Make spears great again

[El español]

Greetings fellow warriors,

I wanted to take a moment to discuss a topic that has been bothering me while playing Mount and Blade: Bannerlord - the underwhelming effectiveness of spears and pikes, especially on foot. Considering the historical significance and prevalence of these weapons throughout various eras, it's disheartening to find their current state in the game.

Throughout history, spears and pikes have been the primary weapons for countless soldiers. Their reach, versatility, and ability to form tight defensive formations made them formidable tools in both offense and defense. However, in Bannerlord, these iconic weapons seem to have lost their edge.

In the game's current state, a pikemen formation can be easily overwhelmed in melee combat by sword-wielding infantry. This is contrary to what we would expect based on historical knowledge. Instead, spears and pikes should possess the ability to hold their ground and push back enemies, even when faced with adversaries wielding shields.

It is essential to recognize that Bannerlord aims to provide a realistic and immersive experience, and a rebalancing of spear and pike mechanics would greatly enhance the game's authenticity. By allowing these weapons to be more effective in their intended roles, the battlefield dynamics would shift, creating new strategic opportunities and emphasizing the historical importance of these weapons.

Now, while I appreciate the hard work of the developers, I would like to inquire if there are any mods available that address this issue. Perhaps some talented modders within our community have already noticed this discrepancy and have taken steps to rectify it. If any of you have come across such mods or have suggestions for modifications that enhance the use of spears and pikes, please do share your insights.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that this post is not meant to criticize or belittle the efforts of the developers but rather to draw attention to an area where the game could be improved. By reevaluating the mechanics surrounding spears and pikes in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord, we can elevate the experience and bring it closer to the historical reality we all appreciate.

Thank you for your attention, and I eagerly await your thoughts and suggestions on this matter.

May your spears strike true and your pikes stand firm!

 

[kyle_usmc]

Get the rbm mod, it isn't perfect but spears perform great on it.

 

[froggyluv]

Yeah I guess its RBM mod because Spears and Pikeman are lethal in my playthru. I prefer to have them for myself and besides Cav its my Elite Pikemen getting the majority of kills in battle

 

[Crisagon]

+1

 

[black_bulldog]

 

[Earth Dragon]

The truth is we’re still decades away from unit formations actually working properly in video games, and that’s the only way to get spears to operate properly.

If you make spears “awesome” with the current way things work, they’ll be unrealistically awesome in isolated combat, at which spears were an inferior weapon.

 

[archaicwarrior]

If spears were to work historically then horsemen would need to avoid a braced spearman - charge then see set footman, and turn away

But we all know modders need to do this.

AW

 

[HalfMetalJacket]

The devs insist on this stupid system. They see nothing wrong with spears being just 'for cavalry'. Why they can't just use Viking Conquest's style is beyond me.

But just use RBM.

 

[Ba18070]

One issue with your statement... Saying "again" implies they were ever good in the first place. Spears have never been good in game, despite one verified dueling manual of the late medieval era placing only the dagger and buckler combination higher than the pike for 1v1 duels. In England i believe it was a sheriff told the king to recommend the quarterstaff as the defensive option against brigands, as its useful in multiple roles, does not present aggression just by having and is very cheap. When people doubted the quality of protection it could offer, he had a demonstration set up where he proceeded to destroy 3 men coming at him with daggers using what is really just a long stick. .

These things are great for historical knowledge or practical "just incase this becomes Mad Max" backup plans, but less so for games. It is very difficult though to balance because if a spear can hold someone off at range, do great armor piercing damage with a thrust, and effectively be used like a staff to push them out in close range, it becomes the default weapon for everyone. Unfortunately game mechanics somewhat have to dictate the situation instead of reality in this case. Though I'm certain a better job can be done than currently, balance is a major concern.

Games are full of this stuff though. I am aware this has nothing to do with Bannerlord itself but for context of how balancing has to work lets look at shooters. Pump action shotguns in game? You shoot then for some reason pull the weapon back against your body, make it vertical and do a very exaggerated chunk-chunk slide, like the breech block weighs about 10 pounds and is rusted shut, before leveling it back out again to shoot, about 1 shot every 1.25-2 seconds. Do you know how fast you can use a pump action shotgun irl? 5 rounds in 4 seconds is a rate that can be considered "careful." The gun never leaves the level and the only thing that moves is your forward arm to do a simple quick slide motion that takes less than a tenth of a second. Because if they let you shoot the gun like it would realistically, you would destroy everything in close range so fast its stupid. 00 buckshot is basically the same thing as a .380 bullet, so its like firing 9 handguns at once at a target.

But on that note, maybe just making all weapons crazy is the correct avenue. If everything is stupidly powerful, nothing is overpowered. Currently, where are the halberds, poleaxes or other two handers that are not super slow, have a strong ranged swing and a reasonable thrust attack? I can make a falx doing 150+ damage with a 110 swing speed and 155 reach. Maybe other weapons need to be as devastating across the board? Having a halberd that could do 120 damage, 95 swing speed and 185 reach sounds fine to me. One handed swords that swing at 120 speed but have lower damage or armor piercing but still make it to 105 range? Great, bring it.
Bows are the only weapon currently performing both in a balanced manner and to expectation, imo