GolfHole posted:

fun fact: most peasant rebellions and successful anti-imperial hegemonies ended up winning battles against heavy armored opponents by virtue of weapons that reached AROUND shields


i.e. the falx. the peasant flail. the longbow. the goedendag.


the peasant flail in particular is very easy to make. take a long stick and short stick. string em together like nunchucks. hit people with the short stick, dramatically sped up by the large stick.
this short stick goes arrrrround someone's shield to smack them in the back of the head.

against an armored opponent ->> curve forward
against an unarmored slave and/or 18th century US marine 4000 miles from home ->> curve backward
against a rebellion or otherwise finite army that cannot resupply ->> straight swords / death by sepsis and infection


but who the gently caress wouldn't want to use a polearm instead
theres a reason pikes took over
swords are loving stupid

PICTURED: SWORDS VS SENSIBLE PEOPLE USING POLEARMS