Pick your own Fellowship of the Ring

[Ptrvc]

big, no Trull? I am disappoint.

Swordsman: Trull Sengar. Because spears are better.

[Gil-Galad] *two thumbs up*

Blasphemy

Objectively correct 90% of the time, but still Blasphemy

[Riv86672]

[Sharpandpointies]

Blasphemy

Objectively correct 90% of the time, but still Blasphemy

^_^

The truth is oft ignored by those who cling to their beliefs. <-- did this sound lofty enough?

[The Chou Lives]

You know before Swords in rp I stuck to spears. Rather have the range. Thinking they are better.

[big_adventure]

^_^

The truth is oft ignored by those who cling to their beliefs. <-- did this sound lofty enough?

It did sound pretty damn lofty my friend. Well done, top notch!

[Sharpandpointies]

You know before Swords in rp I stuck to spears. Rather have the range. Thinking they are better.

Spears are a brutally effective weapon. They're downplayed in fiction due in part to unconscious bias; spears were weapons used by peasants and teckla footsoldiers, while swords were symbols of nobility, knighthood, and royalty (in the West).

It did sound pretty damn lofty my friend. Well done, top notch!

My work here is done!

Away!

*choof*

[big_adventure]

Spears are a brutally effective weapon. They're downplayed in fiction due in part to unconscious bias; spears were weapons used by peasants and teckla footsoldiers, while swords were symbols of nobility, knighthood, and royalty (in the West).

Even in the East - swords were and are terribly expensive things to make well compared to spears - so they were carried mostly by lords or warriors fighting for lords or rich people. Swords win over spears in versatility, and in portability, spears win easily on price and reach. Spears also work better than swords in highly structured infantry tactics: shield walls or hedgehogs are muuuuuuch more effective with spears than swords, and tactics like that are vastly superior with relatively untrained conscript soldiers. Swords, on the other hand, are harder to grab out of someone's hands, thanks to having edges.

[Captain Smith]

Semi-serious

Ring Bearer: Green Lantern Hal - two for one!
Leader: Captain America
Wizard: Classic Fate
Archer: A Quincy
Tank: Kal-el, why not?
Swordsman: Kenshin - I like him or Elric of Melinbone (but he is also a sorcerer and probably will figure out how to actual overwhelm and corrupt the Ring itself for his use)

They probably destroy the Ring without the trip to the volcano.

[Sharpandpointies]

Even in the East - swords were and are terribly expensive things to make well compared to spears - so they were carried mostly by lords or warriors fighting for lords or rich people. Swords win over spears in versatility, and in portability, spears win easily on price and reach. Spears also work better than swords in highly structured infantry tactics: shield walls or hedgehogs are muuuuuuch more effective with spears than swords, and tactics like that are vastly superior with relatively untrained conscript soldiers. Swords, on the other hand, are harder to grab out of someone's hands, thanks to having edges.

Absolutely. There's a phrase I've heard in Eastern martial arts: 'Spear is king of the battlefield, sword is king of weapons'. That kind of thing.

There's a lot that spears have going for them, especially the ones with particularly long tips that happen to have extremely sharp edges.

[big_adventure]

Absolutely. There's a phrase I've heard in Eastern martial arts: 'Spear is king of the battlefield, sword is king of weapons'. That kind of thing.

There's a lot that spears have going for them, especially the ones with particularly long tips that happen to have extremely sharp edges.

A longsword in a skilled practitioner's hands probably has a slight edge in one-on-one open-space combat against a spear in an equally-trained practitioner's hands.* You've got nearly the reach, and the ability to cripple with much more of the weapon, plus it's a little more convenient for attacks on multiple planes or from multiple angles. But one on one combat is not battlefield fighting - it's art, or what happens when the battlefield breaks down.

Annnnnnd...

Obviously the greatest thing spears have going for them is TRULL SENGAR.

* Note: This is my opinion and is literally impossible to prove. A spear is somewhat like a staff if you use it that way, and Mushashi, by all accounts one of the very greatest swordsmen in history, lost one fight in his adult life, to a dude with a bo staff. Mileage, fickle mistress, thou dost vary.

[Sharpandpointies]

A longsword in a skilled practitioner's hands probably has a slight edge in one-on-one open-space combat against a spear in an equally-trained practitioner's hands.* You've got nearly the reach, and the ability to cripple with much more of the weapon, plus it's a little more convenient for attacks on multiple planes or from multiple angles. But one on one combat is not battlefield fighting - it's art, or what happens when the battlefield breaks down.

The thing about spears in one-on-one is they actually have a gross advantage on swords in reach, because the grip varies. It isn't always 'one hand close to the middle'. With a six-foot spear - honestly, perfectly average for a 'fighting', twohanded spear - one can thrust with hands very close to one end while still maintaining control (the grip shifts a lot...even standing there, one hand at one end, the other hand close to the middle, someone skilled with a spear can change that grip in an instant by sliding the spear, and suddenly that already-large reach gains another foot or more on the thrust). The reach is far outside that of a sword, and it's dangerous on the retraction due to the cutting edges.

There are things swords do a lot better than spears - defend, for example - but that reach advantage is quite hefty.

And having done a LOT of weapon sparring with weapons of different length, I'll say that 'just' a reach advantage of a few inches is enough to make a difference. If it's a foot? You're looking at the only way to immediately threaten the other guy from outside of his reach is with a long, over-extended thrust which will could get you killed if it's avoided (and I like to assume the other guy holding the weapon isn't a tyro).

Otherwise you need to move through the other guy's reach just to engage him.

Which...is not ideal, barring you having some really good armor.

Annnnnnd...

Obviously the greatest thing spears have going for them is TRULL SENGAR.

No disagreement here.

* Note: This is my opinion and is literally impossible to prove. A spear is somewhat like a staff if you use it that way, and Mushashi, by all accounts one of the very greatest swordsmen in history, lost one fight in his adult life, to a dude with a bo staff. Mileage, fickle mistress, thou dost vary.

If we're talking about 'fights Musashi supposedly lost', there were two that crop up in the mythos. Both apocryphal.

1. Some dude who was the head of a staff-fighting school fought Musashi and lost. For some reason(?) Musashi spared his life (this part is actually a matter of record). The guy goes away and meditates on his loss. He has a dream which shows him something important. He cuts his bo staff down in size, birthing the jo. He fights Musashi again, and wins! And spares Musashi's life in turn.

Now, given the second part of the story is completely unverified and only spread by that guy's martial art school as 'how jo-waza came to be', I'm rather skeptical.

2. A ninja with a paper fan. 'nuff said.

Note - this is not me saying 'Staffs suck'. They don't. They aren't as good as edged stuff, because 'edge'. But they don't stink.

Put an edged point on one (a sharpandpointy?) and it becomes something a whole lot more dangerous.

[Shellhead]

Spears are a brutally effective weapon. They're downplayed in fiction due in part to unconscious bias; spears were weapons used by peasants and teckla footsoldiers, while swords were symbols of nobility, knighthood, and royalty (in the West).

There is a great scene in one of the Black Company books that showcases the advantages of the spear. The Silver Spike, I think.

[Shellhead]

Ring Bearer: Green Lantern Hal - two for one!

Archer: Do you want Parallax? This is how we get Parallax.

[Sharpandpointies]

There is a great scene in one of the Black Company books that showcases the advantages of the spear. The Silver Spike, I think.

I've heard a lot of good about Black Company books. Should read them someday.

As an aside, today is the first day I've practiced with live steel in five months. Jeeeeez, my arm hurts. O_O

[Shellhead]

On spears, from The Silver Spike:

“This edge is sharp enough to shave with. This point will go through armor if you put some muscle behind it. The spear is a very versatile weapon. You can stab with it, jab with it, cut with it, slash with it. You can use it to hold your tent up or use it for a fishing pole. But one thing you can’t never do with it is throw it. It ain’t a javelin. You throw it and you don’t have shit anymore. You’re meat for the first guy that wants you.”

The same chapter goes on to feature a couple of fight scenes involving troops sparring with spears. Check it out sometime.