Pole arm

Pole arms were invented to increase the effectiveness of infantry against cavalry and they can be devastating in disciplined formations of well-trained soldiers. Over the centuries, pole arms developed from the basic forms to more sophisticated and specialized ones as the art of war progressed. Naming, describing and classifying the myriad types of pole arms is not standardized, and indeed seems to vary greatly even among authoritative sources. This article presents a system of classification and nomenclature that readers should find reasonable and easy to use.

What is a pole arm? It is an infantry weapon designed to strike an enemy before they can strike you. A pole arm is simply a weapon on the end of a stick. To be considered here, the haft or shaft length of the weapon must be a minimum of 5' (1.5 meters) long.

References

• Gary Gygax (August, 1985). Unearthed Arcana (1st edition). (TSR, Inc.), pp. 123–128. ISBN 0880380845.

Bibliography

The reference cites these works:

• Ashdown, Charles, Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages (London 1925); British and Foreign Arms and Armour (London 1909)
• ffoulkes, Charles, Armour and Weapons (Oxford 1909)
• Oman, C.W.C., A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages (two volumes, London 1924)
• Saxtorph, Niels, M., Warriors and Weapons of Early Times and Use of Arms and Armor (New York 1934)
• Encyclopedia Brittanica, Eleventh Edition (New York 1910-11)