should have worn armor

I was talking about everyday but in the case of one on one in armor a poleaxe would be the best weapon since it's basically a spear with a axe or hammer on it to fuck up people in armor. Shields are basically redundant if you're already wearing armor.

If your sword is in one hand, would it be better to have another weapon in the other for both offense and defense ?

I was
An iba is not overly condusive to doing the "fuck you just die" dance at breath smelling range

I wouldda burned the carrier too if I could have got a new one. Had to settle for bleaching the shit out of it.

I'm talking about spearman and sword and shield in medieval armor

Be in full plate armor, I'm talking late 15th early 16th, Maximillian style or later.

You are going to be basically impervious to your basic spear.  Rush the spearman, knock him down, use any of your weapons to kill him.

Spearman would probably be best off taking the spearhead off the shaft and creating a dagger, then use his greater maneuverability (but note properly fitted armor doesn't restict you much, guys can do cartwheels in them) and especially visibility to stab him in the armpit or visor slits.

Overthinking it lol.
Yes shields were used
And yes swords were carried as used as needed,
But at the beginning primarily ax spear and shield, and later one primarily spear and shield.
I'm sure the ones who went crusading probably has right honking huge swords they showed off, but Scandinavia to France was by spear, France to England was by spear, and the ancestor who came to America came because he was hired out of Dorset to train company militia in close order polearm and musketry  drill. So I guess kinda "spear"

Most would be carrying a long slim spike or dagger made just for going through chinks and eyeslots after the grapple but yes that is the method used as long as the spearman does not retreat

That probably would have been preferable.
The reality of it can kind of take away some of the alure

Goodnight, I'll look in the morning if anybody asks me anything, y'all take it easy

No.

They dominated with their supply lines, fortified camps, and training.  

Also, actually in combat, they dominated through the spear.  Initially everybody got a Hasta - your basic spear.  A bit later on, only the hardened veteran core got Hastas, the ranks were issued with multiple javelins.  You'd throw a couple and then use your last one like a spear, and finally reach for your sword only after that.  One such common javelin was the pilum.  It used to be described as for throwing only and specifically designed to bend so your opponent couldn't take it out and throw it back.  The general consensus seems to have swung away form this.  It now appears that the pyramid head was really good at sticking in a shield, and the bending wasn't part of the plan.  Most bending is now actually assumed to have happened after the battle was over and people were retrieving weapons.  Also, in caches of unused pilum, they are finding that many are tempered not just at the point but the whole shaft.  If 20% (just a random example number mind you) aren't fully tempered and hence bend when you try and get it out, and your group of 100 men each throw 1 Pilum, you leave behind the 20 bent ones.  And then the future generation doesn't realize those were the exceptions.

Not necessarily the typical weapon but use a kusarigama-jutsu.

Those are only spears in the most loose sense of the word.

They appear to be more similar to a glaive or possibly naganata

Qiang is a direct translation of spear, but still generally describes a two sided straight-point thrusting weapon, those appear to be curved, more of a slashing weapon, and while trusting is still an option it's sure not optimized for that.

Excellent plan!  Whip is not a projectile weapon.  I think a lasso would be a good choice too