"While you were mastering the blade, I was mastering the blade ON A STICK!"
@johann2963 жыл бұрын
Ha, HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
@bizybliztaverage94143 жыл бұрын
While you were sturdy how to master the blade on the stick, I was MASTERING THE EXTRA LONGER STICK WITH A LARGER ON IT
@jonathanwells2233 жыл бұрын
I too enjoy classic Jeff Dunham
@cyngaethlestan8859 Жыл бұрын
And all proud Lancasterians were learning the ancient martial art of ekky thump.
@matthabir48374 жыл бұрын
To bring it into a modern context... One thousand years from now, historians researching the late 20th and early 21st century may find a great deal of literature on the defensive use of the pistol. But they would be mistaken if they inferred from this that pistols were in any sense important weapons of war...
@davidlink37874 жыл бұрын
The pistol is basically the modern version of a sword, a sidearm. It's easy and convenient to carry, but for going to war you want a long gun.
@RockinTod4 жыл бұрын
I had the same thought! I don't know if late ME and early modern Fechtbücher are "military manuals" for war. Did those teachers (Lichtenauer, Thalhoffer, Marozzo etc) write their books more for knights/men-at-arms, or for Burghers in cities.
@squidfish71444 жыл бұрын
Exactly, useful for civilian self defense, but in a military context, only really carried as a side arm by officers and other troops with other primary roles, and usually only used if things have gone badly. An archer or halberdier forced to use their sword are as reduced in combat effectiveness as a driver or machine gunner forced to use their pistol.
@Riceball014 жыл бұрын
@@davidlink3787 Pretty much, except that the pistol is used less often than the sword was and very few people in the military actually carry pistols. In some countries pistols are, or were, exclusive to officers and were badge of rank more than anything.
@Loromir174 жыл бұрын
Original artifact glock will be worth times more than an artifact AK, and the latter will have reconstructed wooden parts of incorrect size and assumed to be a stationary defensive weapon :D
@adhdude28544 жыл бұрын
10,000 years into the future: "It is common misconception that people used handguns as often as the ancient John Wick files would suggest... According to the Marvel manuscripts, many people didn't need these types of weapons as they had super powers. We are unsure how they did this...."
@randomicus47824 жыл бұрын
@@AKRex "... but the themes were"
@villehammar78584 жыл бұрын
Isn't this kind of what we're doing with revolvers in the Old West already?
@Morachnyion4 жыл бұрын
The wars of the roses. Where people in rose shaped armor would yell violent love poems at each other to creep the enemy away. If that didn’t work. Less effective things were used. Like sword tossing.
@randomicus47824 жыл бұрын
@@Morachnyion holy crap, that would actually terrify me. just dont toss me !
@Morachnyion4 жыл бұрын
If I do. I won’t tell the elf.
@cynt44164 жыл бұрын
Weeb: Katana. Western brat: Long sword. Man of culture: Polearms.
@Hubert_Cumberdale_4 жыл бұрын
Man of savage nature: Club
@Big_Red_Dork4 жыл бұрын
@@Hubert_Cumberdale_ Man of Refined Savagery: Mace
@notsoprogaming97894 жыл бұрын
Context: Matt
@Echelon0304 жыл бұрын
@@notsoprogaming9789 Lloyd: Spandau
@Kamamura24 жыл бұрын
I still disagree. If it was true, halberdiers and pikemen would not carry swords as secondary weapon - why, your polearm is everything you will ever need? Observe the paintings of landsknechts, best soldiers of their time - their halberdiers, or their doppelsoldners with those threatening flamberges, all of them are carrying katzbalgers - short, cutting swords that did not even have a thrusting point. Why? Because there are situations, especially in tight battles where you have no space for elaborate technical kung fu, and you need a short weapon, not long. Or Romans - if polearms were so superior, why did not they fight with spears, and instead prefered the gladius? Sword had the highest skill ceiling, was the most technical and versatile of weapons, so that's why the treatises and manuals focused on them. I disagree that it was "a gentry's leisure time pleasure", soldiers risking their lives were always very practical, and preferred simple stuff that worked. If the focus was on sword, that means sword was important. On the other hand, there is a saying in Czech "začínat od píky - 'to start with the pike'" that means starting at the very bottom, lowest rung of some hierarchy. That's because pikemen (in 30 years war or later, presumably) were the most basic troops that received very little training. The common sense was to arm village militia and levies with pikes - expensive swords would be wasted on them. As a pikeman, you just need to know 1) how to stand straight in a line 2) how to hold the pike properly, or how to rest the other end against ground 3) how to not sht in your pants and run away. That was all. You fought in a formation, you advanced on command, you retreated on command. If things went south, you just died to any other type of troop in the field. That's why there is no "Treatise on the noble art of pike - how to stick while avoiding being stuck in return" - or if there is, it was not a common topic. Halberd is a different beast, there is some kungfu to be done with halberds or similar type of shorter, cutting polearms, but pikes and spears are simple weapons. All of them bow to the sword, however - the king of the cold steel weapons.
@dimitrizaitsew19884 жыл бұрын
"I'm not always sitting in a helmet" You do. Just admit it.
@randomicus47824 жыл бұрын
dammit Bill, stop messing about !
@graylinshowell70514 жыл бұрын
That's his masturbation helmet.
@alpharage10904 жыл бұрын
He always sits with his helmet but he only takes it out on special occasion
@dwightehowell81794 жыл бұрын
Don't be like that. It's excellent exercise for his neck muscles!
@seneca9834 жыл бұрын
Matt is secretly Lord Buckethead.
@allluckyseven4 жыл бұрын
So, basically, if your enemy is inside of a tin can, you hit him with a tin can opener.
@danthiel86234 жыл бұрын
allluckyseven hehe what?
@thatdutchguy28824 жыл бұрын
Or a Goededag,...basically a club with a steel nasty bit on the end.
@WastelandSeven4 жыл бұрын
ThatDutchguy Which is also a can opener LOL
@thatdutchguy28824 жыл бұрын
@@WastelandSeven Indeed,...or a concussion simulator xD.
@zanussi3034 жыл бұрын
That tickled
@pauldalton69994 жыл бұрын
In our group we can fight with swords at a high intensity, polearms we need to go much much slower because they are sooooo dangerous.
@lawsonbromley42083 жыл бұрын
I have never seen anyone actually fight with a pole arm. Any source or information that you could point me to would be very much appreciated 👍
@dace484 жыл бұрын
I'm glad that you mentioned the "up-armouring" of other battlefield units. Whenever I see the tired "English longbowman versus knight" debates pop up people seriously underestimate how heavily armoured the archers were (especially around the Agincourt period). It's almost as if a well-paid professional soldier bought equipment that would keep him alive.
@followingtheroe19524 жыл бұрын
It's easier to apply video game logic and assume archers were the squishy DPS class
@alwaysbearded13 жыл бұрын
Almost? Most certainly they were. Not all of them of course and I'm sure the ratio of conscripts to pros changed with fortunes and the ebb and flow of power. Think how long it took for a Longbowman to train; they were specialists. Study of skeletons shows the affect of pulling very heavy bows in the attachment points of the tendons affecting the growth of the bones. Pole arms could be taught to the farmer who could then just go back to being a farmer until war season again.
@Anton_Jermakoŭ3 жыл бұрын
You can certainly have some heavy defences if you don't need to move around that much. Like those steel hats sine crossbowmen had,quite heavy and a classic ranged infantry helmets
@simonadam2305 Жыл бұрын
Armour was quite likely sourced from defeated enemies as well I would say. After a long and successful campaign a soldier would have had a lot more and better kit than he started with.
@danyoutube74914 жыл бұрын
"Polearms Dominated The Medieval Battlefield - Why?" Because of the nefarious influence of Big Polearm.
@Loromir174 жыл бұрын
You joke, but Big Sword is effectively responsible for the existence of the messers.
@Stefan-qr8ip4 жыл бұрын
Why polearms dominated the medieval battlefield? Simple answer: long shaft and good penetration ...
@stein19194 жыл бұрын
Matt Easton is in the scabbard of Big Spadroon
@devin52014 жыл бұрын
Long weapon good!
@ArnimSommer4 жыл бұрын
Make Polearms great again!
@kongandbasses87324 жыл бұрын
In German language there is the word "Spießbürger" what is translated into "polearm citizen". In the 10th century, the Emperor of the "holy roman reich of german nation" Heinrich I. built a lot of castles, in german a castle is a "Burg", from what the word "Bürger", citizen, is comming from. Not to be confused with the word "Burgmannen", what describes the fighting soldiers and knights of the Burg. Those Bürger, beeing privileged as well (Stadtluft macht frei, "city air makes you a free man") had to be able to fight with the "Spieß" (the pike), a up to 6m (20 feet) stick with or without an iron point. Everybody who was not allowed to carry a two bladed sword had to fight with the Spieß as primary weapon. You often see pictures of medieval battle scenes, where you see a massive number of soldiers carrying long polearms. The expression "Spießbürger" was changed to a negative term, meaning somebody who is denying everything new, even better inventions, thinking backwards, as Spießbürger demanded to keep to their pole weapons, when firearms have been in use for some time, outperforming sticks, making them obsolete. Linguists see this change in the 17th century. Today the short form of the word, Spießer, is still in use, naming someone who is backwards thinking, small minded.
@ravanpee13252 жыл бұрын
Also the phrase "to learn something from the pike on" (meaning "learn something from the button up")
@DGFTardin4 жыл бұрын
I would love a video focusing on cut-and-thrust polearms. How they were used, either by themselves or in formation, the different types and their pros and cons to one another, etc. Thanks!
@andybunn57804 жыл бұрын
Please tag me here if you find a good video on this
@Ondraeden4 жыл бұрын
Yes please
@jmatt7814 жыл бұрын
"Polearms": For when you want to stab that guy, "Over there".
@ivannechkin36654 жыл бұрын
or a flamethrower
@omariscovoador74864 жыл бұрын
This obsession with swords i believe was covered by shadiversity on his videos a time ago, we tend to always associate heroes and medieval things with swords so often that sometimes it can change drastically the way we imagine history to be. Its the same thing of the "old west pistols", it became an icon, or ideed rifles in the modern day, they are important, but great part of war is done by other weapons, such as cannons, tanks, aircraft, ships, machine guns, missiles, etc.
@ManDuderGuy4 жыл бұрын
I think swords and pistols are just more relatable, so the stories and discourse and writing comes up in abundance for them. The common man is much more likely to have some experience with/need of a small weapon or sidearm than an ACTUAL big ol' weapon of war. It also just looks better on movie posters etc, in a visual-presentation sort of way. A pistol makes a cool accessory for the actor, but a big gun will instead dominate the scene and the presentation.
@BigTuk4 жыл бұрын
The sword was fetishized because other tools were available to the commoners and had other non-war usage. Also keep in mind armor diminished the importance of swords.. Oh for personal defense a sword is great, if a brigand happens upon you on a lonely road etc. BUt in war, there are entirely different logistics and mechanisms at work. A battle is not a bunch of one on one duels to the death. IT's about momentum.
@ManDuderGuy4 жыл бұрын
@Aint Jack That's neat, thanks for sharing the Korean angle.
@RyuFireheart4 жыл бұрын
I think the hero image is more associated with the "hard to use weapons" or the ones that offers more risk or even things as close as possible to unarmed fights. Thats why the fight between the protagonist vs vilain its fought pretty much in melee range even in movies about modern times. People don't usually like fights where one does shot others at distance while taking cover (its only acceptable for killing the vilain unworthly "minions"). Fighting at distance may make you look weak or coward. Its human primitive nature that matters more in the end.
@omariscovoador74864 жыл бұрын
@@RyuFireheart sure thing, everything to be more appealing to the public. I for one would like a movie where they fight with guns the way its supposed to be, with covers and tatics, but i dont see it happening in the near future, at the moment what i like to watch are the real footage of soldiers with helmet cams.
@SuperOtter134 жыл бұрын
I completely agree that polearms dont get the love they deserve. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Hope you guys are getting enough sleep with the new baby, I know I didn't until mine turned 2. Love this channel ,Cheers!
@aaronluke6654 жыл бұрын
2:06 "you need to learn to use a sword unarmored regardless" My mom disagrees
@2dumd2live4 жыл бұрын
A lot of those medieval drawings make me feel a lot more competent about my own drawings :p Also aren't pole weapons rarely used in HEMA because they're quite more dangerous than a sword, even when blunt?
@erojerisiz15713 жыл бұрын
It's literally impossible to make a safe steel polearm because they were that dangerous You'd need to make them out of rubber which eliminates the accuracy of weight
@revolverDOOMGUY4 жыл бұрын
A very underappreciated pole weapon is the berdiche, it seems it found its way in many armies since it's easy to make and durable. I think they are a weapon that deserve its own video
@Harrier_DuBois4 жыл бұрын
Might swords be preferable in siege assaults? ...or urban warfare, if you have to go into buildings. I do think swords are grossly over-represented, but I'm sure I heard that the majority of medieval battles were sieges. Also maces and warhammers too, If we are talking about anti-armour, they should get a mention.
@fabiovarra36984 жыл бұрын
most sieges were only camping around a city or a castle waiting for the besiegeds to run out of food, siege assaults weren't much common beacuse the high casualties they demanded
@sullir93974 жыл бұрын
I think the real point is that people didn't learn a preferred fighting style like we do in RPGs. They learned warfare, which included proficiency in a lot of different equipment needed for many different scenarios one might encounter in war. There were specialties, but they would be much broader, such as archer (which would need to know how to use hand weapons), footman and cavalry.
@Zigg334 жыл бұрын
you are right in everthing you said except that sieges werent assaults, as represented in movies.. but just alot of logistics and waiting. But when it came to assaults, yeah short weapons and shields rulled ...
@Zigg334 жыл бұрын
also i would add that bows and crossbows were also very effective in your scenario...
@hrotha4 жыл бұрын
@@fabiovarra3698 All-out assaults were relatively rare. Skirmishes and sallies during sieges were not.
@bBlaF4 жыл бұрын
Need a Mabinogion sequel where a magic halberd pulled out of a magic tree tells us which Welshman is meant to be the king of the EU.
@fuferito4 жыл бұрын
"Brexalibur?"
@bBlaF4 жыл бұрын
@@fuferito I don't want the generations to come thinking Boris had the first thing to do with this.
@fuferito4 жыл бұрын
@@bBlaF, Not exactly the heroic profile, I'm guessing.
@gregwasserman26352 жыл бұрын
Fascinating video. I have been interesting polearms since I played D&D in the 1970s. Swords dominate in fantasy movies and role playing games, but this video sheds light on the reality of things.
@jamespfp4 жыл бұрын
Favorite Lines from Shakespeare (for me) include -- "SHALL I STRIKE IT WITH MY PARTISAN?"
@neutralobserver34234 жыл бұрын
"DO, IF IT WILL NOT STAND!"
@dominiquepemberton39353 жыл бұрын
Hamlet act 1 scene 1
@KirkWilliams3004 жыл бұрын
If Dark Souls 2 represented anything, it was because of the spin to win attacks!
@taekatanahu6353 жыл бұрын
In Dark Souls 1 spears were so OP that they had to nerf them for later games.
@KirkWilliams3003 жыл бұрын
@@taekatanahu635 right though I have seen some spears be used effectively as long as they avoid being parried.
@mimas33464 жыл бұрын
There's a general pattern that holds across much of Europe and Asia throughout antiquity: If a weapon had no practical application outside of a martial context, it tended to have high value as a status symbol. Swords, maces and war hammers fall into this category. They were the sort of weapons noblemen like to hold when having their portraits painted. Lower down the prestige scale were weapons derived from hunting weapons, like spears and bows. These weapons didn't clearly denote high socio-economic status, but they did have some association with wealth surplus lifestyles even if people of lesser means also used them. At the bottom of the prestige pile were weapons that either were, or were derived from, agricultural implements and other tools used by the peasant classes in their day-to-day toils. Many pole arms fall into this category. If you carried one of these into battle, in most cultures, that marked you out as a peasant. Peasants in any age aren't sexy and their accomplishments aren't worth writing about (at least in the opinion of the literate wealthy class).
@ramibairi55624 жыл бұрын
Can you do a video about the lance types carried in the medieval era ?
@mihjq4 жыл бұрын
Even not being a huge fan of painting, I request more of medieval art, please!
@polyommata4 жыл бұрын
This video has got some BIG context energy!!! Particularly when you were talking about who fencing manuals were actually written for and you didnt even give us that juicy C-word, but was it dripping with context that is so often missed!
@paulgee19524 жыл бұрын
On railway maintenence when started in the 80's, with BR , one of the items used was a slasher, an agricultural billhook. Strimmers and chainsaw were not as readily available, requiring training and by the 90's certification, and regulation including the PPE. For line side management ,the slasher , cut and drag was still used. I Often see this Drag and unbalance element as being the key to its wide use. Since given the heavy armoured opponents were considered high value hostages. Maybe not so much at Flodden, when the Chivalry practice seems to have changed, possibly War of the Roses and Anglo-French codes of conduct in the later 15th Century. ? Pike lost at flodden ,yet was the most adopted weapon into the 17th Century. Lindybeige spear test was very good. Maybe we should get back to growing and tending hedge rows, with a slasher and relearn those skills . IMO. Thanks for upload.
@Saracen.4 жыл бұрын
Very enlightening & informative video. Putting names to different pole-arms whilst showing pictures and paintings of them and which countries used or favoured what polearm & how they were used in battle is highly educational. Thank you
@mpersad4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely fascinating. I love the fact that even today there is still a huge research opportunity for historians with respect to polearms. Let's hope this might be the start for more of them to do that.
@michaelchen86434 жыл бұрын
It’s somewhat informative that you tell us how these pool alarms are used and were used in the battlefield but what would really be useful is to have you in full armor taking a poll warm and thrusting it against us wine cork us or maybe taking a pool alarm and denting the currass breast plate
@daczy86264 жыл бұрын
I'm german and it took a while until I understood that you said ,,Bloßfechten". 😂😂😂
@X3RUBIM4 жыл бұрын
Haha, da bist du nicht alleine :D
@stolzerpfalzer7684 жыл бұрын
I’m german!
@hrodvitnir67254 жыл бұрын
Very chill and informative video. Thanks Matt!
@garrenbrooks97034 жыл бұрын
One plus of this is that I get to scoop up all my favorite polearms at quarter price of a sword of the same level of craftsmanship. The downside of course being that so few people are actually making them.
@cinbellextratempus81534 жыл бұрын
Could you do a video on the history of dragoons/mounted infantry please?
@Bruuf_4 жыл бұрын
As a follow on it could be worth talking about how for example early medieval warfare, which is what we kind of imagine in our heads from say the 12th century roughly, developed through the high medieval period of the 14th century using the weapons you've described but then talk about how it evolved into the late medieval/very early modern warfare which is largely dominated by the pike block and german and Swiss mercenaries. As a British person we don't really see how the development went in school as the English used the longbow and Bill for so long but the evolution on the continent and things like the Italian wars are fascinating and kind of relevant to what you spoke of today.
@Matatabi62 жыл бұрын
The first thing that got me interested in how medieval and ancient weapon and armor systems actually functioned in a practical sense was reading SM stirling ember verse books. Can’t believe it took me so long to find this channel
@casbot714 жыл бұрын
"You are not bringing a full polearm into the living room for a video!"
@philipzahn4914 жыл бұрын
"Hey folks, medieval RoboCop Easton, here!" ^^ ~ Jokes aside, how muche trained were those commoner pole-arms equipped medieval troops you talk about here? 🤔
@Rokaize4 жыл бұрын
Philip Zahn Probably depended on their background. I’m sure a fairly wealthy-ish man at arms would have very good training. Since that is their job after all I would imagine.
@scottbauer714 жыл бұрын
Swiss regulars very much, Irish farmers not so much
@icejohn944 жыл бұрын
It will depend on who we talk about. Man at arms will have fairly good training. I gess poeple with halberds poleaxe or polehammer would have training. But were i would doubt on any training is for pique man, lances vouges, and bardiches.
@joelallgaier26264 жыл бұрын
Commoner "Arrow fodder", untrained and thrown at the enemy.
@chrissiddall85254 жыл бұрын
There were Trayned Bands of volunteers in most larger towns (drawing their strength from the town and surrounding rural parishes) and they would get a couple of days a month, to train together.
@lunarmodule64194 жыл бұрын
Big assortment at New York Metropolitan. And to support your thesis of the focus on swords, while visiting, my friend could not believe halbardes were actually used in battle. He's was like "I'm sure the were only used in parades or as piece of art."
@thalesmoraes13124 жыл бұрын
I´m a great fan for a long time now, and the quality of the videos is ever increasing. Would like to watch something like "misconceptions about plate armor" like swords penetrating plates as they were made of paper. Things the movies make a lot of people belive. Keep doing a great job!
@emarsk774 жыл бұрын
8:08 "On this channel I've spoken sooo much about…" CONTEXT! "…the reach factor." Oh :(
@alxwak4 жыл бұрын
You touched the major point lightly. Economics of war. Even if the sword was something from Warhammer 40K and goes through armor like a hot knofe through butter, with a fixed amount of money you can produce more polearms than swords. It's the same reason that AR-15 (or M16 in some regions), G3 and AK-47 are main infantry weapons, because they are cheaper than more specialised ones. And don't forget that at the time, a mercenary soldier paid for his own equipment.Although, my favorite weapon remains half a brick in a sock. It kills people, but leaves buildings standing :)
@corvanphoenix4 жыл бұрын
I'd love any show which is about polearms! If you want ideas though, how about a description of how to classify polearms? Thanks for coming back in time again!
@allamaadi4 жыл бұрын
These videos get better and better
@tinman18434 жыл бұрын
Matt, you mentioned spears as part of polearms, by that view polearms have dominated EVERY battlefield upto the gunpowdwer era. If one includes musket & bayonet as a pole weapon it extends well into the gunpowder era. (Until the use of bayonets on the battlefield became a rare thing. Post WWI for sure.)
@VideoMask934 жыл бұрын
Tinman 18 Yes.
@ME-hm7zm4 жыл бұрын
Yes indeed; it's not until the ring bayonet that pikes finally go away (and the Swedes kept them into the 1720s).
@mikerodrigues98224 жыл бұрын
Ironically most of western heavy cavalry neglected the lances in favor of pistols and sabers, with only a few units in each army dedicated to lances. The only exception is the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
@adenyang43984 жыл бұрын
Mike Rodrigues Although not heavy cavalry, the likes of Stratioti mercenaries also generally replaces their light lances/spears with pistols and rifles since the 16th century. (while keeping swords) Ming cavalry in general also tended to favor armored horse archers with shorter cutting weapons (as opposed to being lancers). Heavier ones often wielded glaives, lighter ones also functioned as dragoons primarily armed with sabres
@TheSamuraiGoomba4 жыл бұрын
Quite true. Spears are a simpler form of polearm. Polearms indeed dominated every battlefield across all cultures until around the time of revolvers and machine guns, when pike blocks were no longer workable.
@Dethfield4 жыл бұрын
Question for you, Matt. We often hear about how shields largely fell out of favor for knights once plate armor became more common, but no one ever says the two were NEVER used to together, which implies there may have been the odd case of a knight intentionally using both full plate armor and a shield. In regards to actual combat, are there any reasons a knight might have opted to still use a shield despite also wearing full plate? Do we have any historical examples of someone doing this?
@malkavil4 жыл бұрын
Its curious, im from spain, and this lands were in total warfare throught all the medieval period from the seventh to the fiftinth century, but i dont recall any pole or distance weapon from this period famous here. We have the late 15th century spanish rapier, espada ropera, and the tercios pike, but nothing before....Does any1 know of one?
@malkavil4 жыл бұрын
@Harvey Dustin not very accurate, the iberic peninsula was mayorly muslim in the ,8th, 9th and 10th centuries but even then u had cristian and muslim powers there. Even if it had veen completly muslim what were those musim "weapons" u are talking about?
@Taurevanime4 жыл бұрын
Well you asked for a video idea and this talk about polearms reminded me of the peculiar Dutch one, the Goedendag. It is referenced quite extensively as being a weapon of the low countries, but I've seen it described as a flail type weapon, or a mace, or a club with points sticking out of the sides, or even just a club with a point on the top like a spear point. I'd be curious to know which it actually is, but it is also interesting to think about why there is so little consensus about this weapon.
@JustGrowingUp844 жыл бұрын
Matt, as you well know, the thing is we can make sparring with (most) types of swords fairly safe - and sparring is as close as we're gonna get to medieval combat. We cannot properly spar with polearms - even if we were to wear full body plate (which not many can afford) - at least not in a manner that's both safe and realistic. We would have to heavily pull our punches (well, swings and thrusts). That leaves us with practicing forms solo, and then practicing them at much reduced speed with a partner. I don't know about you, but I think that for most people intense sparring is a lot more fun than that. This might explain why people in hema are more interested in swords. If the technology from the Matrix ever becomes real, and we were able to have realistic full contact fights safely in a virtual environment, things might change...
@mrskullbeard75084 жыл бұрын
As someone who does foam combat and uses a polearm most of the time, it's great to see the poles geting some love :3
@nubbis4 жыл бұрын
Subjects like this is why I think there should be more crossover and co-operation between hema and buhurt (BOTN, IMCF, etc.) guys. I'd be really fascinated to see Matt try out buhurt, just to build bridges. :)
@carminegraves4 жыл бұрын
easy to make, easy to repair, reach advantage, possibly even a cheap missile weapon. hell in 2020 a pointy stick can still do a lot of dmg
@jintsuubest93314 жыл бұрын
Sharpen pointy stick will always do lots of damage regardless of time.
@TheChiconspiracy4 жыл бұрын
Better leverage and power. Not necessarily easy to repair though. If you crack your halberd shaft, you can't just get a blacksmith to hammer it into shape again.
@wouter.de.ruiter4 жыл бұрын
that's the essence of war: take a sharp stick and make a lot of holes ;)
@SepticFuddy4 жыл бұрын
@@TheChiconspiracy You just swap out the shaft. That's where "cheap" comes in
@andybaxter44424 жыл бұрын
I was reading an account from the English Civil War about how Pikemen resisted wearing their regulation hanger swords and gloves/gauntlets, presumably because the soldiers thought the gloves and sword got in the way of them doing their job.
@oisnowy53684 жыл бұрын
Once I learned about pole-arms I got hooked.
@danthiel86234 жыл бұрын
oiSnowy hehe nice
@voiceofraisin37784 жыл бұрын
Its a nice idea but the final Bill is always painful.
@danthiel86234 жыл бұрын
voice of raisin boi
@Shrapnel824 жыл бұрын
The amount of information in treatises is indicative of how swords were not a battlefield weapon, and how these were for non-soldiers. Soldiers don't learn how to fight from reading books. They learn from their military training. Also, they don't learn to fight one on one. They learn to fight as a unit against units.
@SquaredbyX4 жыл бұрын
10:19 All that armor and sometimes a beverage as well, awesome
@overeasymode4 жыл бұрын
Can you cover how polearms were used in formation. I mean I can see how spears used in formation such as a phalanx since they're primarily a thrusting weapon. But I image polearms need some room to swing if they're used for chopping. How did they coordinated their attacks?
@GeneralAdvance4 жыл бұрын
You just don't draw the head of the weapon to your back and sides very often is all, can still stab in in a number of ways, draw cut, pull using spikes or do swings from above, really though most polearms are 90% thrusting weapons in formations. Things like poleaxes though carried by knights that you might want to need a little room for are weapons for professional men at arms and knights, so they'll know how to and know to have a looser formation and provide more space for each other.
@jordansblabbering63034 жыл бұрын
@Karol Jeske or you can always do a downward cut to the head or torso, you don't need much space for that. And you can always go for their legs, hook em', stab em', cut em'.
@Loromir174 жыл бұрын
@@GeneralAdvance I recon that the "poleaxe family" weapons were also handled in such way that you wouldn't swing in the full length of it - rather, like a double bladed oar, which would conserve some room.
@barebius4 жыл бұрын
Like people have said, I believe most of the polearms vere used as a thrusting and hooking weapon, and hooking was very effective, when you had a staby bro beside you. I think chopping was mostly an anti-armor action, cause thrusting and draw-cuts worked perfect for unarmored.
@learlessfeader4 жыл бұрын
@@jordansblabbering6303 mash'em, boil'em, stick'em in a stew...
@AWildBard4 жыл бұрын
Another aspect of military fighting that is usually totally ignored in popular culture is the the role of teamwork and group fighting. If you watch most movies and TV shows, it is just a massive free-for-all. Some of the better descriptions of disciplined fighting is in the works of Bernard Cornwell. Better described in his books than in the TV series.
@Jugger_Coach4 жыл бұрын
Beautiful. And swords have been pretty expensive as well, at least in the middle ages era. What sprang to my mind as equally popular, yet concerning spears: In 14th century Bamberg, Germany, townsfolk was equipped with a Crossbow and a small square-like shield (Tratschin) to protect their city. They then could throw in their own knives or axes or whatever. Which makes more sense than the pikes and spears many guards do carry on battlements in movies, does it :)
@ThePinkus4 жыл бұрын
I'm looking behind Matt's left shoulder and thinking of casually opening the door of one of his wardrobes and and being smashed by an avalanche of sharp swords, halberds, maces... that's a dangerous home!
@joshwells37823 жыл бұрын
I think pole arms are popular because of fact people usually want to engage the enemy as far out as possible along with what you said in video of course thanks for the knowledge
@WastelandSeven4 жыл бұрын
I noticed in the pic with the halberd there were a bunch of guys with clubs. A heavy enough club would ring their bell. Blunt force trauma is always useful.
@WastelandSeven4 жыл бұрын
I can see why the bill hook was so loved as a pole arm. You've got a thrusting point, a cutting edge, and the ability to hook your enemy off his horse or off his feet. You've pretty much got most of your major possible techniques covered.
@Lucaslfm14 жыл бұрын
Please talk more about Medieval cavalry role in the battlefield. How would they be able to charge against a formation of pole weapons??
@etiennesauve33864 жыл бұрын
I was thinking a bit along the same line. Some considered cavalry the queen of the battlefield in medieval times so maybe polearms were used as a counter-mesure
@2bingtim4 жыл бұрын
@@etiennesauve3386 To charge disciplined quality infantry armed with spears, pikes or poleweapons was extremely costly(suicidal) & stupid. Most horses would refuse to charge home against a "hedge"" of points. Cavalry would usually wait for archers, crossbows, handguns, their own melee infantry or artilliary to begin to break up the units moral & formation & then charge into any gaps formed. The classic medival knights charging home with lances couched was principly for dealing with other cavalry, infantry without pole weapons(swordsmen, archers etc), or already broken & fleeing troops.
@etiennesauve33864 жыл бұрын
@@2bingtim You are totally right but the thing is how frequent were those disciplined quality infantry present on medieval battlefield. If I recall correctly, the armies of the times were the collection of the retenues of the various lords present in the battle plus maybe a few mercenary bands but not all of them were like the swiss pikemen and I think their uniqueness is one of the reason they gather such fame. I also wonder to what extend medieval infantry was trained to fight in formations. I am under the impression that it only became generalized in the army of the renaissance. I would assume that most baron did not maintain such unit as they might be quite expensive. Dukes and counts could surely have the possibility to field such units but my guess is that they would still be few in number. As such, I wonder about the impact of those units on the larger battlefield as cavalry deterrent as they surely could have been avoided and isolated. Finally, If we look at the attittude of french knight at azincourt, it really looks like infantry was looked down upon by knights and would charge them without afterthought with the result that we know. Also what about the reach of the knights with their lances? did you need extra long pikes to be effective or was the regular spear long enough?
@TF16Condor4 жыл бұрын
I know of one book on polearms in English, "HAFTED WEAPONS IN MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE EUROPE The Evolution of European Staff Weapons between 1200 and 1650 " by John Waldman. It covers most of the main ones.
@Sceadusawol4 жыл бұрын
Matt: "We focus so much one swords." Also Matt: *brandishes a knife*
@Harbinger3594 жыл бұрын
Huzzah, a polearm video! I would like more of these, please...your polearm videos are my favourites.
@devonstart27584 жыл бұрын
That is a sweet stack of osprey books you have over your shoulder
@silverjohn60374 жыл бұрын
The Spanish did try and use Rodeleros (sword and shield armed soldiers) in the early 1500's as a deliberate copy of the Roman Legions to try and break enemy pike formations. (The Spanish didn't realize that Romans used their swords only after they'd "disarrayed" the enemy with a volley or two of javelins). The Rodeleros did have some success in one battle against a pike block that was already partially broken by cannon fire but were never able to repeat this success and were removed from the Spanish order of battle by the 1530's. A lot of these soldiers would go on to serve with the Conquistadors in the conquest of the Aztecs who didn't have the disciplined polearm formations they had in Europe. As for swords in general I can imagine they would have been more useful than polearms in attacking a walled city or castle than in an open field battle or when the armies were raiding civilian farms and small villages to supply themselves as they moved through the countryside.
@barebius4 жыл бұрын
Thank you again and again for spreading the truth and common sence among this sword-madness.
@robbikebob4 жыл бұрын
I'm now picturing a small village hall with a full HEMA class trying to spar with pikes.......
4 жыл бұрын
We also tend to focus on individual weapon skills. There's a lot of lost knowledge about tactics and techniques like for example how to use a pike block and how to fight in one.
@50StichesSteel4 жыл бұрын
I look at the pole arm like a rifle and the sword like a pistol..Most soldiers hardly ever use a sword(or pistol) in combat, while in the civilian word is basically exclusively pistols(or swords) with hardly any rifle(polearm) use...But in either case it's still important to know how to use both very well to be well rounded. You are also not always in combat so a sword offers ease of carry while still being effective if need be.
@gregorflopinski90164 жыл бұрын
From uruk to the introduction of gunpowder, people relied on the club and stick to insure victory
@anthonywestbrook21554 жыл бұрын
Could you continue your series on how to use a spear? What would you teach a regiment of spear using farmers? What spear techniques would you have all the farmers in your country practice throughout the year so that they'd be formidable on the battlefield? If you want to know where my personal interest lies, I want to practice the spear, and I have enough gear to do some "spear fencing" with a friend, but I don't know what to do to get better faster. I can't really do full HEMA classes, but any HEMA friends I've sparred with easily kick my arse.
@beforeafter20884 жыл бұрын
Well Matt actually cleared up some things for me here and in previous polearm vids. I'm not into HEMA as a practise, but it definitely helped me to understand some medieval features that were a total mystery to me for quite a bit. When I was researching Slavic early medieval warfare it seemed they were always portrayed as carrying no armor and a javelin (or two) against Byzantine army for example. So I was like wtf no swords? But they were in general treated as a dangerous enemy in these sources, so it kinda bugged me. And this continued, javelins or spears were widespread through all Middle Ages. There are descriptions of Pomeranians (north-western Slavs) thrusting Danes' feet with their spears when they were crossing the wooden bridge above them. Well anyway, archaeologically when you pull the stats from the Middle Ages polearms (spearheads specifically) are like 60-70% of all melee weapons found in this territory. Well I trained a lot with a stick when I was younger and it's extremely effective when used by a skilled weapon, I can only imagine what a skilled spearman could do back then. He was definitely able to keep a distance against a sword wielding armoured enemy and probably slowly bleed him to death. I imagine a grappling on a ground would do too if you could shorten the distance holding the spear just beneath the head and try to thrust into the biggest hole you could find. They were also used for cutting with a slightly more rounded heads, so if you had no armour on your legs for example you could quickly bring your opponent to the ground by attacking legs. It's a very interesting topic and I think Matt should elaborate on that a few times more.
@listsforthecurious4 жыл бұрын
Future video ideas: do you know of any combat manuals for frogmen in WWII or later? What would be the special contextual considerations be for underwater fighting, say with a diving knife or a Fairbairn-Sykes knife?
@DareToWonder4 жыл бұрын
I think one reason sworss have much more attention than polearms is because where you see them. The quality of skill of a polearm man on the battlefield is going to matter but not as much as other logistical things. Think how many soldiers are expert marksmen, very few. Where a sword is something a bodyguard might carry and the skill of a bodyguard is a much more important factor than almost anything else.
@sullir93974 жыл бұрын
Thanks Matt, I will pay attention any time polearms are mentioned. There are some things that I'm curious about that I believe are hard to discover. Spear and shield, how often were spears used two handed while the shield was slung on the back? I'd imagine that when you are in a unit and in formation, the shields would be out in conjunction with the spear. When in skirmish situations where you had substantial armor but only a few comrades around, I'd imagine using the spear two handed with the shield on your back would be more beneficial since you would be less concerned about missile weapons used against you (if you weren't armored enough, that shield would be your life line and you would treat it as such). The shield would cover your back, but you'd still want it available in case you lost the spear since sword and shield is probably just about as good as a spear by itself. I can't seem to get away from the notion that if you were in very close with a shield, It would be the most advantageous to drop the spear and pull out the sword because it is a weapon better suited to be used one handed, the spear still having merit as the primary weapon before it gets really close in because of reach. I believe if you weren't using a shield, the spear would be better until that time to dagger your opponent, the sword would strictly be a backup weapon to the spear.
@pallien75014 жыл бұрын
This is very true for the viking age too. I have rarely seen a grave find that does not contain at least one spear point.
@MannenFromNorth4 жыл бұрын
in modern times it's kinda the same, the sword is like competitive shooting with guns, you need ALOT of training, learning and consistency which can take years. But in the military it's more if you can shoot in that general area you are good enough and can serve in a conflicted area everywhere from 3 month to 12 months of training.
@M.M.83-U4 жыл бұрын
Hei Matt, I'm Italian, can you give me the title of the book you mention in the video?
@stolzerpfalzer7684 жыл бұрын
Get off the comments
@galaxy7nails6134 жыл бұрын
@@stolzerpfalzer768 It's "out of" not "off." Jetzt verpiss dich
@stolzerpfalzer7684 жыл бұрын
Galaxy 7 Nails no it’s not. Learn some English or why did you reply in german? We don’t talk german here!!!
@M.M.83-U4 жыл бұрын
@@stolzerpfalzer768 Sorry? I dont understand.
@rogerlafrance63554 жыл бұрын
While we know that there were laws requiring men to practice archery once a week, could we assume that it also included pole and other weapons that their lord might have a supply of, before going off to the pub? these were after all, farmers accustomed to working with long, sharp, pointy things. From the Rebellion of 1088 onward what most Englishmen would face was enemy territory the next Hundred, Parish or such over in some sort of Civil War. Also, besides skirmish and guerrilla warfare, much of it was siege warfare rather than some great battlefield.
@TheChonaman9 ай бұрын
It looks like Matt was eating saltines or bread before filming this. LoL. Check out his sweater. Fascinating comments on the use of polearms and their primacy on the medieval battlefield, most importantly.
@barryslemmings314 жыл бұрын
Another factor to consider with bills is the fear factor. A sword may look scary but a seven or eight-foot pole with a can opener end (like a bill or halberd) is fear +2 or fear +3. B
@Jelperman4 жыл бұрын
You see the same thing with pistols in modern times. They're seldom used in battles, but a tremendous amount of media are devoted to them. Even in the Wild West, combat was usually with rifles or even shotguns rather than pistols.
@renedepaula4 жыл бұрын
excellent video, I learned a lot.
@PilgrimBangs4 жыл бұрын
As for suggestions on future topics I'd like to ask you to discuss Native American arms and armor. Such as the Iroquois "Skull Cracker" war clubs, or the Aztec warriors kit. They had their own unique war clubs, armor and shields, and of course the Atlatl they were famed for. The Aztec fielded an army of differently armed and trained warriors. From lightly armed foot soldiers, to heavily armed and armored knights. While utilizing stone age technology they fielded a sophisticated army armed and armored somewhat similar to European historical armies. Certainly more than just crudely armed bands of wild Indians as depicted by Hollywood.
@KevlarrTheBarbarian4 жыл бұрын
Matt looks like he has elf ears in this video. He must be a half elf half man hybrid, thats why he is so skilled with weapons, he has some Elven bonus stats. I can see him as a new character fighting alongside the Witcher when season 2 comes out.
@dadventuretv25384 жыл бұрын
Given that breaking the line, or formation, is generally what has won battles throughout history, not necessarily killing the most men while doing so, I’ve always wondered how much of polearm combat was a push of the polearm against the heavily armored opponent so as to knock him down, push him back, or otherwise disrupt the enemy’s line to create gaps to exploit and thus break the formation. Kinda of like Hoplite warfare.
@pearceelliott78554 жыл бұрын
One quick comment about a sword vs. an armored opponent. Several years ago I was watching something (I believe it was on TV on the History channel), were a man in full armor was pitted against someone with a sword who was either lightly armored or not armored. The unarmored person held his sword by the "wrong" end and used the hilt to strike the armored person (I think they said this was actually from some medieval manuscript). While normal strikes using the sword against armor seemed ineffective, using the pommel of the sword sort of like a mace, actually caused the armored person to pause and step back. In the interviews after the "combat",. I believe the armored person referred to that strike as "ringing his bell". While being unarmored against an armored opponent is certainly not a good idea, the use of the sword in what seems to us as a very unconventional manner seemed to have made it much more effective against armor.
@xerty55024 жыл бұрын
I would say look to the landsknechts as the final form of medieval/renaissance warfare massed blocks of aggressive pikes flanked by troops using shorter polearms often halberds and backed by crossbows or guns and you have about as nasty of a force as you can ask fore right up until mass produced muskets with bayonets replaced them
@justsomeguy39314 жыл бұрын
If I ever make fiction, there will be 2 important rules. 1. The revolver guy always gets it in the end. Very important. 2. The spear user (not any other polearm, just spears) always gets it in the end. Very important. Because my own pure fan biases must be reflected in my work with a silly beef, like the blue car in Mr. Bean. Good info, as always. I do like that sword and shield is a good counter to spear and shield in the Medieval context (unless I remember you wrong, or misunderstand something based on what I see in sparring), the Roman style beat the Greek style in the end, and apparently greatsword is a good counter to pike. Sword wins! Very important lol. I also like that greatswords are a common weapon for bodyguards, a context of defending others and oneself is always especially near and dear to my heart. I wish we only understood more about all that. And yes, I understand polearms and spears are very effective weapons and tear things up in plenty of ways. The way Matt said that he does saber and it's a lot of 1 vs. 1, and there is something to the idea that a rapier is better for 1 vs. 1 than a saber. But rather than swtich to a rapier, he's more interested in learning to use the saber to beat the rapier. Because there is more than 1 vs. 1. That's how I think of swords vs. spears, AK vs. AR, and many other things. I remember the first time I saw a bill. I thought, 'It's a can-opener for humans..." One of my very favorite units in Medieval Total War 2
@Giraffemini Жыл бұрын
Oooh the colour of that helmet! Love it! I want!
@FuzzyMarineVet Жыл бұрын
On the 20th Century battlefield, the majority of casualties were caused by artillery which includes machineguns until the end of WWII. But there is more literature on rifle and pistol marksmanship than the use of artillery.
@acethesupervillain3484 жыл бұрын
the whole armor piercing thing is also part of why you don't see polearms in HEMA, even a quarterstaff is a very dangerous thing to spar with
@bumpercoach4 жыл бұрын
Hi Matt YOUR CONTENT IS GREAT ... recently came to see "1917" as highly parallel to "LOTR" first on the beginning and end in grassy peace w/ a "walk into Mordor" between and other analogous elements... there was a lot of walking and running around w/ fixed bayonets -- HOW DO WARRIORS AVOID IMPALING THEMSELVES AND THEIR MATES while so carrying?
@gerryjamesedwards12274 жыл бұрын
At Games Day '87, I watched a re-enactment group belt the crap out of each other with blunt weapons and period(ish) armour, 'The Knights of outremer', I think they were called. Anyway, they were demonstrating the strength of the bill against more heavily armoured opponents, and the hook of the bill caught the other guy's forearm, and the bill was yanked back. The guy dropped his sword and screamed. The bill-hook had put a crease in the inside of the vambrace and snapped a bone in his forearm. I doubt the armour was super quality, but even so... A bunch of peasants armed with bills would have been a handful.
@paulmelville114 жыл бұрын
video suggestion: How did roman tactics overcome Mediterranean phalanx tactics? I have always found some of the hypothesised examples on youtube channels a bit doubtful. I am probably equally wrong, but always imagined small groups of roman infantry (~200 soldiers) locking shields and using a tight formation to lift phalanx sarissa with their shields and then dominating at close combat. Using the advantage of decentralised roman leadership structure, large shields, heavy armour, cohesiveness and discipline. Once a unit created a wedge in the phalanx front line it could be exploited by more and more troops.
@joewoodland86353 жыл бұрын
when i was looking at practicing with polearms i was told it would be too dangerous because of leverage and even the power generated by stepping into a thrust