Most Votes
- What's the highest dollar price will Bitcoin reach in 2024? Posted on February 28th, 2024 | 8480 votes
- Will ByteDance be forced to divest TikTok Posted on March 20th, 2024 | 7503 votes
Most Comments
- What's the highest dollar price will Bitcoin reach in 2024? Posted on March 20th, 2024 | 68 comments
- Will ByteDance be forced to divest TikTok Posted on March 20th, 2024 | 20 comments
Comment removed (Score:3)
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:3)
>Lucerne hammer is clearly the superior choice.
The glaive-guisarme-glaive-fauchard-spetum would like a word with you.
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:4, Funny)
Oh no, this is going to devolve into a Partisan fight, isn't it?
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:3)
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:5, Interesting)
The overview is here [philamuseum.org] and individual pictures are here. [philamuseum.org] A truly dizzying array of polearms is part of the collection.
At the risk of wandering into a different sketch.. (Score:3)
Glaive, lovely Glaive, wonderful Glaive!
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:2)
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:5, Funny)
Solidarity (Score:2)
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:3)
Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead, only realize the truth....
This is why I wield a Spork!
Re:You insensitive clods! (Score:3)
Oh, and a bohemian ear-spoon is the most elegant!
Missing option: WTF? (Score:5, Insightful)
Is this a poll just for game players or something?
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:2, Funny)
Are you telling me you don't regularly practice with medieval weapons?
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
Nope, I haven't had to defend the server room in several weeks!
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
Nope, I haven't had to defend the server room in several weeks!
And besides, we've switched to sabers and derringers for server room defense a long time ago! They're only 1U each!
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:2)
There has got to be some SCAdian lurkers on Slashdot somewhere ... doesn't there?
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:3, Interesting)
Greetings! I used to be an active SCA member, and I am regularly lurking here :P :P
I started in the SCA in around 1978 and was an active member off and on until around 1992. I went to Pennsic XVI and beheld the glory that is a field battle with roughly a thousand people per side
Although that said I preferred Shortsword & Shield, Shortsword & Axe, and Broadsword more than polearms,
Although I did fight as part of an organized squad of 7 at one point: 1 left handed sword and board, 3 people using Spear and shield, a right hander using sword and board, and a polearmer behind us. Great fun.
Long Live AnTir! and Long Live the Middle Kingdom!
Lord Lachlan MacFionnlaigh MacLeoid
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:4, Informative)
>Other than the Naginata, every single one of these options is from Diablo 2.
I think it's pretty clearly an AD&D-referencing poll, actually.
But yeah, there are those of us who actually practice with polearms for fun on Tuesday nights.
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:2)
But yeah, there are those of us who actually practice with polearms for fun on Tuesday nights.
Oh, so that's the group that spawned OAPA? The One Armed Polearmers of America.
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
Google 1st result: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_death_and_dismemberment_insurance [wikipedia.org]
Quite appropriate and fitting...
PS: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is a distant 2nd.
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:3)
that would explain the lack of the bohemian ear spoon
http://surbrook.devermore.net/herosource/fantasy_hero/armor/polearms2.jpg [devermore.net]
It would have been nice had they photos to accompany the choices for those of us who don't wield such weapons regularly.
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
Nahhh... I mean, I *like* swords, but back when I fought heavy, I got tired of rhino-hiders, so I switch to mace. I still have it by the door, though I need to rehab my shield.... It'd be better to defend the server room, too, with more clearance.
A grazing mace
How sweet the sound
That felled a wretch like thee
Thy helm is flat
That once was round
Thou'rt dead, that all may see
mark
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:2)
A grazing mace How sweet the sound That felled a wretch like thee Thy helm is flat That once was round Thou'rt dead, that all may see
Every now and then you get to witness true artistry. This isn't it, but it's close enough I'm going to fire up the ol' dot matrix and put that on my dojo wall
Standing applause..... (Score:3)
Much to my surprise, your version of the tune does not grate on the nerves(like a nail across a chalkboard) like the original!
A tip of the hat to you, whitroth!
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:2)
That's what I was thinking. Other than the Naginata, every single one of these options is from Diablo 2. Granted, they are also real polearms but it was suspicious. Will there be future polls for swords? Because honestly, that's where it's at.
Naginata is in D2X. Ranseur is not. (googled to double check, but oh so proud to know that trivia still...)
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:4, Insightful)
The amusing thing here is that the Naginata is probably more immediately recognized by this audience as an ashandarei.
Re:Missing option: WTF? (Score:3)
The amusing thing here is that the Naginata is probably more immediately recognized by this audience as an ashandarei.
Depends on who you are I guess. I've never heard the word ashandarei before, but I have heard Naginata before.
sword vs polearm (Score:5, Insightful)
I think the answer is, when you have a sword, you can also have a shield. That makes it easier to block off the first few hits of the polearm while closing the distance, at which point the polearm bearer has no real defense against your sword. That is my understanding of the situation.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:5, Informative)
That s pretty much why the lads wielding claymores had one or two flanking guards wielding shorter swords and targes.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:3)
I was thinking that because of the weight of the metal, a halberd swung in a great enough arc might hit a shield with enough force to do some very serious damage to the shield and/or possibly the person's arm. I imagine anybody trained in using them would also be able to switch to a method closer to a quarterstaff to block/bludgeon as needed.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
More boring than current Olympic fencing, you mean? That's hard to imagine. And I'm speaking as someone who fenced a bit in high school (so I'm more predisposed to find fencing interesting than the average American).
Last time around, IIRC, the fencing bouts weren't even televised in the US. The best I could find were some 8-second-long "highlight clips" of epee fencers grunting loudly. (When did epee fencers start this "grunting" affectation, anyway?).
I wish that someone would come up with a variant form of Western fencing that wasn't so dull to watch. You could, for example, change the rules so that the action doesn't stop every time a point is scored-- make it a bit more like boxing or MMA. (Yes, I know that would change the nature of the sport quite a lot).
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2, Funny)
(When did epee fencers start this "grunting" affectation, anyway?).
That's added in post-production. In reality, they meow like kittens.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
You could, for example, change the rules so that the action doesn't stop every time a point is scored-- make it a bit more like boxing or MMA. (Yes, I know that would change the nature of the sport quite a lot).
You mean, like a Dog Brothers-fight? :) [youtu.be]
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:3)
imagine you sit in an opera with a polearm.
oooooh yeah, now I really want to.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:4, Insightful)
Weight is the blessing and bane of the polearm. If it hits the weight of a polearm can be devastating. The problem occurs when one misses. Due to the weight it is difficult to stop a swing and reset for another swing. Also swinging such a heavy weapon takes a lot of room which leaves plenty of room for faster sword and board fighters to get by the swing and attack.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Last time I check, polearms were primarily used by footmen against mounted knights...
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:5, Informative)
That is why many battles were fought with a line or two of polearms behind a line of sword and board. The polearms could thrust over, through and under the shields wall and be very effective in pinning an oncoming formation that could be hit in the rear of flank by cavalry. They were also very effective in stopping cavalry charges. Horses don't like charging into pointy things.
Polearms are great in massed formations but are vulnerable to archery. In one on one engagements the polearm is almost useless. I have seen someone with a sabre start 15 feet away from a target, take two steps and a lung and strike the target. A polearm would have a problem stopping that. Once one gets past the head the polearm is useless.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:3)
You forgot to mention getting stuck in the mud with the weight of all that armour.
archers who ran out of errors
Alas, so very apt. You must've seen the shoots I go to.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Cavalry. Longbows were great, but they weren't some sort of a magical armor ignoring weapon. Good steel armor could stop most arrows, and a cavalry charge across good terrain could be pretty fast, not giving the archers the time to hit weak spots on their enemies. So you needed some way to stop that charge, and polearms were it - either defensive ones like pikes or offensive ones like halberds.
And if you think about it longbows made armor MORE useful. They made it completely mandatory for nobles to pile on as much armor as possible, or they'd easily be killed. And so much heavy armor made 'short' weapons fairly weak - swords are not much good against plate + chainmail.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:3)
The English didn't train longbow men, they grew them. The English longbows were strong enough that most people would have to spend their formative years practicing in order to develop the muscle strength required to use them effectively. Some sources claim 150-200 pound draw weights, but more realistic sources say bows in the 100 to 120 pound draw weights were common.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:4, Insightful)
15 times a minute? Heck, everyone I know - including world champions and a longbow world record holder - would struggle to shoot 15 arrows on a childs bow in a minute.
One every ten seconds, keeping four in the air at once.. That's manageable. Keeping it going for ten minutes? Sure, that's going to hurt; there's a reason bowmen had malformed bodies. But keep it going for a minute, take a breather for a minute or two, repeat over a half hour period. 60 arrows in half an hour? Just a few months practice and muscle development.
Of course, it's all somewhat daft. Some bloke isn't going to stand under 300 yards away being shot at. He's going to be up close and very personal within 40-50 seconds, by which time you've launched 5-6 arrows at best, and now you're throwing your bow at him and drawing your dagger.
Unless he's mounted of course, in which case 2-3 arrows tops.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
I think it was because of better armor. Short (light) weapons had trouble damaging anyone wearing heavy armor. So it was better to go with a heavy weapon that will knock down your opponent even if it fails to penetrate his armor. After that the guy could be swarmed by guys with daggers. At the same time shields became less vital since armor head a reasonable chance of protecting against projectiles (or the projectiles were heavy enough that the shield couldn't help either). Combine all that with knights using lances, which you need a wall of polearms to stop.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Depends on the armor the guys are wearing. Against heavy armor a (big) longsword could be used to club the enemy into submission. A katana is probably to light for that.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:3)
You're close. The answer is simply that every melee weapon has a best range. If you're too far away, you can't reach, obviously. But if you're too close, the weapon is too unwieldly and can't be used effectively. Imagine trying to hit someone with a six foot spear when they're only six inches away. That is the superiority of the sword; if you can close in, the polearm user is helpless while you are effective. Have a shield to help avoid the polearm's attacks so you can close the distance can certainly be useful, but it is not essential--if you're quick, it can be possible to simply dodge the polearm's attacks. It all comes down to who can control the range of the engagement.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:5, Insightful)
Having trained with spears, staves, and short swords, I would take a pole arm over the short swords, or any sword for that matter. Most pole arms wielders always had a knife or long dagger for close combat, and attacking someone with half a pole arm and a knife is just fine for getting in close over someone with a sword. Having a shield just gives someone with a hooked polearm more leverage for knocking an enemy off balance, and a shield doesn't really give much closing capability against a group of experienced spearmen. Swords are better for duels and standing off someone with a knife, which is why so many stories have swords in them- those stories were more about royalty and their uses of weapons, rather than that of some common fighter for whom a polearm could be easily converted from a set of farming implements over to a deadly weapon quite easily.
Economically, if I were a ruler or warlord trying to outfit a large army with hand to hand weapons, the spear or halberd would win over almost anything else, because metal is very expensive to mine and craft into reliable components. That crafting cost on a per unit basis goes way up with hardened metals, and the larger the piece, the greater chance that serious imperfections will be introduced. Most rulers during periods where they were dependent upon hand forged weapons always picked pole-arms over swords for these reasons. Also, a lot of these weapons would be dropped or lost during close combat, so you want to limit your losses, while allowing your people to be able to pick up a weapon they can all reliably understand. Most peasants at the time understood already how to use a long staff or spear to keep wildlife at bay, for hunting, or for use as levers or farming tools in general. Drilling them on how to learn a few more moves and keep their feet steady is a lot less time intensive than trying to come up with a completely new regimen for something like a sword.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Polearms are great in groups, where soldiers can support each other. But they aren't much good in a 1vs1 fight or when fighting without a formation. And any army of the period would also likely have archers/crossbowmen, which could easily kill you if you didn't have a shield.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:3)
I personally am in favor of the gun in nearly every man on man combat situation.
FYI Agent Smith laughs at your foolish weapon choices.
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Re:sword vs polearm (Score:2)
Indiana Jones [youtube.com] begs to differ.
Obviously "halberd" has to win... (Score:5, Insightful)
Most of us: "No...no...no...hey, I know what *that* one is!" (I did look the alternatives up, though.)
Re:Obviously "halberd" has to win... (Score:2)
Re:Obviously "halberd" has to win... (Score:4, Informative)
Well, it really is [wikia.com] the best.
Doesn't matter ... (Score:5, Funny)
Peh? (Score:2)
Does anyone know what any of those words mean?
Re:Peh? (Score:2)
long spikey thing
long cutty thing
long cutty-hooky thing
long spikey thing
long hacky-spikey thing
long cutty-hooky thing
no effin clue, why should I have a word like that in my vocabulary??!?!?
Halberd (literally) FTW (Score:4, Interesting)
The halberd was used by the free cities and cantons of Switzerland to evict invading French [wikipedia.org] and Austrian [wikipedia.org] knights. Clearly the superior aristo-killing tool!
(Also see Barbara Tuchman's excellent Distant Mirror [powells.com] . Highly recommended.)
News for Nerds (Score:5, Funny)
Que? (Score:2)
Cleric's favorite (Score:5, Funny)
What, no Lucerne hammer? It was every first edition D&D cleric's favorite weapon until the DM figured out that it was an edged weapon.
http://www.myarmoury.com/view.html?features/pic_spot_poleaxe10.jpg [myarmoury.com]
I chose Bardiche (Score:5, Insightful)
But I really wanted to choose Raising/Raging Heart.
WIPO: quarterstaff / bo (Score:4, Informative)
I've always been partial to the simplest of all polearms.
If a staff doesn't count, then the pike.
Guan Dao (Score:2)
Though they're probably restricted to Monks. [wikipedia.org]
huh (Score:2)
Second Amendment (Score:5, Funny)
Who said anything about firearms?
Cowboy Neal's Head? (Score:2)
Re:Cowboy Neal's Head? (Score:2)
To count wouldn't it have to be mounted on a pole?
Naginata (Score:2)
The naginata is clearly the superior weapon. I could watch practitioners train for hours at a time.
Exile 3? (Score:2)
Mecha-Halberd (Score:2)
Ten feet of one inch steel pipe. (Score:2)
n/t
Nethack (Score:2)
My favorite polearm... (Score:4, Funny)
None of the Above (Score:2)
Shaolin Spade. [google.com]
FTW.
Is the Lochaber Axe a type of halberd? (Score:5, Funny)
Wikipedia's list of "Pole arms often mistaken for halberds" includes the Lochaber Axe. Wikipedia's entry for Lochaber Axe states: "The Lochaber axe is a type of halberd." Discuss.
Re:Is the Lochaber Axe a type of halberd? (Score:2)
Wikipedia is not the be-all, end-all source of human knowledge. Anyone who thinks it is should be fired.
From a cannon.
Into the sun.
/discussion
Re:Is the Lochaber Axe a type of halberd? (Score:4, Funny)
Wikipedia is not the be-all, end-all source of human knowledge.
[citation needed]
Favorite FTL beam weapon? (Score:2)
Since the damage-inducing beams are named after polearms, do you prefer the Pike, Halberd, or Glaive beam? I think the Halberd beam is probably the most useful, but the Glaive beam is the most fun.
Calling all Krull fans... (Score:2)
I can't have been the only one to think, "wait, Glaive [thedarkblade.com] isn't a polearm...", can I?
For the record, I voted "Bec de Corbin" because it's the closest thing on the list to a Lucerne Hammer =P
Monday morning had to google "Polearm".... (Score:2)
I like the warfork (Score:2)
although technically its a fencing weapon.
http://uo.stratics.com/database/view.php?db_content=gameitem&id=1668 [stratics.com]
I found another one I like (Score:2)
Because of this:
The name "goedendag" derives from Dutch, usually taken in English sources to have meant "good day",[2] with reference to the revolt of Bruges in 1302, at which the guildsmen of Bruges purportedly took over the city by greeting people in the streets, and murdering anyone who answered with a French accent. [emphasis mine]
wiki links (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Polearm? But my Bat'leth! (Score:2)
You can have both [photobucket.com].
Re:Polearm? But my Bat'leth! (Score:2)
Re:Bohemian ear spoon! (Score:2)
That D&D weapon always had us curious.
It is the obvious missing option!
Re:Bill Hook, Lance, Morning Star, Pike, WarSchyth (Score:2)
The morning star is not a polearm. It's more akin to a club or type of mace.
Re:Bill Hook, Lance, Morning Star, Pike, WarSchyth (Score:3)
That's a flail.
Re:Bill Hook, Lance, Morning Star, Pike, WarSchyth (Score:3)
Nope. A flail is *just* the chain (or chains). The weight - ball, or whatever - on the chain is a morningstar. For example, http://www.elfwood.com/~anttio/Morning-Star.2531229.html [elfwood.com]
mark
Re:Bohemian earspoon (Score:2)
This, of course. The poll is invalid due this lack.
Re:Missing Option: (Teac's) Staff Weapon (Score:5, Funny)
Teac is a drive manufacturer. Teal'c is a character from Stargate. Know the difference.
GI JOE!
teac drive jousting (Score:3)
A 5.25" full height drive on the end of a mop handle is the sort of weapon a civilian uprising would use. You better keep a lid on that sort of revolution talk!
Re:The REAL missing option (Score:2)
Pole-cat?
I'll keep my distance....
Re:If I had to kill a dragon... (Score:5, Funny)
Unless you subscribe to the notion that dragons are invariably supernatural creatures. In which case, I'd select an enchanted TOW missile.
Re:If I had to kill a dragon... (Score:3)
Dragons have a +10 saving throw versus American imperialist weaponry.
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Anyways, because I don't know what a polearm is, perhaps Slashdot might've gotten a little *too* niche with this question?
Yea, that's it - the poll is "too niche" because of all the people who read Slashdot regularly, your knowledge is the baseline for relevance.
Alternate reasoning:
Maybe you're just an imbecile who's too lazy to Google a term before commenting about it.