Pole-arm
A Pole-Arm technically refers to any type of weapon consisting of a metal head with a long wooden pole. Spears technically fall under this classification, but more often than not it is used to refer to weapons with something more than just a point intended for poking at the end and can also be used to chop and hack. These include axe heads, spikes and sword blades. Pole arms have been used by numerous civilizations, including Europeans, Turks, Russians, Chinese and Japanese.
Pole-arms in warfare
When compared to spears, pole-arms retain some of the advantage of reach while gaining more flexibility in how they attack. While a spearman is limited to simply poking his enemies to death, the Pole-armed soldiers can also hack or slash. This generally comes at the price of a somewhat shortened reach.
Another advantage of pole arms is armor penetration, due to their long handles it was possible to deliver with a pole arm a truly devestating chop.
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