Spear
A Spear is a weapon that is designed to act solely as a thrusting weapon that deals piercing damage. Piercing damage to limbs does not count to the disabled limb total for death.
Spears in Belegarth
Along with glaives, spears are one of the two most common types of polearm. While many prefer the advantages of a glaives, specifically the ability to slash, break shields, and their resistance to being grabbed, spears have their own advantages as well. Spears can be built with a smaller profile stabbing tip than glaives, which allows them to attack into smaller openings and be more difficult to parry. Also, do the absence of a blade and the much shorter required padded length, spears can be made much lighter than glaives, making them much quicker in the attack.
Spears have a number of drawbacks as well, however. In line fighting they are vulnerable to opposing fighters catching the spear from behind the head attempting to pull it away from the spear wielder. Since one-handed stabs can never damage an armored target area, spear fighters who have had an arm disabled become drastically less effective offensively. Due to their length and lack of a swung striking surface, large shields can prove difficult to work around, though far from impossible.
Although some fighters are quite deadly fighting with nothing but a spear even without a line or other support, most find that it's very important to always stick close to an attentive fighter with a shield and blue, to protect against enemies charging at the spearman and to block arrows. Additionally, wearing a buckler or slung shield and carrying a quickly accessible small backup weapon can make a spearman much more effective. It is in line fighting where spears truly shine, easily killing and wounding numerous opponents while mostly only needing to defend against enemy polearms, archers, and having their spear grabbed.
Construction
See Constructing a Spear for complete directions to build a spear.
Most spears are built on a bandpole core, with half of a Poof football forming the stabbing tip and a combination of blue foam and/or Pipe Insulation forming the haft padding, and a normally constructed pommel. Some are counterweighted using a carriage bolt, but this is quite uncommon.
Spears are also built on PVC cores (1" or greater diameter for most spears), Bamboo, or other materials.
Spears vs. Javelins
Many new fighters are confused by the distinction between spears and javelins. Javelins are a subclass of spears - that is, all javelins are spears but not all spears are javelins. All javelins can be used to stab just like a spear and must be tested accordingly. Spears which are not javelins are prohibited from having a yellow cover (which is required on all javelins) to prevent any confusion between the two.
In practice, most javelins are between four and five feet in length, while most spears are between six and eight feet. Shorter spears are not very effective due to their lack of reach, while longer javelins are more difficult to wield, conceal, keep under their 16oz maximum weight, and build safely.
Rules
1.4.3. Class 3
- All Class 3 Weapons must conform to the following:
1.4.3.1. If the Weapon is Class 3 only, it has no weight restriction.
1.4.3.2. The maximum handle length for Class 3 Weapons is 2/3 of its overall length.
1.4.3.3. May not have a yellow cover.