+1 for the shield destruction, maybe include throwing axes in that as well
Also, spears should break too!
Spears should NOT break. I HATE seeing people say things like "blocking with a spear is unrealistic it should break when being hit with a sword" this is just not true. or "stabbing with spears should eventually have the shaft break" also just not true. Spears are not made of paper, they arent so easily cut through or snapped, it would take a large blunt force on a STATIC spear to splinter it similarly it would take a heavy cut to a spear while the spear is static to cut through it. If the spear is in motion you will have a very hard time cutting through it or splintering it and attempting to do so can get you killed(due to you rearing up and going for a heavy enough swing to break the spear thus exposing yourself). in order to sunder or cut through a spear youd need to have it perectly stationary and braced so that it cannot move and then take a hard swing at it to sunder. in combat spears are not held like this and are constantly moving see below an attempt to sunder a spear by holding it still without a brace
Not easy. and the person holding the spear isnt moving the spear away from the slice after contact. they are trying to hold it as steady as possible. In order to cut through it youd need someone holding it on the other side as well and then a third person to make a hefty swing at it. - side note. if your in melee and try to grab someone spear so you can sunder it, which is hard to do in itself, expect them to pull the spear back. if you manage to maintain your grip, expect to be pulled straight into a mighty shield to your face (bad idea) Another side note, sundering a spear by bracing it against your shield after a missed lunge can work if you are very fast and predict the lunge properly without getting speared in the face, see this below
EDIT: Keep in mind in the above video the person knows the spear is coming and the spear isnt being thrust fast or retracted, so do actually do this youd need to be very fast and intuitive to capitalise on this. (spears can be retracted very fast)
------ everything between this is educated conjecture--------
Also thrusting long weapons at people CAN make them break, but i would think its more likely that the weapon would impale your opponent(or cut through and displace them leaving your weapon intact) and get stuck than break(causing you to drop the weapon). youd have to charge on horseback into a solid wall with a spear and thrust to try and break it like that. (again your likely to lose grip on the spear before it breaks i imagine, or break your arm rather than the spear, perhaps even throw yourself off your horse from impact. though this is the best way to break a spear or other long weapon)
------------------------ educated conjecture over
keep in mind that jousting lances were DESIGNED to break so if this is what makes you think that long weapons should break on impact then you are mistaken. Jousting lances were designed to break so that there is less chance of severely injuring your opponent. the idea being that if you break your lance on somebody the hit that you delivered would have done substantial damage if it was a REAL lance. (generally jousting lances were hollow, or some other method to make it break rather than penetrate. Also blunt so no penetration)
On foot? SIGNIFICANTLY harder to break your spear from thrusting and striking