The Spear - King of Weapons? Or Just a Pointy Stick?

[@CrypidLore]

Spears are great, but they have one fatal weakness, a slightly longer spear.

[@corymoon2439]

And thus pikes were born

[@Monke-fj2qz]

And the slightly longer spear has another weakness, a spear that shoots tiny round spears out of it.

[@Delgen1951]

Or a humble sling shot.

[@Vlugazoide]

Or a huge spear #sarissagang

[@CrypidLore]

@@Vlugazoide oh come on, everyone knows huge spears are impossible, spears can only come in 4 sizes, Small > Regular > Slightly Longer > Even Slightly Longer. If they were to come in huge size the chart would have to be completely reworked.

[@Hedonistic0Frog]

"not every spear is a javelin" Not with that attitude it isn't

[@emberhermin52]

Y E E T

[@Manperor]

Fax

[@alifizharulhaq3370]

Yeet the stick

[@genericname3459]

@@emberhermin52 Y E E T

[@silentassassin47]

LMFAO

[@sebathadah1559]

Its both the king of weapons and a pointy stick. lets just be honest.

[@WhiskeyTape]

Pointy king of weapons

[@scragglybeard9322]

@@WhiskeyTape Sticky point of kings

[@DinnerForkTongue]

King of pointy weapons.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

Kings on pointy sticks?

[@barbarossa9591]

Pointy kings and weaponty stick

[@AslanW]

Hundreds of thousands of years of advancements in both technology and warfare yet the best hand-to-hand combat weapon is still the long pointy booper some grug invented 500,000 years ago.

[@motage_4487]

Simplicity is often times so much better.

[@donflamingo795]

Grug found a pointy stick Grug use pointy stick to fell animals Life is good

[@jokesonyou1253]

*gets fucking shot*

[@peteypete9357]

I dunno tho, a bow and some arrows could fk up an experienced spearman pretty badly before he could even get close. And those didn't take much longer to be developed after the spear in some regions

[@AslanW]

@@peteypete9357 I clearly specified hand-to-hand combat.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

Spartan: You know how to use that thing? Skallagrim: Yes, pointy end goes into the other man.

[@MasterDrewboy]

Zorro reference I like

[@ChuckNorrisIsNothing]

Spartan: You‘re hired!

[@david_aug_1017]

Spartan: By the gods! He's a genius!

[@-turtle-600]

This is SPARTA! *kick*

[@bartomiejzakrzewski7220]

Macedonians : hold my Sarissa

[@angryclown1990]

A Spartan was once asked by another Greek soldier where Sparta's boarders end. The Spartan held out his spear and said "At the tip of this."

[@CarrotConsumer]

"spear"

[@mikeolson7011]

The Spartans just had all the badass one-line replies, didn't they?

[@LordVader1094]

borders*

[@HanSolo__]

@@mikeolson7011 Yup. Being very bad-ass yet simple man provides natural the single line threatening quotes.

[@AVGyerra22]

@@HanSolo__ Until the Romans came up and mowed Greece

[@mikkoleinonen9846]

Imagine being a noble with a sword that cost more than anything you own, and then you are defeatet by a peasant doing this 8:04

[@TheSteam02]

But think about this: Wouldn't the nobleman be trained to be able to fight against all types of weapons?

[@jessclark2082]

I'm still laughing! that was perfect.

[@guypierson5754]

Many didn't have to imagine. Hence why many chose to lead from a horse or chariot, from the rear, incase they suddenly remembered they had to be somewhere else.

[@zhangbill1194]

@@TheSteam02 Sure, but they would still be at a significant disadvantage because the pesent has the better weapon.

[@georgethompson1460]

@@guypierson5754 Considering that the most practical weapon from a horse was a heavy spear I don't see what your getting at. Honestly a noble would likely be trained in both sword and spear as well as any other relevant weapons barring complete incompetence from their instructor. Also bear in mind swords weren't that expensive, it was the armour and mounts that made up the majority of the cost for a knight.

[@giggityguy]

The Chinese called the staff "the father of all weapons." Most weapon techniques derive directly or indirectly from the staff. And the spear is just a staff with a pointy thing on the end. It's very intuitive to use and dangerous to counter. And it's really difficult to overstate how important it is that a weapon is cheap to mass produce and requires little training to use. There's a reason crossbows became so popular; even though in many ways they were objectively worse weapons than regular bows, they required far, FAR less training to use effectively, allowing you to have much larger units of archers and increase the threat of missile weapons in total. Likewise, equipping your army with spears allows you to equip and train a larger army more quickly, increasing your presence on the battlefield.

[@Delgen1951]

@Tango Zulu UNTIL The king of the Battlefield , arrived the BFG of the artillery.

[@goreobsessed2308]

Stick = staff rock = knife knife + stick spear spear+ metals = swords

[@Intranetusa]

The Chinese called the spear the "King of weapons"

[@appa609]

@Tango Zulu The hand is the *true* mother of weapons

[@krillissue]

the ancestor of all weapons...the Mind

[@sky1army423]

It's easy to make, it's efficient, it's easy to use and it's cheap to make and replace! What else do u need except a backup sword and shield with it

[@themanthemyth4522]

If it's long enough you don't even need a shield (it's nice though)

[@Monke-fj2qz]

@@themanthemyth4522 Why get a shield when you ARE the shield? This post was made by Swiss Halberdier gang.

[@sky1army423]

@@Monke-fj2qz XD I mean if u have 15-16 century body armor u don't need a shield

[@elkapro6534]

spear is what turned humans from weird, almost harmless bipedal monkeys into apex predators.

[@ezkiller93]

@@elkapro6534 True. The great emu war was a loss because humans used firearms instead of spears.

[@peterprokopiuk4921]

"Ya got reach and ya got stab! What more could ya want?" - Random Uruk, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

[@horsenuggets1018]

Well, you could want: Enraged by everything, arrow proof, fire proof, poison proof, curse proof, frost proof, immune to executions, vigilant to stealth, great strength, thick skinned and a gang of hunters too

[@motage_4487]

@@horsenuggets1018 and ya dont want to be on the recieving end of the beating stick of that combination. Unless of course, you bring in a graug.

[@horsenuggets1018]

@@motage_4487 oh forgot: BEAST SLAYER P.S. still won't beat four captains rushing you

[@motage_4487]

Last resort: lure to cliffside and figure out how to knock them off the map. The fall will do the rest. They need to make this game multiplayer.

[@gustavakerman2566]

Ya want chop? Get a halberd. Ya want krump? Get a Poleaxe.

[@treadstone2932]

8:04 That one kid in Street Fighter who just spams buttons instead of combos and somehow beats you.

[@AnnaCurser]

i mean, the Spear was Odin's weapon of choise. Why would you question him?

[@martins.4240]

Exactly. The Allfather knows what he is doing after all.

[@PobortzaPl]

It was also the choice weapon of Cuchulainn.

[@erickruckenberg8716]

And his spear never missed

[@TITANia69420]

@@PobortzaPl If only he'd stop killing himself

[@DH-xw6jp]

Why should we take the advice of a one eyed man that liked choking himself?

[@townwitchdoctor5538]

There's a lot of ceremonial hewing spears from later centuries but I can see that's the obvious choice for town or palace guards. A few guys can keep a large crowd at bay, sure if enough people rush them they'll be overrun, but who's going to be the first to step forward?

[@goreobsessed2308]

The town drunk :p

[@robertagu5533]

Depends on what the rusher has to fight that spear, their experience against them and how good they are with that weapon. Spears are so common cuz the vast majority are easily made and easy to weild effectively without much training but not too many people using them were particularly skilled or trained enough to make them EXCEPTIONALLY lethal like any other weapons

[@bluesap7318]

@@goreobsessed2308 or the homeless crack head

[@NinjaMonte1990]

The crazy guy chucking barrels and feces at them.

[@ousamadearudesuwa]

@@goreobsessed2308 no, not the town drunk. They're to powerful

[@Warmaker01]

"We got nukes, we got knives, SHARP STICKS!" Haha the part about someone trying to grab the end of your spear and try to control you! In Rifle + Bayonet training, that little circular move you showed at 7:53 was taught to us, it will stop their grip on your weapon, and we were taught about immediate follow ups like a step in + rifle butt strike to the face, quick bayonet thrust, etc. Fun stuff! And that was with a relatively shorter M16A2. Modern assault rifles aren't that long. You can go back with the older days with longer battle rifles + bayonets, those would be nasty. Nobody wants to get run through by a blade.

[@andyleighton6969]

The motion is a redouble [redooblay, can't type the accent], exists in fencing too.

[@mexico1531]

@@sinaparsi6736 to let people who haven’t been in the military understand better

[@rpk321]

@@sinaparsi6736 And in my country, we call those Assault Rifles either Sub-machineguns or just rifles...your point?

[@rpk321]

@@sinaparsi6736 Then what do they call it then? Because I thought the word Assault Rifle came from Germany and spread out all over by both U.S. and U.K. And I'm in Vietnam. where ranged weapons is near entirely the domain of military and law-enforcers. And they call them "tiểu liên" ("small machinegun" if translated semi-literally; the word is also used for sub-machinegun), or "súng trường" (roughly translated to "long-gun" if we are being literal, and Rifle for the correct translation; also used for assault rifle, battle rifle, and rifles that came before and used the word long before those two). Or if we are being literal-literal, "tiểu liên" is short for "tiểu liên thanh" in which "liên thanh" means "consecutive-repeating-sound", and "tiểu" is for "small".

[@rpk321]

@@sinaparsi6736 Hmmm...I see. But Assault Rifle is a far more popular word. It's just more obvious when you need to distinguise between them and something like a Garand or Arisaka.... Vietnamese can get away with using the same word for sub-machinegun because we don't really see much use of it outside tank crews or fighter pilots, and even then... We can use Rifles for our Galil ACEs and AKs (and is in the process of retiring the AKs; Ceremonial only) because we long since gotten rid of the aging and obsolete Arisaka Type 99, Mosin-Nagant, SKS (This one is still kept around for ceremonial purposes), and SVT,... ...Everything else that was once domain of SMGs are now replaced with Carbines like CAR-15; known as M-18 locally, CTAR-21, Galil ACE 31 (AKS and variants were easily kicked out of the running by the ACE 31).

[@knightmarespawn2690]

"King of Weapons? Or Just a Pointy Stick?" Both. Both is good.

[@elite_rock_god2292]

Yes. Just yes 😂

[@Fakenit66]

The spear IS highly underrated when it comes to games, both video games and D&D underestimate or under-utilize the spear.

[@captainspoon8594]

DnD creators have absolutely no idea how weapons work IRL. I learned that just by watching Skal' referring on how all weapons were considered in DnD.

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Hell, the axe gets more love in games. Grell in Fire Emblem 9, Hector in FE6, all the minion characters in those games, Simon Belmont and Ritcher throws axes.

[@MiaogisTeas]

Yep, I'm annoying in that I always take a spear/javelins, and a short bow helmet and shield over body armor when rolling up a character. I know the mechanics don't always make it pay off but it's just doesn't make sense for me any other way.

[@Zagskrag]

I mean, it took D&D 5 editions to realize that the longsword is a two-handed weapon...

[@lunacorvus3585]

Tbf, the statistics of weapon in game may not represent their effectiveness in the ‘game universe’ because the balance of game play is more important. But yes, we need to see more high rank warrior type characters use spear.

[@Vicerion17]

Despite the sword being more iconic there's a reason why the spear was almost always the preferred main weapon while swords tended to be only a sidearm. My favorite is definitely the Chinese overlord spear, it's as if they took a short sword and strapped it to the end of a staff. It has quite the long blade with a point perfect for thrusts but is also wide enough to deliver strong cuts as well, which is why it's tied for first along with the guan dao for my favorite spear/polearm. If only you could combine the two getting the spears piercing ability with the guan daos cutting/chopping strength without going down the halberd path, alas!

[@nurgle333]

Is guan dao the 'machete on a stick' thing that guan Yu has in dynasty warriors

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The japanese naginata is basically the same: a short sword with a grotesquely oversized handle. It's maid mainly for cuts, but you can poke with it. And if the shaft breaks, the bit of handle that is left makes the weapon still usable. Something that works for many spear designs, the pointy blade part often has a dull part where the shaft goes in, and that part can double as sort of impromptu grip.

[@Senthain]

@@nurgle333 Yes it is

[@vsm1456]

4:17 it's like indians had such a good iron ore that they flexed at each other with the most bizzarre designs they can make while still keeping it as a viable weapon :D

[@Sylentmana]

Criminally underutilized in video games. The spear is one of my favorite weapons.

[@boofmcgoof1534]

They're too OP,only way to balance them with other weapons is just to not include them.

[@michaelfranciotti3900]

@@boofmcgoof1534 or to make shields and armor realistically effective. Another way to balance spears and polearms in general, is to make it so the player can't stash it in their inventory, forcing them to either equip or drop it. Just like in real life, there's no way to keep a spear on you unless it's in your hands, while swords can always be on you sheathed. That's the trade off.

[@michaelfranciotti3900]

@Kristoffer Pettersson I'm having trouble picturing what you're describing with the Vikings. I consider javelins different than fighting spears. I know that peltasts held multiple javelins in their shield hand, but that still kept both hands busy. You couldn't have a handful of javelins with a shield and weild another weapon, operate siege machines, or negotiate obstacles. Unless you had a type of quiver, sure. But again, not with fighting spears. Do you have anything to back up people latching it on their back historically? (Not sure if I count shad's video as historical proof). I feel like wedging it between your knapsack or in a rope on your waste would be pretty cumbersome. Also, we're talking gameplay balance, so there has to be a downside to spears one way or another. If you let players strap a spear to their back, then equipping and dequipping should take significantly longer than sheathing and unsheathing a sword. And they should be limited to only one polearm.

[@topacybits3576]

If u dual wield it in ac valhalla its really usefull. Also i have odins spears

[@Witnessmoo]

The spear is the ultimate ‘stay away from me bro’ weapon.

[@Plur307]

Nah, bad hygiene is the most effective.

[@omnianti0]

the lance is more ranged

[@dunadan7136]

@@omnianti0 Lances are not really for thrusting, lances are specialised weapons designed to be used specifically in shock cavalry charges. In other words a lance isn’t that useful when dismounted, unlike a proper infantry spear or a pike or a halberd.

[@omnianti0]

@@dunadan7136 the long pike act the same way as a lance its satic and only the relative move of the target that self impale on it make it usefull so you cant compare it to a spear

[@horsenuggets1018]

Social distancing turned violent

[@bluewinterstorm]

"Moribito: guardian of the spirit" features a spear wielder protagonist and she kicks all kinds of butt.

[@NBiDragonNerd]

Definitely an excellent series in my opinion!

[@RijaMo]

That series only had like 2 or 3 fight scenes. But my god were those one of the best fights in anime.

[@dj_koen1265]

Preach

[@Bwflegoninja]

I used to be a huge sword fanboy but my favorite medieval weapon now is the "Poleaxe" I like the Versatility Hammer End Sharp Spear point and Axe Head along with the Reach

[@broberge95]

Skall, I have had the distinct pleasure of viewing your channel now for several years. I have been so overjoyed to find a community of passionate lovers of history, the combat arts, and the pursuit of knowledge. I just wanted to share that you have been a wonderful companion throughout the years, even though it is a one sided relationship. I most of all wanted to compliment you. Your growth as a martial artist has been the fruit of your dedication. You have grown so much, and it is easy to see for anyone who practices a martial art. You move with the weapon, and your body wants to move as a warrior. I also have struggled with injuries, weight gain and loss, and the loss of dedication. Seeing you persevere through these same challenges has been a constant source of inspiration. Thank you my good sir. I dream that one day, free of quarantine, I might journey to the far off land of Canada and practice some HEMA with you, as well as shoot some of your firearms. I will at the very least toast to your health in the halls of Valhalla.

[@DefaultProphet]

Gotta disagree with it not being chronically overlooked. What famous western movie character uses a spear? Other than 300 obv

[@suzuxiiiahdv]

I mean, the characters from The Maze Runner? Oberyn from GoT? Okoye from Black Panther? Eomer from LoTR? The Night King from GoT? Aquaman kindof?

[@franciscoavila-wheeler9687]

Achilles(Brad Pitt) in Troy

[@MadSwedishGamer]

Even there Leonidas primarily used his sword.

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

Who was that wan in black panther? Never watched the movie, so I can't remember her name, but she used a spear. As did two of thanos's minions, although technically corvus used a glaive. Aquaman obviously uses a trident, which is basically a spear. In the new walking dead show they use a sort of switchblade spear thing, which is kinda weird but still a spear. Valkyrie in thor ragnarok uses a spear in some scenes. That one greek mythology movie with Liam Neeson as Zeus had the main character use a super magic spear to defeat kronos. And whilst this is a book series, kaladin is one of the main characters in the stormlight archives, and he uses a spear. Unfortunately, not a lot of movies are set before the invention of guns, so melee weapons tend to get pushed to the wayside anyway.

[@LokiZockt]

@@suzuxiiiahdv The Night King only really throws spears. You're right about Oberyn, I was super happy to see him use a spear, but that's just one character in 8 seasons of a show with a cast that changed a lot and had a ton of characters

[@BenjaminISmith]

Nowadays the thing that makes a spear impractical for civilian isn't that the point is threatening, because just use a sheath that makes it look like a staff, it's that walking around with a staff is ridiculous. "What? You're disabled? Use an aluminum cane, you look like a wizard with that"

[@edwardbirdsall6580]

Rosewood is more elegant.

[@Rob-147]

I don't care about people judging me, I carry a pike with me everywhere I go

[@sternis1]

I love the spear. It's a wonderful weapon, really versatile and a lot of fun! I used to study spear fencing in accordance Joachim Meyers techniques from The Art of Combat. I've tried sparring with spears against other weapons such as longswords, sword and buckler, dagger (yes, really!), Montante (YES, really!) and I didn't have a really hard time with any of the opponents. Sparring with spear against spear is really hard, but also very fun. It's fast-paced, you have to be on your toes and anticipate attacks at all times, it's hard to stop and rest like you sometimes can do with a longsword vs longsword sparring. I really would love to get into spears again, it's been ages. Maybe this pandemic could bring something to it. Physical distancing is much easier with spears than with long swords.

[@danielchoritz1903]

how about a pistol? sounds a much like it but...better in any way?

[@ziplocbag4303]

I’ve always loved the use of spears, they can be so aggressive in use as well as slow and controlling.

[@dassmith]

I love, LOVE that you can look at a culture's spears and tell so much about what other cultures they must have come into contact with, and what kind of technology they must have had access to just based on the iterative improvements and construction details that went into them. Wonderful video, love the bit at the end detailing the special case of the atgeir.

[@АртурХахлоў]

There is an anime Seirei no moribito ("Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit"), where main character use spear as only weapon. And fights is very intensive

[@jeffkremer4503]

After watching Lindybeige's spear videos, I'm fully convinced that the spear deserves more credit. It is interesting how much better two-handed spear is compared to spear and shield. One handed spear seems to really inhibit usability.

[@ARTEMISXIX]

Not entirely true, you're underrating the utility of a shield

[@Andri474]

You don't like spear+shield? King Leonidas would be ashamed.

[@Candlemancer]

Two handed spear is fine until the enemy has archers.

[@GameTimeWhy]

@@Candlemancer just start spinning.

[@Seelenschmiede]

Guess why many cultures using spears had spear rests in their shields...

[@gareththompson2708]

I had written partial RPG rules for weapons based on their lengths at one point. Basically, long weapons such as spears and polearms always had an advantage in combat. Their disadvantages came in non-combat. They could not be sheathed and certainly could not be concealed, meaning that a character was always encumbered in non-combat actions and could never pass themselves off as being unarmed.

[@MiaogisTeas]

I like it

[@ThePanosassasin]

Great vid Skall ( Just like always XD ), really enjoyed this one since the spear is KINDA my favourite weapon but i have one thing to point out, you talked about the balance of the spear when holding it from the 1/4 that is bad and its better when holding it from the 2/4 of the spear. The Greeks had a butt-spike that served as counter balance and it was heavier than the spear shaft, in result they could wield the spear perfectly from the 1/4! I don't know if other cultures did that too, i'm sure they did but i don't know to what extend. For anyone that want information about the Greek butt spike type Dory ( Spear ) and it will show up on Wiki. Keep uploading amazing content Skall!

[@TheAchilles26]

I'm pretty sure Matt Easton from Schola Gladiatoria has shown an African spear with a metal counterweight at the butt

[@rustysreality1091]

I actually constructed a prototype modular spear that breaks into 3 section so that you can transport it in a backpack. It has 3 sections of threaded tube steel that you can link up to have 3 different weapon types, a long knife/small club, a shorter cane like spear, and the full length spear. A spear is bar none the weapon i would want in a survival melee combat situation. Sword is a close second tho.

[@Scarlet_Soul]

Fear the pointy stick! Fear it!

[@Shamaroth]

Just a note, "geir" is an archaic but still recognizably Icelandic word for spear derived from the old Norse "geirr" - you'll mostly see it in names (Arngeir, etc.). "At" means "fight", and can be found in modern compounds like bull-fighting (nauta-at), or the verb "að atast" (to pick a fight, typically heard from exasperated parents directed at their kids). I remember it from Brennu-Njála, where the hero Gunnar wields an atgeir, and always just assumed it referred to a larger, more aggressive spear than usual, like a hewing spear.

[@sweepingtime]

I find it fascinating that every culture has two weapons: bows, and spears.

[@fearedjames]

Australian aboriginals I'm pretty sure lacked bows. Had javelins tho.

[@MonMalthias]

@@fearedjames I think it was not so much that Australian Aboriginals lacked bows - some early settler encounters with them did record some of them possessing bows. But the majority of the weaponry favoured by Australian Aboriginals did seem to revolve around the spear (thrown with an woomera / atlatl), the boomerang, and axes made of flaked stone.

[@aenaros6845]

quite a fee cultures didn't have bows.

[@TanitAkavirius]

No bows in America either. Slings and Atlatl.

[@deeznoots6241]

@@fearedjames thats because they invented the boomerang and knew it was much cooler than a bow

[@kikoff88]

For the disadvantage of the shaft breaking. Most every army had soldiers carry 3-4 at all times. Keeping carts and bundles in reserve so as to easily re-arm soldiers in battle. Same with shields.

[@fi4re]

Citation needed. It's kinda difficult to resupply a spear to a soldier when they're in the middle of a fight, no? And if they break their spear in combat, it's not exactly like you can just tell the enemy "hold on lemme get my other spear."

[@flowerswerewarpaint646]

Skalla:Spears might be the oldest weapon Big ass stick: am i nothing to you

I personally like have counter weight on spear myself when using one to make it more balanced.

[@massangpenulis1012]

And if it was big enough, you could do some serious injury while smashing with it. You always want some extra tools when going to war, life is on the stake afterall

[@johntheknight3062]

Spear is also very good guard weapon. Even for crowd controll it's really effective.

[@gn2650]

I have an idea for a video : What about holdind a shield on one hand and a pike on the other, below your arm pit like cavalry would do?

[@GuitarNvoice]

I loved the multi attacker example with the dagger toss, one of my favorite techniques is throw my dagger up at an opponents eye level, inevitably they attempt to bat the dagger away, so you thrust as they are dealing with a tossed dagger.

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

The next item on my historical weapons wishlist (which i can actually afford, damn the price of genuine Japanese Wakazashis and i'd have to save up for a tod's stuff crossbow) is a Japanese Yari spear, the condor one looks good. Had good experiences with that brand, their naval cutlass looks great too. Funny thing is i was looking for Yari spears the other day, and not being very experienced in Japanese language, typed in 'Yuri for sale' i got a bit of a shock, haha. Spears didn't turn up in the search results.

[@cundan0484]

so basically spears are AKs of the human history

[@CanadianRamen]

Very much so yes. The AK-47 would be the modern equivalent in regards to cost efficiency and reliability

[@giterdone246]

Only disadvantage to using a spear would be confined areas such as in trenches or tight corridors. Not many spear weapons in WW1 such as a rifle bayonet were as effective inside a trench then a simple trench mace or sharpened spade. I'm sure the age of gunpowder taking away the use of body armor played a role as well. Bludgeoning weapons are underatted slot.

[@bernardputersznit64]

excellent exploration of the functionality of the spear

[@fenriswhispers]

Odd thing no one points out is the storing of a spear when not in use. The wood shaft tends to warp and become well bent if not properly stored away properly. Odd thing to point out but was one of the first rules I was taught when given my first spear.

[@markbrooksjr6330]

Fantastic. I've been wondering about spears myself. Thanks for doing this video. In terms of Heroic spears, what more do people need than spartans, Hector and Achilles, and Hoplite Phalanx. Also, Geez, how bad would a spear thrust from a charging horseman be.

[@Gew219]

I guess being skewered by a lance is akin to being shot from a battle rifle from a really short distance, but the diameter of the bullet would be few centimetres instead of millimetres.

[@Gew219]

Nearly instant death either way.

[@markbrooksjr6330]

@@Gew219 Hopefully the rider has good aim and gets you in the heart or lungs. Otherwise a bloody, painful, not-so-instant shiskobob situation ensues

[@UsernameInvalidTHIS]

King of Weapons? Or Just a Pointy Stick? Oh, are these mutually exclusive?

[@Outside85]

King Pointy Stick of Weaponland.

[@germ4bass]

Short spears at the front of the line then pollarms in the middle then longer spears in the back. To make a wall of moving spikes . Much love for the Channel 👍👍👍

[@Kingslay3r]

The tales of legendary Spearmen and their profiency with the spear weapon type are quite remarkable. Cú Chulainn ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%BA_Chulainn )for exemple was unmatched on the battlefield when he wielded a spear, Gáe Bulg. By far my favorite type of weapon just ahead of longswords. It's a very versatile and effective weapon that is easy to start using but theres so much room to master it.

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

- Thrust me, I can deal with your pointy stick. - Spear me the arrogance, I'll do as you wish. (I am very sorry)

[@ThunderLord1]

Don't be sorry man, these were still worth reading ;)

[@ronn-ammon8975]

No need to apologize, you made your...point.

[@frosmane9041]

13:00 this right here would be pretty intimidating. smart viking pointing a spear at my eyes

[@SquirrelASMR]

8:03 I can see how it can be difficult to battle someone using a spear now haha. I felt like I was getting poked in the face through my screen.

[@roysmith7087]

That's definitely the best way to get your point across. You get the opponent to stick around. These are best gotten from the drive through. Just give your opponent the shaft With the spear, you can discuss technique at length over the long range of conversation that you may find yourself thrust into the middle of

[@Filip1389_]

I love your content. It's so easy to "stick" around and enjoy many amazing things 😁👍

[@isdaalexf]

My friend, you have a "point"

[@Ladle66]

3:07 Imagine going about your day, and suddenly this scene is coming at you.

[@rrteppo]

I took part in a club in college where we fought against people using different weapons. Certain people were really good at judging when to dive forwards and even they only had a 30% success rate. It didn't actually seem to matter all that much who was on the other side of the spear either, unless they had never held one before there wasn't much of a skill floor, and getting good with a spear only seemed to make rounds take longer not so much change how successful people were once they decided to dive forwards.

[@robertcorrales4774]

Aliens when humans unanimously created pointy sticks: We’ve gotta intervene

[@codyfaye8424]

I only recently learned (after 12 years of traditional martial arts training) that Okinawan Kobudo also teaches shield and spear!

[@bensteinhauser784]

Another reason spears dominated the battlefield is because theyre easy to use in formation!

[@andromydous]

I can't remember which nations/tribes did it, and I'm too lazy to look it up, but there were some that made their shields with a crescent (sometimes 3/4) circle cut out. This allowed them to keep the shield in front while still being able to make strikes/lunges with the spear.

[@patrickkenney2259]

The fact you dropped on Stoned-tipped spears being found FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS ago literally made my jaw drop. I'm obviously both ignorant and fascinated with the history of weapons/tools.

[@warsprite1888]

I have some training in spear and one use of a spear that is Highly underrated is...Horse killing. Which would be why metal end butts were added to the ends of a spear, so that you can slam the butt into the ground then lean the spear forward at about a 45% angle and let the cavalry run over it thereby spitting either horse or rider on it, many times both. I also believe that is the reason why barding was invented as well, that is to say armor for your horse to keep those mean spear people from pig sticking your very expensive (both in time and money) horse. Almost a good example of it you can find in the movie The 13th Warrior. I say almost since they were just using logs but it wouldn't take much to imagine what a sharp spear point would have added to the mix which would have been decidedly nasty. Things like that were good back in the day for breaking cavalry charges by infantry holding spears since it forced the cavalry off their mounts and into a melee where the infantry would win when the cavalry lose their momentum / mounts plus are thrown or have to dismount due to all the sharp pointy sticks in their faces. Lots of armies also kept extra spear heads with them for spares and were also very good for defensive fortifications as well in a pinch. That is also why most armies had blacksmiths with them as well so they could fit all those spear points and fittings to lots of freshly cut lumber to make lots of pointy sticks really fast if needed. Note: Most armies just carried the spear heads and fittings with them, not the entire spear since that would make quite the bundle to carry. So it's not uncommon at all to find a Roman spear head on an English oak handle for instance. Now if you were to see or run across an army carrying lots of bundled spears at the ready then that probably meant they were on the way to attack someplace and where that was most likely wasn't very far away either. An additional use of the spear, for a distraction. Mount a couple spears with a couple uniform dummies that make it look like somebody is hiding in a bush behind a trap, then when the enemy goes for the "spear men" they get the trap instead thereby giving away their positions and intentions. Which is a tactic still used today by the military ( even very recently ) in modern day conflicts since deception is still of paramount importance in any conflict. It's also a common tactic by a clever commander to trap the trap trippers by establishing a hidden ambush force to make escape impossible once the trap has been set off, thereby ensuring the enemies loses and demoralization is even higher at the risk of losing the ambushing force but that's the nature of combat, if you take to the field you takes your chances. Most military commanders I know even in this day and age are avid gamblers worse than any person who ever went to a Las Vegas casino, they just don't gamble using coins or money and All of them want to win.

[@norsecore]

This reminds me of that iconic fight from GOT, the Red Viper vs the Mountain. The spear holds a deep spiritual significance for the Dornish kinda like Mongols and horses. After the Viper's death all the angry Dornish men shout; "To the spears!"

[@matthewk320]

the spear is the ultimate weapon for society. cheap, strong and easy to use. we are here debating on the internet, because we invented that point stick right in the beginning.

[@nateharder2286]

"stick em with the pointy end"

[@Secret_Takodachi]

Alternative Title "Pointy Sticks: The King of all Weapons"

[@Possi_ball]

As I see it: In a duel with spear vs sword, sword has the upper hand cause of grabbing. A unit of spears vs unit of swords, almost impossible for the swords. So spear is a strength in number weapon while swords are best on a 1vs1 setting and it's logical why it was so effective. Also, I have read that mercenary units of greatswords were deployed against units of pikemen and they did pretty good on cutting them down, it was pretty much their specialty.

[@Bluecho4]

I recently read a series of articles on the A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry blog, called "This. Isn't. Sparta.". Among other fascinating bits of historicity, it showed that, at least according to contemporary sources, hoplite combat did not require much, if any, training. (Makes the actual Spartan battle record - where they won only slightly more than they lost, all the more telling. Spartan martial superiority is not only a myth, but propaganda.) It's a testament to the power of the spear that it can turn an untrained force into a deadly and effective one very easily.

[@vedeledev]

During his lifetime, Jearom fought over ten thousand times, in battle and single combat. He was defeated once. By a farmer with a quarterstaff! Remember that.

[@chickhislop6691]

Awesome.

[@thepunishe52]

Dance with the jak o the shadows!

[@walkingmarshmallow6895]

If you could actually do a mikiri counter, would that be good against spears or an opening to get done over.

[@gentrololol747]

Spears show up so much more than swords because they are the best choice for military formations. If someone tries to grab your friends spear in a line, he’s breaking line and you and maybe 2 other guys can just stab him in the exposed sides. Swords are for more versatile, spears are specialized for line formation fighting in war.

[@KingOhmni]

Skal, you've put some chunk on mate. But hey, I imagine most people have during lockdown madness. In 2018 I lost my grand dad and I realised at the family wake lookingat the family photos that I had a double chin. And not for the first time in life. So I gave myself a kick up the arse thanks to reminder of our mortality and got to exercising and eating better. I roled into 2020 having lost 4 stone. I've roled into 2021 having put 2 and half stone of that lsot weight back on. Grrrrr! Gonna have to getmy "double twist" quarter staff out and start excersiing ion the

[@swedichboy1000]

Could you do one about Unique materials used as weapons?

[@sevenproxies4255]

King of weapons? I'd call them the workhorse of weapons.

[@Wavemaninawe]

The Lord Of War?

[@barretharms1432]

Actually you can do an entire video on how to fight with a spear and add a few more sections in how to use Spear and shield this would include the cut out on the shield as well as using the lugs to hook your own Shield when defending example would be the cut out on a heater Shield obviously hoplites weren't that technical about things however when examining that cut out on a heater Shield against a sword it doesn't quite fit. Obviously I'm stepping past Hema here because there is nothing written that I know of about using the cut out on a heater Shield to help brace your spear however when catching your two-handed spear that cut out is quite useful to find the exact grip you want in addition twisting your wrist would help with the lug alignment. What I'm talking about isn't exactly Hema like I said because nobody explains it however it is most definitely the way to use a spear

[@Bragemaster]

Spears are my favorite weapon Thank you for this video

[@chesterpanda]

The spear is the shotgun in the hand weapons/melee world. It can fit many roles; it’s common, inexpensive, and effective.

[@aliveyetundead]

"King of Weapons? Or Just a Pointy Stick?" Me, an intelectual: Both.

[@Sharkakaka]

There is the grey area of a "slashing" spear and a polearm that I like, a spear that is capable of using as a slashing weapon is one of my favorite things

[@gregsmw]

from that description of the atgier in combat it says that the guy used it "cane into hrolfs shield and split it in two" he also "alternatly hewed and thrusted" this to me implies a much larger blade because a spear head might be able to cut, but to "hew" and to split a shield in two would require a much larger and cutting oriented blade so to my mind that would make it a much larger "glaive" type blade, perhaps the very large spear heads were called atgiers as a spear with that size a head would definetly be used differently from a spear like skall has, which is really only suited for thrusting another line "soti again tries to CUT hrolf, who dodges, and the atgier drives deep into the earth" again implying its a very cut oriented weapon and has a blade large enough that it CAN dig deep into the ground, which a normal smaller spear blade just isnt big enough to do

[@TheChiconspiracy]

If you look at historical norse spearheads, they can be VERY long, like a sword attached to a haft.

[@shadekeigarblacksky]

One of the first weapons of this planet: long pointy sticks.

[@wojciechwojciechowski8886]

Even some chimps are using spears for hunting, and isn't this a spear fight when you put bayonette on?

[@omnianti0]

club and throwed stone are first i guess

[@shadekeigarblacksky]

@@omnianti0 They are the VERY FIRST ones.

[@artifex2.080]

@@wojciechwojciechowski8886 they aren't as usefully though, since apes can't really effectively throw anything just lob them

[@godzilla964]

I love finding long sticks on my runs and throwing them like spears. The trick is to get them to balance on your hand.

[@alexd531]

I remember a cheezy deadliest warior game where i chose the impailor and the long pointy stick and javelin almost always beat the sword unless they were good at parying.

[@probablynotdad6553]

"Just a pointy stick" pointy sticks are the most superior weapon of all, they're easy to come by as well. Spear 2024.

[@trevorfichtner3539]

the spear like weapon in the manuscript image at 3:28 looked like a harpoon to me, and then his sheild looks like it has fishing hooks on it. interesting.

[@chaotics5395]

Do this kind of video for polearms

[@nahm321]

Now, any interest in making a sword video on how overrated and overused they are in modern media to complete the triangle? But seriously, a lot of people now consider the sword as the main battlefield weapon, which (in most contexts) can't be further from the truth. The sword is by no means rare in middle-late medieval Europe, and the number of manuscripts suggests that its use as a fencing tool (at least for the upper class) is rather prevalent. However, I don't think it ever surpassed its role as a battlefield sidearm ever since Gladius disappears from history. Now, do keep in mind that there are several types of swords intended to be used on horseback as primary weapons on the battlefield (e.g. the Polish sabre, the Chinese ma do). However, none of these are really close to the modern fantasy image of knights wielding longswords (in 1 hand) and shields. Eh, go figure.

[@weizenbock5228]

the Roman legions were using swords (gladius) as a main weapon for a long time, that's the only example I remember right now

[@TheAchilles26]

Even with the Roman legions, there's a lot of room to argue that their primary weapon was actually the pilum. Which would make the gladius a sidearm that saw more use than its peers, but still technically a sidearm.

[@weizenbock5228]

@@TheAchilles26 i think the pilum was first to use but as a shock weapon, they threw it, maybe threw the second one, and the fight was continued with gladius

[@TheAchilles26]

@@weizenbock5228, shock weapons aren't thrown, they're used on a charge. Thrown weapons are missile weapons. And, while yes, the pilum was generally thrown, there's growing evidence that it not only could be used in melee, but that the second pilum (notably of heavier construction than the first) may have actually been intended for it.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@TheAchilles26 Also the gladius has much less use in the Romans' tight shield formations than the pilum.

[@AntiChrxzt]

Well... the fact that such a simple "sharp stick" created by cavemen became the blueprint weapon that dominated for centuries and ages throughout human history; it's cleary the simple king of weapons.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

1 000 000 BC: We have pointy stones, how can I stop getting hurt on my hand when hitting something? Make it longer! But stone is brittle? Put it at the end of a stick! 5000 BC: We have copper now, but it's soft and we can't make long blades. What to do? Put it at the end of a stick! 3000 BC: We have bronze now, but it's soft and we can't make long blades. What to do? Put it at the end of a stick! 1000 BC: We have iron now, but it's to brittle to make long blades. What to do? Put it at the end of a stick! 1600 AD: We have guns now, but they take ages to reload and my knife is to short. What to do? Put it at the end of a stick! I don't have a stick! Your gun is a metal tube inside a stick!

[@redwolf7929]

Spears are very amazing weapons.In Australia the aboriginal people have many spe c alluded designs for them.From hunting, fishing ,to war ,to punishment spears.They also have differant shields and types of small bucklers or parrying shields to large shields like Roman ones.The spears are still used today in all capacities especially in the central Australian regions and the northern ,northwestern areas. They are very skilled at their use and their defence is a very differant way to that of Europe a n spear play

[@signorUebelst]

hmm i wonder if a spear with oversized wings, like a boar spear where the wings stand out farther then the spear head (maybe even with some "spikes" at the end) would work well as an anti armor weapon. If you take such a spear and give it a large swing with it those wings could act like the tip of a pole hammer and give armor quiet a beating if not penetrate

[@Tomato_Dragonzord]

Hey. If someone more competent than myself could give a piece of advice. One thing has recently come to my mind (related to some fantasy stuff I handle). Spears (or polearms in general) with screwable/attachable shaft extensions. The idea is to be able to switch between long spear and short spear relatively quickly, depending on situation and battlefield. And so it could perhaps be easier to carry around in two pieces. The extension itself could also serve as an improvised two handed mace/club. Would something like this make any sense? Or perhaps it existed in the history (though I couldn't dig into anything like that, all I've come across are some modern telescopic inventions). Myself, I see two possible issues with this so far but I'm not sure how serious they could be. One - harder to make than a regular spear. Two - the joint being a structural weakness. Ah, and I know I can simply grab a spear and have some short secondary weapon on hand but let's say I'd like to go a bit more creative.

[@mopbrothers]

Spears are extremely underrated. They are definitely the king of the battlefield.

[@panuwatbuthorntaraj2909]

Love when you do battle stance that tell me I can see onlt little point of your spear.

[@Estalarki]

8:04 I literally started trying to swat the spear away

[@crystallxix1493]

You know you're the king when your only counter is a slightly longer version of yourself.

[@custink22]

And ranged weapons

[@crystallxix1493]

@@custink22 ranged is a counter to all melee weapons

[@custink22]

@@crystallxix1493 yep. I had misunderstood your comment to mean the only counter at all to a spear is a longer spear. I apologize, i was fairly tired when i replied to it.

[@I_worship_AxxL]

I have personally killed using a spear

[@JA-tp1uw]

When you pryed it out of his dying body did his heart come out with it?

[@Mitaka.Kotsuka]

Your dreams dosent count

[@nathanokerlund9063]

On atgeirs: I read a translation of Njal's Saga where "atgeir" was translated as "bill." I don't know how the translator made that choice, but it does seem to fit with the "atgeir" being a simple spear-like polearm that is more adapted to "hewing" than the average spear is.

[@stevenleslie8557]

Probably one of the first weapons used in warfare. I think the club is in there somewhere also.

[@kensmith5694]

I think that if I needed to arm a lot of people in a big hurry, the spear would not have a socket on the head. I also would not split the end of the shaft. Instead, I would carve one side flat, lay the point along the flat surface and bind it. This would result in something worse to face than the mere pointed stick. The lack of symmetry might bother the eye of the beholder but the guy getting poked with it would not be thinking about that. A good thing about a design like that is that the blade need not be attached by the craft person.