New weapon Proficencies

Some more historically based weapon proficiencies

One handed long spear and shield

Whilst the most intuitive way to fight with a long spear is to use it with two hands it was often used one handed in combination with a medium or large shield. This was the way the Greek hoplites fought, the way the Viking shield walls fought and numerous others in the ancient and early medieval world.

The proficiency is a medium skill weapon and allows the possessor to use any spear and shield in combination, to use it most efficiently it also requires Phalanx fighting but this is not a prerequisite, as it was also widely used by “war band” style warriors such as the ancient Celts and Germans.

The only problem with it is it gives an opponent using a hand weapon of any type and shield a +1 defence as the spear is slightly easier to deflect if wielded with only one hand rather than two.

Pike and small shield

Another odd one, but this is how the pike men of Philip & his son Alexander fought as well as the pike men of the armies of Alexander’s Hellenic successors. The pike was still wielded two handed but a small shield was strapped to the off hand fore arm both to provide passive protection against missiles as well as to allow the pike man a shielded defence in close combat. It also meant the pike man had a shield if forced to resort to his secondary weapon.

Pike and shield is a high skill weapon and requires Phalanx fighter as a prerequisite.