Spears are better than swords (longer version)

The longer version of the tests of spear versus other weapons. All of all 65 bouts, plus extra commentary.
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The shorter version of this video is available here: • Spears are better than...
Thanks to all those who took part, and especially Matt Easton for inviting me to the event, and Alex Abdolwahabi who was the main cameraman.
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More weapons and armour videos here: • Weapons and armour
Lindybeige: a channel of archaeology, ancient and medieval warfare, rants, swing dance, travelogues, evolution, and whatever else occurs to me to make.
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[@littlesherlock2313]

The spear was so good that even when we got guns, we just turned them into spears again with bayonets.

[@littlesherlock2313]

Alexander Hodson having held an entrenching tool myself, I do not want to get hit with one of those

[@tree_ee]

@@rangerx373 what do you have against French people?

[@alexmalyarchuk1723]

@@tree_ee shovel, I guess.

[@thejupitergod5687]

Alexander Krause where the only sharp bit is the end of the gun where the bayonet is placed?

[@fiona9891]

@@thejupitergod5687 A sword with a really long handle and really short blade.

[@flashfm7456]

"The pen is mightier than the sword." True, if you enlarge the pen considerably and sharpen the nib.

[@JohnDoe-qu2dr]

@Falkrim Or you make it a pencil and hand it over to John Wick.

[@damiester1]

Or you write a convincing piece that converts all citizens to your side.

[@JaguarBST]

I genuinely laughed out loud

[@sbhattacharya7389]

@@JohnDoe-qu2dr lmao I just watched John wick

[@JohnDoe-qu2dr]

@@sbhattacharya7389 lol

[@Adam_okaay]

I think a 64% win rate with a tremendous disparity in spear skill shows quite a lot in context.

[@darrylviljoen6227]

Yes, context is very important.

[@imgvillasrc1608]

Goes to show how the spear is an incredibly efficient weapon.

[@fortissears5388]

If you're against a spear while wielding a shorter weapon, considering just a lucky poke in the face from the enemy is enoughto disable YOU, it's like you have to throw dice to see IF you even GET to attack - even if you're good with whatever implement of bloodshed you happen to use.

[@ericolens3]

But when they invaded a village. Armor would be great to have to nullify the spears pointy end. And as long as there wasn't another militia or army, they could easily vanquish the foe's feeble wooden weapons with even half decent armor and metal weapons.

[@zachrabaznaz7687]

@@ericolens3 swords wouldn't do shit against armor either. Then you move on to war picks, halberds, pole hammers/poleaxes, etc. Notice something? They would all still have the spear pointy bit on the end and have no elements of sword.

[@stresseddeku7347]

"What a man lacks in style he can make up for with extreme violence" had me cracking XD

[@YungSettings]

People also often forget that spears require a lot less metal to forge, which makes it much easier to mass produce and arm a medieval army.

[@user-xj7ze3bv3c]

Did you even watch the video, because they said it at the start.

[@YungSettings]

@@user-xj7ze3bv3c I'm pretty sure they didn't mention production and logistics at all in the video though, only its effectiveness in combat. Did you even watch the video?

[@milkpouch]

sheeeeeeeesh

[@arsalan2231]

@@user-xj7ze3bv3c Congratulations, you played yourself.

[@user-xj7ze3bv3c]

@@YungSettings he did: 1:04

[@gilbertthegreat89]

After thousands of years of weapon development. A pointy stick, the first weapon man created, is still one of the best.

[@fidget0227]

Wellllll among melee weapons, sure. That whole “gun powder” and “nuclear bomb” phase changed the playing field.

[@user-zz7le5qc6x]

@@fidget0227 that's OP and doesn't count/

[@JohnnyCasey]

The bayonet is basically a modernized spear, and it's still being used at some part of the army. If you think of it this way, the spear truly is an all time weapon.

[@McNab1986]

@@JohnnyCasey If you look at most bayonet drills, they involve spear thrusts, and movement

[@BIGRED47]

First weapon was a blunt stick but close guess

[@SA_Vengarr]

There was a quote from Plutarch about how young men gravitated to the sword seeking personal glory--and how, if they survived long enough, they would inevitably take up the spear.

[@alexyosleonhart]

Hi, brother! You can tell me where i can find this quote? (Sorry, english is not my native language)

[@aekaralagonisi]

@@alexyosleonhartYou might find all the Plutarch accounts online somewhere in English idk

[@goji3908]

Keep in mind that most of these guys don't have a lot of experience with a spear, they are experts in swords. And yet the spearmen did better in most situations than the swordsmen.

[@texascultdeity8904]

Sword expertise isnt that useful. Because its sword vs spear fighting against a spear requires a very different set of skills which are not properly learned in sword vs sword. They are about equal.

[@texascultdeity8904]

Many people need to be specifically trained to face spears.

[@kaelhazard-4171]

Imo, spear is like primary weapon and sword is like secondary weapon. Like when u bring AK but then u lost it, you switch to Pistol. Spear is effectice but not practical to carry, also easier to disarm especially when the wielder is not experienced. While sword is not effective but simple and practical. Easy to carry around.

[@goji3908]

@@kaelhazard-4171 Plus a spear is like a long ranged weaponish thing, while a sword is very close range weapon

[@kaelhazard-4171]

@@texascultdeity8904 most people know about spear advantages. U know it's range. Like in this vid. They know and can proof that getting close to the range is their weakness. But still... Lot of 'em fail in the trial.

[@JohnSmith-vg6hb]

If only we'd done this instead of football at school

[@MrCrashDavi]

+

[@edi9892]

It's a far better workout than soccer.

[@gone8913]

If only we learned how history was instead of the lies they teach and how to protect our own race and culture

[@jimnickles2347]

This

[@josephgroves3176]

John Smith yes! I would have actually enjoyed pe then:)

[@jotarokujo5849]

How to win agaisnt a spearman: Ignore hits

[@racoonnylord4343]

ooooor don't bring a sword to a war, it doesn't cut through metal well, so people didn't do it. a better idea is to use a weapon like a billhook

[@ASmartNameForMe]

@@racoonnylord4343 or a mace (a knights worst nightmare

[@racoonnylord4343]

@@ASmartNameForMe that depends on what your calling a mace.

[@XrayWasTaken]

Or wear any armour whatsoever.

[@ASmartNameForMe]

@@XrayWasTaken ANY armour might be pushing it...

[@stargazer162]

The spear is such a simple and effective weapon, no wonder it stood the test of time so well. It's the most intuitive way to make a weapon, just grab a really long stick and put a pointy thing on one end.

[@williamhuynh869]

In fact, a trident is basically a spear with 3 heads

[@krieger8825]

@@williamhuynh869 and is useless for mass production and is terrible to use

[@WraithBassTabs]

@@williamhuynh869 just use a pitchfork lel

[@liamquraeshi2898]

@@krieger8825 Which is why it's designed for spearfishing instead of combat.

[@krieger8825]

@@liamquraeshi2898 Indeed, the king of the sea has to catch fish manually

[@TheDakkaman]

2:31 “Huge treatises have been written on using [swords]!” Aye, because a sword’s so useless you need several dissertations to figure out how to make it work. *drops spear-shaped mic, assumes t-pose with spear to elongate arms*

[@darraarljod8911]

Assert dominance with chad spear

[@joshsampson4461]

Spear Treatise: "1. Stab high. 2. If you don't hit, stab low. 3. If you still don't hit, return to step 1"

[@thedictationofallah]

Spears then went out of use in the 18th century. And the Bayonet was shorter and much more vulnerable to swords like Spadroons.

[@JJ-qo7th]

Alternative explanation: Treatises were written because the people who were buying swords were the people who were well-off enough to read, both because they were able and because they had the free time to sit around playing with weapons. Or, sure, it was their job.

[@yuriyromaniw6629]

"... He forms a plan... And he's dead." Perhaps a good way to sum up human existence.

[@ESFAndy011]

That was so depressing and hilarious at the same time...

[@LJ-ej3fv]

"Big, scary swings!... and he's skewered." Yup, humanity in a nutshell.

[@westwindsailer]

"Man plans.... God laughs"

[@justsomecreatureofthisearth]

XD I lost it at that one. And I went straight to the comments and I was right: the 2nd comment was someone else who had noticed how funny that one was.

[@iktanmiztonton3477]

Srithor It's funny how the Joker was a schemer too.

[@Wertsir]

“Swords are the weapon of heroes, not a spear” Odin, Leonidas, Romulus, Izanami, Joshua, Cú Chulainn, and practically every character in the Illiad: Are you challenging me?”

[@minoreror9961]

“Are we jokes to you?”

[@osmanjetlee2001]

King Arthur cries at distance

[@bauerpaul8967]

Who?

[@jameshiawo2771]

Achilles

[@Narcan885]

Most of the elves in the Silmarillion too

[@quirinoguy8665]

"A Sword and Spear may be strong, but my Nuclear Arsenal is stronger." -Mahatma Gandhi

[@sagnikmajumder3957]

Dead joke

[@ezpz4646]

😂😂😂

[@NikosKatsikanis]

buddha said that.

[@nslater1388]

“The sword is the Prince of all weapons. But the spear is the King!”

[@szarekhthesilentking7043]

Halberds in the back really laughing

[@clarkzhang4665]

“The main problem with this method is that it doesn’t work.”

[@cincrlatko]

draw back :D but yeah great one !

[@saber2802]

*laughs in Greek hoplites*

[@ViljamiK0]

@@saber2802 greek hoplites didnt exactly use it, maybe against cavalry when thrusting at the rider.

[@APerson-ws4cw]

'Come back here!' 'No!'

[@Jon-ov4nc]

No, hoplites made up the majority of the ancient Greek armies (which meant they mostly fought other hoplites) and they fought in phalanx formation presenting a shield wall and rows of thousands of spearheads. Casualties during the battle itself were usually very minimal. Most battle deaths occurred only after the losers formation had been broken or outflanked, and their army were routing.

[@SimicFishCrab]

How we think we fight: Pink legs How we actually fight: Yellow socks

[@Kick0a0cat]

I wish :D

[@Ryan-Diez]

How i actually fight: Man with camera at the back

[@f.b.lagent1113]

Yellow sucks*

[@bootytata3457]

FAACTS

[@SHarpyHaMMeR]

how I actually fight 7:09

[@kwharrison6668]

Anyone who's played D&D knows the spear is an amazing weapon! Simple weapon, can be thrown, used to stab or used to brace.... and dirt cheap!

[@Michael-gq9cd]

Actually why I'm watching this video.. for inspiration! I'm building an Oathbreaker paladin right now that plans to use shield and spear one-handed with Polearm Master

[@night-timestories915]

Same reason watching this video. I am using the weapon length, speed factor and armor type tables in ad&d 1e.

[@SleightCreative]

everyone says I'm crazy for taking spears when I play fighters but I just point them to this :P

[@frungggg]

pam + sentinal go brrrr

[@johns1625]

And if it breaks you just have a club and a dagger

[@ismlamaroof6438]

Also add in that the gap grows even more when considering in war you're not running around doing 1 v 1 duels. You're in a formation so you have a whole from row, second row, and possibly a third row all sticking out a porcupine of spears (I think Alexander the Great's army had like 12-14 ft long spears, iirc). You can't swing a sword in a compact formation, but you can jab a spear forward quite well.

[@texascultdeity8904]

Pretty much 1v1 it comes down to whether the swordsman has experience against a spear. In mass formation q swordsman needs 2-3 meters to not cut his friend. In that space you can cram 5 or 6 spearmen. In a war each swordman would need to be able to 1v3 or 1v4

[@deliq9607]

Ism La'maroof Romans conquered the world with their crappy little stabbing swords.

[@cesarquint256]

The phalanx was actually integrated to the Macedonian army by Alexander father Philip before alexander was even born iirc, the majority of the Macedonian army, discipline and structure was done by Phillip. The cavalry going full suicide bomb 😂 supporting the phalanx was more his personal tactic 😂

[@jonathanlewis6146]

The entire history of weaponry: So we made a pointy stick, then a throwable pointy stick, then a smaller pointy stick that is ejected by a bow, and finally we said *fudge the stick and started cramming sharp things in a barrel full of explosives* - The End

[@zenogias01]

It all boils down to angry apes waving sharp sticks and throwing rocks.

[@epauletshark3793]

Now we advance to pointy metal bit shot realy fast with magnets.

[@Luna-Lux]

Actually, blunt things in a barrel full of explosives are much more dangerous (and most bullets are smooth/rounded on the end) the most nasty being lead balls, that hit bones and shatter them/ricochet inside the body and cause even more damage

[@jonathanlewis6146]

@@Luna-Lux I was referring to grape shot but yes that is true.

[@LOVEMUFFIN_official]

@@jonathanlewis6146 And then eventually we would make these explode-y things smaller, lighter, and more hand-held; but, then we would put metal points on the ends of them, turning them back into spears.

[@AnonymousOnimous]

"The only problem with this technique is that it doesn't work." If Monty Python did medieval combat reenactment.

[@wardstockyt8816]

He kinda did

[@sover2754]

I was like: "well no shit sherlock'

[@ghxstie666]

@@sover2754 it's sarcasm

[@veryangryduckpl2122]

Still better than 99% of hollywood

[@kadinothebean3419]

Which if u don't think about, makes sense lol

[@arian2745]

Whether you build your character as a two handed or one handed, you'll always end up being a sneak archer

[@user-cl9ww9it8v]

Haha skyrim reference

[@ForestofCicadas]

Wouldn't have to if Skyrim had spears

[@hansgans297]

@@ForestofCicadas that would be awesome

[@relix7373]

For most of history swords were merely a cavalry weapon or officer/nobility weapon (often roles which went hand in hand). They were made for slashing down at enemies in a charge. The vast majority of infantry were armed with spears, a useful defensive weapon. Most pre-modern battles were about maneuver, and whoever could get their cavalry around the other's infantry won.

[@sagnikmajumder3957]

True

[@egg_runner8379]

"he has shown that what a man may lack in style he can make up for with extreme violence" I think this is one of my favourite quotes

[@sakasgooplab9711]

Doom guys mantra

[@josefaksoy42]

Mongolians approved this message

[@declanwalton5125]

this is gonna be my high school quote

[@guyd7924]

Josef Aksoy tbh they didn’t lack the style, just remember how they made feast on top of captured Russian nobles

[@josefaksoy42]

Guyd (joke)

[@sammyjones6730]

Looks like expression should really be "live by the sword, die by the spear"

[@Tidushii]

Yes spears are more effective weapons but the main reason it wasn't as popular is simple: it didn't allow you to end him rightly.

[@dramaexterminatus]

@@Tidushii And also they are massively cumbersome

[@cristiancardenas8002]

Eddie Blake nice reference 👍

[@peternicholson8029]

those who live by the sword will get shot by those who dont

[@scarletrose2880]

@bobby kotata that and it looks like once a swordsman closes that's it, there's only a small point of damage at the tip. It is a lot lighter than a greatsword though

[@sayg1621]

6:47 “he forms a plan... and he’s dead” that was really funny!!

[@capoeirastronaut]

Saxons were named for their seaxes - which were a marker of status, like French for knight (chevalier) just meant horseman, but got associated with rank (knight just meant servant or attendent). Swords & seaxes can be carried about 'just in case', like when drinking, unlike spear and quarterstaffs. It's interesting Hrothgar's clan in Beowulf called themselves spear-Danes.

[@davidharing6475]

Spears usually won, with FAR less training. That second part is really important I think and it's not addressed as much as I'd like.

[@nev521]

spears won with less training, but so did the swords to be fair with no idea how to counter them

[@vaderbuckeye36]

@Colin Cleveland thats how alexander's hoplites fought, they used a smaller shield than the greeks, but that allowed them to use the massive sarissa instead of a piddly greek hoplite's spear

[@andrijaas2095]

@mayrana2 roman phalanxes ?

[@andrijaas2095]

@mayrana2 I know what the phalanx is,I know greek and macedons used it,but didnt romans fight in legions with gladiuses and scutums(big shields)

[@jameshammond1133]

yes gladius was a main staple of the roman army throughout but pre marian reforms (before the organisation into the legionnaires we know from films) the army consisted of the velites (skirmisher javilinmen), the hastati (younger less experienced less armoured gladius and shield), pricipes(older more exerienced heavier amroured gladius and shield) and lastly the triarii which where a phalenx with large shield and spear

[@mostevil1082]

Double bonus points for the overly dramatic deaths.

[@andrewfleenor7459]

They really made the video.

[@Usammityduzntafraidofanythin]

Should get hired as choreographers

[@KickyFut]

Wow! Almost as dramatic as ⚽ players!😜

[@flankyfranky3600]

@@KickyFut your fucking right XD

[@yomomz3921]

Never done HEMA, but I've stepped into a boxing ring a few times. Even a 3 minute round is exhausting, so I think the drama in the falls is an honest expression of defeat in a state of being momentarily drained.

[@lillyrose5428]

This was waaay more entertaining than i expected XD Also, the totally biased commentry is great!

[@willichtenstein7071]

At 27:30 Lindy critiques that the spears were held in the middle rather than the end for maximum distance. When they were 2 handing yes, but that critique continued on to the 1 handing of a spear which is horribly wrong. The weight behind the hand is in essence the counter balance. Without counter weight the spear becomes incredibly unwieldy in the 1 hand. Which makes getting the spear knocked aside so much more punishing, and allowing the opponent to close easily. Even if used for the first jab its incredibly risky. Even if not knocked aside, the repositioning of the hand is an opening for the opponent to charge. As in that moment the spear cannot move to attack or defend.

[@oilslick7010]

Besides that, historical sources clearly depict lances and 1H spears held in the middle. Primary sources are prevalent, no matter how many nerds you put on a field in 2021 trying to 'prove' otherwise, that doesn't change

[@taistelusammakko5088]

And he thought overarm is useless, most spear and shield users used it overarm

[@McNab1986]

Zero spear classes, 40 sword classes. Safe to say all the spear users were complete novices then and they still out performed practiced amateur sword enthusiasts. Now imagine this test with a skilled and accomplished spearman

[@kaisern6032]

The point of the spear is to be easy to use

[@CMKloser]

@@kaisern6032 No, the point of a spear is the sharp part on one end.

[@brickstonesonn9276]

Well, it sort of goes both ways. No spear classes also means that the swordsmen we're never trained in techniques for dealing with spearmen.

[@libertyprime6932]

@@brickstonesonn9276 Yeah, thats the classic. South Paws tend to do better against Orthodox fighters because they are rare, they'll almost always be sparring against Orthodox whereas Orthodox will almost never be sparring against South Paw.

[@billdenbrough9439]

Well, that's exactly what militaries did think back then, from the middle age to all the XVI century, and even after

[@jamesburk8145]

i had no idea bucklers were so small. it's like someone was like "you know what would make a good defense? a dinner plate."

[@willbordy]

they were good in dual's against rapiers and sabers sometimes even estoc's , swords that are main usually as trusting weapons ,if you manage to avoid the tip they can't just push the sword and slash you in the sides because there is no edge

[@Felixrobinson]

@@willbordy would it hurt for it to be a bit bigger tho..lol

[@willbordy]

@@Felixrobinson you are just stopping the inicial force of a thrusting attack there is no need to make it bigger or heavier ,if you want to stop a attack of a real sword just use another shield

[@adrianjezierski8093]

From my experience in fighting the bigger the shield is the more OP it is... One kite shield to rule them all .. ( ofc not only held by hand but with 2 straps of material to help your hand hold it)

[@jaimetheone9150]

I thought those were oversized wristwatches

[@SupaDanteX]

"The main problem with this method, is that it doesn't work." Damn Lindy I was pouring a drink. Now I'm cleaning a mess. It's your fault man. Seriously your deadpan delivery of gold comedy is great.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

About 25 years ago I belonged to a group of madlads that took PVC pipes and foam insulation and made weapons from them. There were round about 200 of us. We did this for about a decade before things fell apart. We made shields, armor, used bows (very light draw bows), and made all sorts of weapons. Spears were popular, but a lone spearmen was a risky proposition. Looking at the swordsmen in this video was painful, because they are moving like they are fighting against a sword, when they are facing a spear. Swordsmen are trained to fight swordsmen. Usually using the exact same sword. Being able to advance and retreat at a moments notice is huge. Controlling the spacing is really important and you want to be as flexible as you can with your spacing so you can retreat when things go wrong, and close when you have the advantage. Swordsmen spend a lot of time working on footwork specifically for sword fighting. In a contest between spear and sword, the swordsmen needs to focus on getting past the point of the spear, and then closing until they reach their own effective range and never leave it. Using a big swing in a battle of swords is stupid. Big movements are a waste in sword fighting. But against a spear, you can afford to make big movements because you can't reach your opponent anyways, so who cares if your sword is not threatening your opponent as long as you can use that big stupid parry to physically get close enough your opponent with the spear can't hit you? Ideally a swordsmen wants his sword to push against the spear as you run up to the spearmen so they can't recover the spear and threaten you because you are using your entire body weight to control the spear. The swordsmen should abandon their usual footwork and posture to focus on literally running down the spearmen. A single sword vs a spear is a toss up. Experienced fighters who are use to the match up should be about 50/50. It really comes down to a single thrust. Spear vs Florentine (two weapons) the Florentine has a significant advantage. Not as much as a shield, but its strong. Sword and board versus Spear is really bad for the spear. Spear can take advantage of anything the opponent leaves open, but its easy to move a shield enough to block any gap if the shieldsmen is watching. Spears are best in a mixed melee. When you can stand along side a few allies you can take advantage of opponents that aren't paying attention to you thanks to the extra reach. When you get shield wall on shield wall the spears will rack up more kills than anyone else. Unless you get flanked. Then some guy with a sword/mace/club/beat stick will just decimate your line. And now I do reenactment stuff with a pike. And that is a whole different beast...

[@nathanielwilliams3891]

26:11 "The groin has huge stopping power." - Matt Easton, September 2018

[@edi9892]

I was an adventurer like you, but then I took a spear to the groin.

[@kokofan50]

Well, just ask Mrs. Easton.

[@KickyFut]

Oh yeah! Just ask my girlfriend!!😁 ... Um, don't ask my girlfriend.😓

[@Lycurgus1982]

Hilarious. All it takes is a graze.)

[@GuitarsRockForever]

Always restomp/restab/etc the groin.

[@IpwnNublets]

"Pink legs is using his spear overarm. The main problem with this method is that it doesn't work."

[@arthas640]

Some African tribes wielded spears overhand like that sometimes, but they'd use shields that weren't as tall as that Norman shield and they'd alterante between crouching down for defense or standing tall and stabbing over the enemies shield for offense. I think they did this because they didnt really use any armor beyond the shield but were fairly fast and agile so that system worked for them.

[@SallinKari]

I mean if you were planning on throwing at someones face maybe... but... yeah, not great to stab with...

[@jamesfrankiewicz5768]

It can work... if you use a thumb-forward grip so you can still high-guard, parry, or switch to low- or side-attacks.

[@CryptoDatabase]

The African tribes even today still wield it overhand but that is because they normally chuck it at their enemies. There are documentaries of these village wars that Africans partake in often where they throw spears back and forth but they rarely cause death only minor injuries. Throwing a spear is pretty dumb though, the amount of power lost when it is thrown makes it ineffective even at close range when compared to the amount of power you can get with a thrust using your body weight.

[@jasonguest5820]

The power they carry is still impressive though. Norse spears can go through tree trunks (on an episode of Deadliest Warrior from Spike tv.) and the Romans kept updating the spear through time, so throwing must have it's uses.

[@marthlink5015]

I was always in side with the spear, and then it can go into polearms which just wreck armor and some cleaves/bashing potential can off balance shielded users. BUT i really do appreciate how the shield and sword shows some huge weaknesses of spear users, especially if they MUST hold their ground or are in a formation which I haven't considered much. All in all this is a cool ass video and like how even though there is some bias, they put their mettle where their mouths are.

[@wardygrub]

12:42 “Yellow socks, massive haymaker, dead”. The best sports commentary I’ve ever heard!

[@feartheghus]

“What a man might lack in style he can make up for in extreme violence.” -lindybiege 2018

[@keeperofthecheese]

Ah yes, the Kray Twins ideology!

[@eddyguizonde401]

"if you think violence doesn't solve problems, you're not using enough of it." as a wise and brutal man once said...

[@G96Saber]

Richardsons BTFO.

[@shanerooney7288]

Sir Boris - The finest swordsman in the world. and his brother, Sir Morris - NOT the finest swordsman in the world, but the most enthusiastic.

[@petem6755]

“Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” - Starship Troopers

[@neravarmemesandareumadbro9790]

"the main problem with this method, is that it doesn't work" HAHAAA

[@reptilesgamers00]

why did none the guys try half swording

[@Br1cht]

@@reptilesgamers00 They did... did you not watch or did you smoke that reefer?

[@SkippertheBart]

Sassy, classy Englishmen. Never change.

[@SkippertheBart]

@Stefan Urban 🎶The more you know.🎶

[@lukaslambs5780]

Range advantage is just massive. Spears are the best, ESPECIALLY against poorly armored opponents. Against proper plate armor of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance however, the anti armor abilities of a mace or war hammer would be preferable.

[@erwannthietart3602]

And Even then, heavy armored opponents never were numerous and even them wouldnt charge a bunch of pointy sticks pointing toward if only because of the chance it might pierce or get into a weak point, spears are not really meant for duel (although they are efficient its likely that swordsman had/ have? strategy of their own against a single spearman), but for a fight between a bunch of people

[@sirsanti8408]

In duels for sure, but in an army, especially in a formation a spear doesn’t need near as a much space to be used effectively as a sword or mace, you generally only stab and poke whereas with a sword and mace need big swings to be more effective. Although as a sidearm a mace would be nice

[@szarekhthesilentking7043]

Let me introduce you to a thing that is slightly costlier than a spear, but incredibly good against armor. An halberd. Spike on the back to pierce armor or drag cavalry off of horses , blade on the front, spearhead in front. The disadvantages are it being heavier, and costing more than a sword. The advantages? Obvious.

[@wolfensniper4012]

I think that's what this test Lacks, if they use an armoured judging system instead of one-hit system, even without armour the spear only has around 60% advantage, if with armour, that makes melee weapon have more chances to get closer, It will be hard to say if spear still has such 60%.

[@szarekhthesilentking7043]

@@wolfensniper4012 except if the spearman also has armor he has more time to aim for the gaps in the armor, while if the person with the melee weapon doesn't get the gap with the first swing, he will let the spearman go back again. If anything, armor is better for a spearman than a swordsman, even if a swordsman needs it more

[@interestedlen8823]

Having come back to this after a few years... it's even better the second time around. Thanks guys.

[@DraculaCronqvist]

It's weird how the spear is the best melee weapon and yet is constantly overlooked in fantasy games, most of them don't even allow you to use spears at all and just give you a sword or an axe. EDIT: Holy fuck, the likes.

[@DraculaCronqvist]

@@rexthespartan3025 My point exactly.

[@Zack_Wester]

@@DraculaCronqvist Im not sure but in a few games DnD we had one character use a spear and well he got screwed a lot. yes he also carried a sword but droping spear pulling sword took so long it was pointless. but indoor he had serius problem getting flanked and taking all the opportunity attack. sword only have flanked if your past 180 degree from the front I think. spear is 90 degree from front. yes spear could attack two tiles away instead of one from the sword. but usally the fights was not set up so that you could use that advantage consistently and in small corridors the spear had serius maneuverability penalties.

[@miguellopes2452]

@@Zack_Wester funny you would say that because in reallife spears would absolutely shine in a closed environment

[@tommasolattuada2618]

A spear isn't great,It can't destroy an armor

[@mattender8323]

Actually it’s lot better against armor than slashing weapons. Thrust attacks put more pressure into one point. Swords as sladhing weapons worked against peasants and convatans with poor armot.

[@MorryOnTheFence]

"The spear, the spear Greatest weapon in the land. Can't put it in your pocket, But can hold it in your hand."

[@Ralchire]

I thought this was going to be another episode in verse, like his dagger fighting video.

[@Warmaka]

Now the SPAFFSLIGGER on the other hand....

[@Tommiart]

Hey Morry...mind if we call you Bruce to keep it simple? Bruces forward!

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

I just carry a knapsack filled with pommels.

[@snookums01]

Amen. Crack a tube.

[@arcalyte4905]

I think the spear would have had a much more clear victory if they had more experience with the weapon.

[@sagnikmajumder3957]

True

[@AnonymoStranger]

This is my absolute favorite cross-over ever

[@Exarhadsgfds]

"Even a farmer could kill a samurai with a long enough spear."

[@Imakebootysclap]

I kill mad pussy with my long spear so I agree dawg

[@bigmike6462]

Yari wall spam

[@Awootistic]

@@bigmike6462 *laughs in Oda double yari wall*

[@armoredmilkman3288]

no reason why not tbh lotta samurai had no swordsmanship experience (not military ones)

[@davidmaneer2641]

Samurai were archers, and they had spears too.

[@milocarteret8770]

From how I understand it, whatever pointy bit that can extend as far from the user while still being effective will have the advantage. In general, sword < spear < bow < gun < missile < internet insults.

[@mojolotz]

< Yamato Cannon

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

@@mojolotz

[@curseofgladstone4981]

@@MichaelBerthelsen

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

Dragon Warhammer They take out entire planets...?

[@curseofgladstone4981]

No but one did take out the death star

[@jellocudgel550]

I love how the presenter runs out of the way after each set up

[@Kane_the_Newschool_DM]

Video: Obviously snarky, mostly for fun, two adults whinging about how swords are the default weapon in media Comment section: These 8 guys play-fighting in a backyard have recontexualized all of history and now I hate swords

[@mattlawson714]

I like how he runs away after introducing the combatants.

[@MrZiggy-sk2wg]

theres two very deadly experienced soldiers about to do battle to the death escape was his only chance of survival

[@MrJustonemorevoice]

"This swordsman looks serious, until he takes a spear to the face"

[@ShiningDarknes]

then he looks seriously dead

[@IJustWantRevolution]

only a few minutes into the video, but i imagine its as simple as: The spear is objectively better as a weapon but the sword is able to be carried on your person more conveniently and thus is much more likely to be used in any given scenario that isnt on a battlefield. I also would imagine that they are more popular simply because they are much more aestheticly appealing than a pointy stick; plus, it takes more skill yo use a sword, so its kind of a status thing to say "im good with a sword"

[@IJustWantRevolution]

Also watching thr duels is making me laugh at the thought of actually coming across a man with a spear and how utterly terrifying it would be. Gotta just accept death at that point lmao

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

Shortsword plus shield yielded us a roman empire, what matters is organisation

[@eifionwynwilliams-iffy1288]

This was absolutely brilliant and so informative. Thanks for posting it.

[@romansierra5614]

Calls out about everyone wearing black. Names the one person in colour "fancy pants".

[@shartnitazodkeesian4018]

obviously beige is the only proper color for a warrior to wear

[@jimbob3332]

To be fair, those pants were damn fancy

[@Hannah_Em]

I mean, they were two tone primary colours, how else would you describe them?

[@yomomz3921]

Silk cloth with gold trim, or it ain't fancy.

[@carbon1255]

Silk cloth with gold trim is gaudy, not fancy.

[@MrGoldenV]

Obviously I’ll watch the longer version

[@AtomicPeacenik]

MrGoldenV There’s no choice but to start here and work backwards

[@PerfectAlibi1]

I watched both ^^

[@viktornoren9504]

Yeah, saw both and went "why the hell would I conciously choose LESS of this deliciousness?!?"

[@constantexpected]

Lol Yup! I saw the two videos next to each other, saw the difference and went straight to this one.

[@shartnitazodkeesian4018]

I'm watching both at the same time on a loop on two seperate monitors

[@PernilleFromHansen]

The commentary on this is pure GOLD :-D - love the spear - did staff fighting for at few years - it rocks :-D

[@hulohai]

Cool stuff! I can definitely see how judo/jiu-jitsu sorts of grappling techniques would be invaluable for spearmen. Lots of awkward clinches that looked well-suited for simple takedowns, especially given that glancing blows might not have done much.

[@flupsdarups3897]

imagine people in the future obsessing about eagles and revolvers, and being all nerdy about it, cuz that what a sword is. a sidearm.

[@epauletshark3793]

Yup

[@gamingthisera6339]

im actually a fan of tank

[@aryman6589]

Gun nerds already exist lol

[@baronprocrastination1722]

Technically yes, but their sidearm status isn't really equivalent. Almost nobody in the military uses pistols nowadays (at least, none I am aware of) but most soldiers back then had swords if they could, because it was such a convenient weapon they even opted to wear it in civilian settings. And, while a sword isn't ideal against armor, it's still handy in a fight. Besides, not everyone wore plate armor then.

[@puppy3908]

@@baronprocrastination1722 But in movies most action heros use pistols so in the future you could get the impression that its what was the most common

[@kalleojala8919]

Solution: combine the sword and spear to create the legendary "spord"

[@TheThirdRail]

Naginata

[@taterpotaaato9601]

Swordstaffs are a real thing

[@upincloud244]

@@nicknametaken5886 very clever

[@karinefonte516]

It´s called Halberd. You can use as both, depending on lenght and shape.

[@racoonnylord4343]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6msmXabqMuVj6M

[@kevint1929]

I think the big reason we remember swords so much more is because it's the prestige weapon of the warrior aristocrats. While European knights generally all used lances/spears on horseback, when their lances shattered or they dismounted they used their expensive, fancy swords. Thus, we remember the sword as the symbol of medieval combat: the weapon of the individual dismounted elite fighter

[@racot7145]

You know there is big chance you broke yor spear after the first charge. and if you can't ride back to charge again or if your spear is broken the sword is your main weapon. Also if you are in armor spear can't damage you and you can use hammers swords and other weapon. Also you shold remember roman legions used swords and shieds . And they beat falanga with spears. They only way why spears are good in such tests is because it's game who touch first .

[@bababababanana6541]

@@racot7145 Roman legions use spears, a lot of them. They even throw them.

[@racot7145]

@@bababababanana6541 it was short spear . First line used massive shield and sword to hold the line while the second line throw the short spears. I didn't heard about using long spears in Roman legions. 2 meters.

[@johann296]

Great video guys. Wonderful content 😄😄

[@Tiger74147]

"Taking his time, waiting for a weakness to exploit. He forms a plan! ...and he's dead." Hahaha

[@jarrettdickson2422]

Time?

[@Tiger74147]

Argh, sorry, I couldn't tell you, and the video is a bit long to go through. But it was somewhere in the first half if that helps.

[@jarrettdickson2422]

@@Tiger74147 Okay thanks

[@PhoenixLord1010]

@@jarrettdickson2422 6:34

[@jarrettdickson2422]

@@PhoenixLord1010 Thank you

[@chrisgillock1389]

It's like a semi serious Monty python 😂😂😂 I died laughing at "he forms a plan...and he's dead"

[@Captain_Gargoyle]

I definitely got some monty python vibes here

[@samuelhabluetzel2622]

YESSSSSSS

[@revolverjesus98]

He's not dead yet!

[@captainphasma1714]

I loved the video. Amazing work!

[@sirSHREDalot802]

This video was super entertaining. Great content!

[@kamilkrupinski1793]

What do we know: 1) Flanking maneuver works.

[@Narcan885]

Oh they do. I learned that watching Worldstarhiphop. When you're talking to someone on the streets of new york and his friend tries to casually walk behind you without saying a word... run for dear life. Or call your friends, Smith and Wesson.

[@lomax343]

3:00 - Of course there's something a sword is better at than a spear. It's better at demonstrating how rich its owner is.

[@dimitargaydadzhiev878]

I would dare disagree, a spear has as much area for ornamentation if one so wills to ornament it

[@lomax343]

@ Dimitar - My point had nothing to do with ornamentation. A spear is mostly wood with a bit of metal on the end. A sword is all metal. Wood is much cheaper (and more readily available) than metal - which means that swords are more expensive than spears. Therefore people who carry swords are probably richer.

[@verbalbbq7976]

lomax343 also, the metal bit in the spear is less complicated to do than the whole metal sword. Swords have much more complex structures and mechanics than spears, and therefore take a long time and skill to do properly, thus making them more expensive

[@fdagpigj]

@lomax343: Yes, wood is much cheaper than wood.

[@lomax343]

@Random keystrokes - Ooops. Look the other way while I do some quick editing.

[@hellomate639]

Something I liked to do when I cut some small pine trees down and pretended they were spears when I was a teenager was to do a sort of rapid thrust with one hand, and retract it back quickly, snapping it forward like a punch. That seems like it would be a solid way to fight swordsmen without shields.

[@thesleepydot]

Wow I'm watching sports and having so much fun!! The commentary is absolutely hilarious

[@thegreatupstage6814]

"What a man may lack in style he can make up for with Extreme Violence"

[@mrandersson2009]

Imagine the adrenaline of real battles. Meeting an enemy knowing that in less than one minute one of you would be mortally wounded. I would prefer a crossbow and a good pair of running shoes.

[@shootymcshootfacekoff7972]

I mean a crossbow is effective but why use sharp stick when have automatic kalashnikovs

[@cronchtm4900]

Shootymcshootface Koff I mean a Kalashinkov is just a highly efficient sharp metal stick delivering method.

[@lordenkidu1876]

4:54 good old big knife. This vid is the greatest crossover ever.

[@gryphonbotha1880]

The spear! The greatest weapon in the land! You can't put it in your pocket, But you can hold it in your hand!

[@ontaka5997]

1:15 Huge time, money, and effort went into making swords. Matt mentioned all the main problems of a sword. Spears are cheaper, and faster to make in large quantities. You can also train spearmen faster. If you are a lord preparing for battle, you also have to think about your treasury. Keep things simple and cheap. Things may be different in street fighting in narrow alleys. It's about "CONTEXT" of course.

[@mwdino2507]

On top of that, in the video they were using foam/rubber spears, but in real life, the spear would have been made of very solid wood. Which means that if the precise stabbing with the pointy end isn't working out for you, the second option is to use it like a staff and absolutely slam someone with the blunt end.

[@pergys6991]

It also helps that they can pierce most armor better than swords can. A spear has all of its power in the tip and in a battle where your front always faces the enemy and your stuck between lines of men, a spear is the easiest way to kill or injure your enemy

[@Weldedhodag]

@@pergys6991 spear better when riding horse for that reason

[@texascultdeity8904]

@@Weldedhodag yes and no horseback has many problems and the weapon is very situational. Due to handshock and too much momentum often long cavalry swords arr preferred and or flails. Or carrying multiple light disposable spears

[@dr.doomstar5875]

if you end up in a streetfight and the other suddenly has a spear RUN!!! it's the same as if your girl is wearing matching undies: it was not you who planed whats coming next.

[@LuckySketches]

What if nobody wrote books about how to use a spear because everybody takes one look at it and instantly knows exactly how to use it?

[@tinamoul]

@McNugget Fan But wars aren't won by single warrior's, if I can equip my army with a very deadly weapon that's easy to use, well that's it. It's why the bow went out of use long before guns had the range or efficiency to supplant them. Becoming an expert Archer took years of training, to develop the muscles and dexterity, you could train a man to use a musket with just a few drills.

[@Ezio17a]

stick em with the pointy end?

[@chrisnorris3641]

If all else fails you can always throw the spear.

[@joshualittlewolfe8550]

Alexander Carter But a master pike man could make mincemeat of any peasant with a spear

[@chrisnorris3641]

@@joshualittlewolfe8550 a master Anything could beat a peasant who couldn't afford real training. . Lol

[@PM9Video]

This was a great video. Thank you.

[@patrioticwonderer4906]

Very interesting stuff, combat is an art, done correctly is both beautiful to watch and frightening to behold, and most importantly incredibly effective and dangerous.

[@demog492]

"He forms a plan oh and he's dead."

[@meneither3834]

"everyone's got a plan until they get a spear to the head."

[@JADBeats]

@@meneither3834 top ten rappers Eminem is afraid to diss:

[@LEO_CXLIV]

@@meneither3834 Plans only work when you don't over complicate the matter. Just cut the head off the spear. He won't be getting through your armor with a blunted stick.

[@meneither3834]

@@LEO_CXLIV to be fair, a spear isn't getting through a full plated armor either.

[@discordthingy6796]

@@LEO_CXLIV did you see how thick the spear was

[@milesgibson9555]

I like the way he comically runs after announcing the fight

[@TESkyrimizer]

ITS BEEN 5 YEARS I REMEMBER WHEN THIS VIDEO WAS NEW AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE

[@steveklostermann]

This is my favorite channel on KZbin.

[@aaronseet2738]

Next week, spearmen vs trebuchet.

[@directentertainmentaplacef8630]

Nah! It's spear vs. elephant. 😎😎😎

[@maverikmiller6746]

I am sure with Lindy's "scientific methods" spearman will win and will go on to defeat nuclear warhead the other week.

[@balbaal9393]

Trebuchet is a man's weapon. The true mightiest of them all

[@directentertainmentaplacef8630]

@@maverikmiller6746 Oh, testing isn't part of YOUR "scientific method?" What a pathetic excuse of science you must practice.

[@maverikmiller6746]

@@directentertainmentaplacef8630 No my dear friend. The joke was on "scientific" part, meaning this was not one. Please read Sean Brown's comment down below detailing to great length why this is all overall done wrong. And please have a good day, civilised person.

[@JohnSmith-vg6hb]

Lindy sounding like an overbearing Dad at his son's football match at 18:30

[@thebigfarter]

my favorite part of this video is the names lloyd gave to the fighters

[@canopyleaf9152]

I watched this awhile ago to knowledge myself on spears since I was making a character use one, but honestly I’m genuinely interested now!

[@moongem4489]

The announcer yelling faintly from a couple metres away and then running off as the camera zooms out has such Monty Python energy-I love it.

[@tabula_rosa]

depicting wars being fought with swords would be like depicting D-Day as thousands of people storming a beach firing pistols at eachother. They were a side-arm, mostly for rich people, as pistols are today. They got depicted more in history because the people who can afford extra weapons are a lot more likely to have paintings commissioned for themselves than someone who makes do with the only weapon he needs, a spear

[@GR20000]

They also have some relevant use in the context of cavalry, though even then if we are looking for a weapon to beam skulls with the Cavalry hammer is probably a better choice.

[@yavuz9038]

Oh yeah well how do you know bro?

[@Schwachsinnn]

Depending on the culture and time period though. I think that in tightly packed battles a pointy sword has the upper hand, especially with a shield(basically roman legionary style). So there the spear was actually the sidearm. Also later on during high medical times when the armor started to get really strong, it`s easier to defelect the first attacks of a spear and then get into close quarters, thats the point where it dominates. I still agree that swords are overrated, but that has its reason. First of during medival times, it was the weapon of the rich. The second one being that learning how to fight with a sword effectively (for a 1vs1, I am not taking legonares in consideration this time) takes far more practice, but can be worthwhile as a talented swordman can beat a spearman, as he might be proficient enough to deflect incoming attacks until he is in reach. I would kinda compare it in a bow vs crossbow manner (even though there the gap is much cleaner), as a newcomer is definetly a far more efficiant crossbowman than bowman, as it is actually very hard to aim a bow. Yet if both have years of training the bowman will eventually outshine the crossbowman, due to being able to shoot faster.

[@ridenberg]

Last sentence isn't true. There are much more paintings with spears depicted on them than a sword. The real reason is that it looks cool, unlike the spear. That's where the movie producers came

[@hakon_brennus_wolff106]

That is a good point, but I think another reason is because they were just seen more in general. In times of both war and peace, men often walked around with a sword prominently displayed on their belt, which made it’s way into depictions, both specifically commissioned and otherwise. For someone who was trying to record historical appearances, swords were everywhere- basically unavoidable, and spears were seen, basically only during battles.

[@greyisometrix]

Excellent video.

[@groundsurvivalstudygracieg4034]

The feeble protection of an overgrown thimble absolutely sent me. lol

[@snowwhite7677]

Spears are best when you have a lusty Argonian polish them!

[@Messiah114]

A Polish Argonian

[@DarkPsy]

This one book hahaha.

[@anonsandifer507]

Best comment!

[@DhonJoe]

@The reality you fear Wait masturbating increases one handed? YEEEESSS!

[@cymtk]

kurwa mac

[@skullsaintdead]

"YO-HOO MOTHERFUCKER!" Classic flanking manoeuvre 19:02, with commentary.

[@user-un2qi4eo9n]

😄 this was an amazing video watch! Very fun!! And also I just want to say I always thought the Spears looked so much cooler than swords if you're carrying one 😄

[@Docstar_sing]

Very interesting seeing true fights like this!

[@tmhauajausiancnf3261]

"Even a farmer could kill a samurai with a long enough spear." Farmer with 20 meter long spear: *HEHEHE*

[@RafaelROUNDUP]

Except Samurai also favored the use of Spears, they rarely used their swords in battle.

[@DatGamingKid1]

"goooan have this!"

[@IchCharacter]

Spears above ~2 meters tend to be highly impractical, being difficult/impossible to control and pretty slow. The main advantage of a spear are speed and reach, they're somewhat like two-handed rapiers with high reach. And yeah, a farmer with a spear could also kill a modern soldier with a gun, in theory. Highly unlikely, but certainly possible. It wasn't even mentioned that spears can also be thrown, depending on the type of spear.

[@didutbo]

YARIMAZING!!!

[@juliofranciscogomezstoppel1860]

Specially goth spearmens, damn cheap vs samurais

[@essexclass8168]

Ah humanity 6000 years of civilization later and our greatest weapon is a big boom attached to a flying pointy stick

[@lmanproductions8680]

Well no because they didn’t test guns or bombs or tanks against spears

[@essexclass8168]

@@lmanproductions8680 all three can be taken out with big booms attached to a flying pointy stick, although it's two big booms for most AT nowadays due to ERA.

[@lmanproductions8680]

Essex Class oh I misread your comment I thought you were referring to spears not missiles

[@NeostormXLMAX]

LManProductions guns are literally tiny spear throwing machines

[@essexclass8168]

@@lmanproductions8680 also, even without missiles (which are just advanced fire arrows) they did test them. In live combat. in Vietnam.

[@quickfactsanimals]

From my POV the answer to why the swords were more commonly practiced at the medieval era was that the wars were not won with duels but with armies and battles. And with armies you have lots of men ready to sacrifice their lives, with that information in hand: I believe it's easy to see from this exceptionally made video that the spear is only advantageous when the spearman can keep his distance to the swordsman. Once the gap is closed its game over for the spearman. Now, during the initial charge of lets say a field battle for this case the spearmen are safe and have the upper hand if they stand their ground, however if that gap is closed somehow by the enemy swordsmen, after the first few initial casulties, the spearmen are in very deep trouble now, because there isn't much room anymore to move the spear to stab the swordsmen. Then again the tide of the battle I think depends on the formation the spearmen take, and how well they perform in that formation. Very nice video, enjoyed it, thanks. Sorry for my bed England...

[@ohboi2119]

In war spears only get even more effective as you can get a formation of spear shield walls that can practically block everything the enemy throws at them. Swords are most probably more famous because the spear moveset is boring and not as compatible to use in fantasy settings where a sword's edge can be sharp enough to cut dimensions and also because swords were apparently more of luxurious side weapon? I saw a comment saying that. And because of that rich people want to feel more special so swords are more famous in history, like how desert eagles are more famous than actual good pistols and automatic guns are more famous than semi auto

[@demelopatrick]

Amazing experiment!!