Well, generally speaking, going with a sword against any polearm in a one-on-one (without enviromental disadvantages for the polaerm-user) usually results with the swordsman getting the shaft.nemedeus wrote:Now the way i understand it, while these polearms have a lot of the advantages of spears, there's still quite a bit of a difference between a spear and a polearm (at least in the way people tend to use them... so in a way, i'm asking this knowing that there's no good way to deal with a spear for a longsword, period).
Relying on one stance throughout a fight is bad. No matter the opponent's skill or your own. Or weapons used. Have you tried starting with Vom Tag or Nebenhut (depending on the situation), and mix Ochs and Pflug in there? And don't forget Alber. Going with such a seemingly aggressive style could shake your opponent.-Ochs and Pflug seem to be almost completely pointless (heh) in this matchup
And you end up with a knife in the gut, knee in the groin, punch in the neck or armpit, and so on. On one occassion I've seen a poleax user grab his weapon just below the head and use it as stabbing weapon in a similar situation where the grabbing part failed, stil they got too close.-trying to grab the the polearm is not an option, it's just too fast---maybe if you manage to get your entire arm around it? seems to be the safer way to grab, but how do you do that?
Indeed. Still you have to close the distance and the polearm-user is equally trained (if not more) in this kind of situation. Halberds and poleaxes are notorious for their excellent leverage in closer ranges. Halfswording won't give you an edge, it will only even the odds for you a bit.-halfswording works great (easier to control the polearm's shaft), but only once you closed the distance (so business as usual)
No myth at all. Don't forget, the doppelsöldner-vs-pikemen tactic was a thing of its time, and its application was for field combat, not duels. The idea was that the swordsmen hacked/broke the pike shafts, creating entry points in the pikemen formation. Not to mention that a pike is entirely different than a spear/staff/halberd/poleax/you name it.the best solution seems to be, drop the zweihänder and get a halberd---which flies in the face of the doppelsöldner-vs-pikemen cliche, which i suspect that to be a myth anyway.
Some thoughts.
- Footwork is paramount for combat. The best way to close distantance and remain safe is footwork. Investing time in it will definetaly pay off.
- Your sword (or whatever) is a tool. Your body is the weapon. I cannot stress that strongly enough.
- Grappling by itself means nothing. You know what to do when in a grapple?
- Play smart. Expect the unexpected while doing the unexpected.
An example to illustrate all four points: While in mid-range -- and vying for control in a halfswording-vs-shaft situation -- kick your opponent's ankles under him. Not with a kick. With your footwork.
So my input is this: Train. Then train some more. Then train again. And always try to think out of the box.
