My Guide to Glaive Fighting

[Torry]

I have recently noticed a lack of good glaive fighters. While I know several people that are more than capable of using a glaive, I felt that several people might benefit from a guide.

I ended up writing a very wordy document that I've tossed up on google docs here.

If there are any questions or suggestions, please post them up in this thread.

*Edit: Now links to an RTF document so Google Docs doesn't try to get you to download it.

[Tiercel]

Read it, and gained a little insight on someone else's approach, so thanks for the document. I was hesitant to click on a link that required a download, though. You may want to consider packaging the document differently.

If you want to improve the document, one small change that could make a big difference would be simple illustrations of some of the "wordy" parts, as you put it. High, middle, and low stance, the grips you mentioned, things like that.

[The Great Gigsby]

Please upload this in a different format.

.mht hurts my soul.

[Thorondor]

Glanced at it. Looks pretty good. Why not put it up on the wiki? Just search for something like "glaive fighting" and then create the page. It's pretty simple

~Þ~

[The Great Gigsby]

Thanks for fixing it.

Really good primer on basic polearm work. If you were looking to expand it, I'd like to see a section on how to handle pole vs. pole, since other guys with reach are often the biggest threat in a line. Also, a high guard (the roof) is more versatile than you're giving it credit for, especially if you're flanking or skirmishing.

[Torry]

I do plan to keep expanding this doc, and eventually getting it into a better form and tossing it up on the wiki.

Pole v Pole is definitely something that shall be added as soon as I get done doing some re-writing.

You are also correct that high guard/roof has more versatility. I generally don't spend too much time flanking or skirmishing with the glaive, so I stuck to the techniques I know best. I think I'll try to work some of that in with the aforementioned re-write.

Thanks for the input guys.

[Arrakis]

I definitely want to give this a look later, when I'm not still on campus, but it's really awesome just to see some dialog on pole fighting in Belegarth.

[Prawn]

Yeah, I agree with Arakkis. I like men who tell me how to work their poles.

[Thomas MacFinn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yix5uyhUolY

[Azgarehta]

On the subject of pole vs. pole:

You have options, be quick or be defensive. If you know you are faster, go for the hip chip. Spearmen stand sideways, with their weight more towards the front leg. The golden killshot is that forward hip up to the torso. It is hard for spearmen to move that hip out of the way, since it is where your center of gravity is. Most spearmen will take the option of blocking the spear and counterstriking at the same area.

The goal of spear vs. spear is to make the opponent commit to a strike or a block, then counter. Use feints to make them commit, then strike where they cannot block.

With a glaive, you also get the ability to swing after a missed spear shot, or attack the sides as well as the front.

[Torry]

I'd definitely have to agree about the hip. One of my favorite shots to use with the glaive is a quick backswing to the hip/torso after deflecting a stab.

I also will typically bait a spear into a stab by standing just inside the range of a single green, but outside the range of double green. Single greens are rather easy to deflect with two hands on the glaive/spear. After deflecting the blow, you are already in range for a single or can take a step to get into range for a double.

[The Great Gigsby]

Single greens are rather easy to deflect with two hands on the glaive/spear. After deflecting the blow, you are already in range for a single or can take a step to get into range for a double.

Yeah, that's a favorite move of mine. I like to play the range game until I can bait the other pole into doing a pool cue shot, then smack their weapon with as much power as I can straight into the ground, followed by a straight shot to their hip/side. If you know a pop shot is coming, it's really easy to counter. Plus if you've got decent support, they should be moving in for the kill the instant you counter the shot.