They were DESIGNED to be used in ranks. But, well, the manuals recognize that "the way that things are used when things work well" and "the way that things are ACTUALLY used when everything goes to hell" are two different things, and that, if you intend to survive the latter situation, it's a really good idea to have some training in it. Having a short sword, or, more commonly, a long knife, for the close-quarters stuff is nice, but, well, if someone gets inside, you need to deal with him NOW, not after you drop your polearm and draw your knife. Therefore, if you intend to survive, you want to be able to use your polearm as a staff, as a dagger, as a shortaxe, and so forth.
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Date: 2005-02-28 12:42 am (UTC)