Slinging.org Forum - On using spears for combat...

Dan

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Re: On using spears for combat...
Reply #90 - Jan 27^th, 2012 at 8:50am

Knaight wrote on Jan 26^th, 2012 at 8:10pm:

Thearos wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2012 at 7:59pm:

Dan wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2012 at 7:49pm:

Hey, concluing from my vast expierince on ancient greek tactics (I watched the entire movie Troy like 3 times). I would think that the fig. 8 sheild was more for using the short sword so you didn't have to open yourself up as much in CQB as you would with say the spartan or roman sheilds. Instead you could just hook around and hit your opponent while still staying sheilded.

A great cast. But the fighting was fanciful, even though it did sometimes make you dream of what Homer calls the dancing of war.

As I understand it, they deliberately made it highly fanciful due to some verbiage in the Illiad that implies that Achilles fights in a way completely different than everyone else because he's just that good.

If that was the goal they did a very good job of it. Under normal circumstances the group of a couple dozen seperated troops wouldn't have lasted long at all with sufficeint enemy archers coverage followed by infantry. But those fig 8 sheils sure looked like they came in handy And I am pretty sure if I was in battle and had to have a sheild, that's what is would be.

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I was pretty good at slinging like 10 years ago.

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Thearos

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Re: On using spears for combat...
Reply #91 - Jan 27^th, 2012 at 10:50am

Knaight wrote on Jan 26^th, 2012 at 8:10pm:

Thearos wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2012 at 7:59pm:

Dan wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2012 at 7:49pm:

Hey, concluing from my vast expierince on ancient greek tactics (I watched the entire movie Troy like 3 times). I would think that the fig. 8 sheild was more for using the short sword so you didn't have to open yourself up as much in CQB as you would with say the spartan or roman sheilds. Instead you could just hook around and hit your opponent while still staying sheilded.

A great cast. But the fighting was fanciful, even though it did sometimes make you dream of what Homer calls the dancing of war.

As I understand it, they deliberately made it highly fanciful due to some verbiage in the Illiad that implies that Achilles fights in a way completely different than everyone else because he's just that good.

I've read through the Iliad in Greek (twice, doing it for the third time now), and I think it just says he kills lots and lots of people with no real hint how. Hector think of taking him on once he thinks his bro is with him (alas, it;s Athena in disguise).

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ChuckRocks

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Re: On using spears for combat...
Reply #92 - Jan 28^th, 2012 at 8:21am

I would have thought a "hewing spear" would be a pole axe. (see photo below. Very old photo, very old camera.)
Not to be confused with a throwing axe, a pole axe is for access denial and/or hand to hand combat, not for artillery like a javelin.
Hook-em, slice-em, stab-em. Move on.

But as far as I can tell, a long pike in a bunch (Phalanx) was effective atstopping cavalry.
But a spear? I thought those were made for hunting.
Naturally, you could fight with one but you would want to use it like a quarterstaff first to knock your opponant down, then you could dispatch him like a wild boar.

Just my opinions, no actual experiance.

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Thearos

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Re: On using spears for combat...
Reply #93 - Jan 28^th, 2012 at 2:09pm

ChuckRocks wrote on Jan 28^th, 2012 at 8:21am:

I would have thought a "hewing spear" would be a pole axe. (see photo below. Very old photo, very old camera.)
Not to be confused with a throwing axe, a pole axe is for access denial and/or hand to hand combat, not for artillery like a javelin.
Hook-em, slice-em, stab-em. Move on.

But as far as I can tell, a long pike in a bunch (Phalanx) was effective atstopping cavalry.
But a spear? I thought those were made for hunting.
Naturally, you could fight with one but you would want to use it like a quarterstaff first to knock your opponant down, then you could dispatch him like a wild boar.

Just my opinions, no actual experiance.

That's not a pollaxe, that's a halberd. Spears are the basic weapon for a lot of infantry for a lot of the world for a lot of history-- including e.g. W. Europaean middle ages.

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