Any ideas as to the rationale behind the spear stats? I like the extra die when battling back... but to treat a spear the same you would a short sword (vs. cavalry)? I'm not so sure... Especially when the reasoning behind the ignored Sword on Shield was that the weapon was too short.

Thoughts?

Btw... 1st post here. Great game.

Spears have more of a defensive advantage against mounted units than an offensive advantage. All you can do with a spear on offense is poke and jab at the horeseman. While that was all well and good, historically it was not very effective. That is why other polearms such as the halberd were created. They usually had a hook on them that would allow you to dismount the horseman and then finish him off.

On defense however (re: battleback) you plant your spear in the ground and usually end up impaling the horse, thus bringing the horseman to the ground where you can finish him off.

So if you look at this way, they actually got the rules right for the spear. Does that help?

By the way, welcome! You picked a great time to start with this game!

Battlelore spears are really more pike blocks (or blobs) than some (Earlier) Saxon shieldwall or Greek Phalanx. Think of Battlelore spears as based on the Scottish (or Flemish) pike formations known as Schiltrons.

As long as the pike block held formation and together it was pretty formidable while broken up as individuals..not so great. Hence the need to be 'Battlelore' BOLD and battleback to get some advantage. A formation of thundering Knights armed with Lances will many times break up a solid infantry formation before impact based on the fear or 'shock' factor with the result that the foot will be run down and killed. If not then... 'let the pike impaling commence'. Historically knights of the 1200 to 1500's didn't shy away from crashing into stable pike blocks.

Halberds use the same idea but simply do it better. Quickly raised poor peasants in Scotland or the Flemish guildsmen could afford the cost of pikes but not the extensive cost of armor and arms to outfit large numbers of professional Halberders.

In the Dark Age past it was the shieldwall that held back Cavalry charges not the points of spears. Spear are just great weapons to thrust through shield walls, rather than try to thrust swords over shields. That was when the vast majority of mounted warriors used a javelin, bow, or overarm thrusting lance. Once Knights started to use long lances (or kontos) held crouched on large horses and charged at a gallop straight at foot formations the shield walls generally failed. A different method of foot defence against cavalry had to be invented. One was massed missle fire, ie. the longbow, another was castles to wear out the logistically expensive knights. In the end fieldwork defensive fortifications containing primitive artillery was the final answer as in the final battles at end of the Hundred Years War.

The Battlelore combat system is based more on unit morale than the differences between weapons.