So, why do we have halberds?

[Guest]

Neither was rune around back in the Historical days. Neither is it around now. It's made up which is what runescape is all about. :wink:

[onauric]

Word halberd comes from Germany I suppose, meaning something like "staff" with/and "axe". So I see no reason why Jagex couldn't use it. Knights preferred using it along with 2h swords when fighting on foot and later swiss started to use it as primary infantry weapon because their terrain didn't really favour any mounted troops. It's probably not fully european invention, I think chinese used it long before it was introduced in Europe.

[Zonorhc]

 

STOP LOOKING SO MUCH INTO WHAT JAGEX DOES

 

 

 

It is part fantasy, unless I'm missing the part in history where we had fairys, elves, talking cows, camels, sheep, and neckalces that let us talk to cats.

 

 

 

It's a game. Shut up and enjoy it.

 

 

 

Right. Clearly, you didn't understand one whit of the idea behind this. It's a point of discussion.

 

 

 

Yes, it's a fantasy game and I damn well know how fantasy games work. That doesn't mean that I can't question the way it violates suspension of disbelief. I LIKE singling out details in games that don't quite fit, and frankly I don't see what right YOU have to tell me how to play a game.

 

 

 

Neither was rune around back in the Historical days. Neither is it around now. It's made up which is what runescape is all about. Wink

 

 

 

Again, suspension of disbelief. They can make things up, but that doesn't mean I can't nitpick on little details like why they'd develop a weapon that was developed with pulling riders off horses then butchering them in mind.

 

 

 

I REALLY have to write something at some point so people would understand the concept of suspension of disbelief.

[Lim_Dul]

Here's some quotes pertaining to halberds I got off of a few websites.

 

 

 

With a long history of use, the pole axe was very popular in the lists, with the winner being decided by the number of blows fairly struck. It was also used in serious duels, where the winner was the one who could walk away from the field. But even so, it was also quite popular for use on the field of battle. At 68" in length, the pole axe (also called a poll axe, since it was used to hit the head) was quite handy. With a good sharp point it could be used as a short spear, the back hammer or [bleep]e could be used to batter or pierce armor, and the axe head itself was quite lethal.

 

 

 

Next is the halberd, which is like an axe on a stick. The force of the swing is greater with this weapon and can cause greater damage to both armoured and unarmoured opponents. Often there is a [bleep]e on top of the pole and on the other side of the axe blade to give a more precise armour-piercing weapon, as well as to give the user something to kill an opponent with on the backswing.

 

 

 

The halberd was cheap to produce and very versatile in battle. Originally, the halberd was best known for the sheer weight and cutting power of its axe head, able to carve through the armor commonly used by knights upon its introduction into the battlefield. As the halberd was eventually refined, its point was more fully developed to allow it to better deal with spears and pikes (also able to push back approaching horsemen), as was the hook opposite the axe head, which could be used to pull horsemen to the ground.

 

 

 

From what I gather, the real reason for the long haft of a halberd was to defeat plate armors by generating such great force at the axe head. A halberds ability to remove opponents from horses was most likely an afterthought.

 

 

 

As far as runescape goes, the halberd would be well suited to most any type of melee battle, so it makes good sense that it be included in runescape. It really gets a rather poor depiction though, as it should have a greater strength bonus than a 2h sword. This weapon should be one of the most effective at killing enemies wearing armor, far more capable than a scimitar for instance.

[Rubinio]

Probably because of the earlier given reasons, and it might be that there was asked for it via the god letters. exempli gratia: i seem to remember that was the reason why they made war hammers...

[andreas1993]

We don't question magic, monsters, elves and so on but you question halberds! :roll:

 

We might as well use monsters as weapons because I'ts a game.

 

Out with the logic, in with the magic stuff.

[dorkvader]

 

Historically, halberds were developed as a weapon for use against cavalry, because they could be set against a charge like a spear, hack through plate mail with their heavy blade, and pull riders off horses with the fluke behind the blade.

 

 

 

forgive me for paraphrasing i detest long quotes

 

 

 

my favorite part ablut the halbers is that (for the ones with [bleep]es behind the axe part) the [bleep]e was used also to bash knees out of horses thus effectiveley rendering them useless and causing a sickening "crunch" i love it! i've always wanted to do that to someone.

 

 

 

as for their use in rs. i dunno. i think it was becasue they ran out of ideas for new types of medieval weapons. that was probabley it.

[Pinkbullet3]

It's been bugging me for a while, but why ARE there halberds in Runescape?

 

 

 

Historically, halberds were developed as a weapon for use against cavalry, because they could be set against a charge like a spear, hack through plate mail with their heavy blade, and pull riders off horses with the fluke behind the blade.

 

 

 

So why are they in the game? As JAGeX has said in the letters, there aren't any horses in Runescape.

 

 

 

Lemme ask you, why are there scimitars, battle axes, 2 handed swords, long and short swords, and all those other weapons I haven't covered?

 

 

 

It's only a game, and if it continues to bug you, then... I don't know.

 

 

 

I just think the hallies are in the game because JAGeX felt it might be fun to let players use a non-ranged/magical weapon that can hit over 1 square... that's just my assumption.

 

 

 

You could say, though, that people use the hally to "hack through plate mail with their heavy blade" when they're fighting people/NPCs who do wear plate mail.

 

 

 

:)

[nuet]

Hey, I've been thinking about this ( im new to rune tips [ not runescape ] :P ), maybe its to attract more players to become member becuase you know how its an only members item :D go me! :lol:

[aznmidget448]

For distance melee...

[Trigonous]

Because they look friggin awsome.

[spooferfish]

 

STOP LOOKING SO MUCH INTO WHAT JAGEX DOES

 

 

 

It is part fantasy, unless I'm missing the part in history where we had fairys, elves, talking cows, camels, sheep, and neckalces that let us talk to cats.

 

 

 

It's a game. Shut up and enjoy it.

 

 

 

Right. Clearly, you didn't understand one whit of the idea behind this. It's a point of discussion.

 

 

 

Yes, it's a fantasy game and I damn well know how fantasy games work. That doesn't mean that I can't question the way it violates suspension of disbelief. I LIKE singling out details in games that don't quite fit, and frankly I don't see what right YOU have to tell me how to play a game.

 

 

 

Neither was rune around back in the Historical days. Neither is it around now. It's made up which is what runescape is all about. Wink

 

 

 

Again, suspension of disbelief. They can make things up, but that doesn't mean I can't nitpick on little details like why they'd develop a weapon that was developed with pulling riders off horses then butchering them in mind.

 

 

 

I REALLY have to write something at some point so people would understand the concept of suspension of disbelief.

 

 

You said it! Fantasy!! They can put halberds in if they want k? They put them in for us to kill things with and annoy rangers and their training spots.

[Zonorhc]

I suppose I have to do this just so people would understand...

 

 

 

Suspension of disbelief.

[mini193]

There are alot of 'hi-tech' or way past the date items/other things that are way passed the supposed to be date/time/era of runescape

 

yeah i agree. For exaple the bazooka that oyu gbet in mourner's end part 1.... I don't think they had bazookas in the middle ages :shock:

[2kwooada]

firstly its a game, so there is no reason for it not to exist.

 

But, the halberd was derived from the billhook. This consisted of a hook, blade and spear tip on the end of a pole, these billhooks were used in farming as a multipurpose item. This was then discovered by the armies (supposedly the swiss) and developed to become the halberd. It was developed not just for pulling knights of horses, but for cutting through ranks with its heavy head and reaching through spear walls and hitting things in general at a long distance. There is the reason(s) for the halberd in RS and reinforcing the point even more, as there are no horses in RS, so the hook has been removed off the halberd. So the whole reason for having halberds is fine as they came from the farmers in RS and were developed to reach long distances like the billhook and hit heavy damage with a large heavy head.

 

Hope that was enlightening

[Zonorhc]

So, you are saying that in effect, it's a pole-axe rather than a true halberd.

 

 

 

A simple name change could stitch up so many loose ends. The defining point of a halberd is, after all, the fluke behind the blade which WAS used to pull riders off their horses. Without the fluke, it's just an axe with a long haft.

[leech4440]

i would say that there is a thing called imagination,use it!

 

if idiots like you think that there shouldent be halberds cos there isnt any horses then jagex might decide to get rid of halberds.also runescape isnt set in the middle ages its set in modern day on another planet.

[Raven6666]

halberds do not because they are anti-cavalry weapons.

 

 

 

yeah, i recall studying and finding out that halberds are used at anti-cavalry

 

 

 

its even more fun if u demount the opponent, since thats why they have that space at the bottom to grab or hook the leg

 

 

 

i didnt realise this until now, but thanks for the heads up, and yes, i think they might let use have poh(player owned horses)

[Kalliel]

Halberd's are there so you can fight things at a distance with melee, they hit slowly, but enable you to attack things that would normally kill you with normal melee.

[Zonorhc]

Thread necromancy aside, I believe my original post asked for an in-character reason for them to exist - not "so melee can hit things from further". Maybe the elves wanted to fight against gnomes on terrorbirds or something, but those are barely tall enough to warrant a greatsword, let alone a bloody great pollaxe that doesn't even have the fluke or [bleep]e of a halberd.

 

 

 

Speaking of which, why DID they call it a halberd instead of just a pollaxe, since it doesn't actually have a (visible) [bleep]e or fluke?

[booduz69]

Heres a question; why did YOU post this asking for an answer, when you blatantly aren't happy with the ones people are giving you?

 

 

 

Instead of asking us, go ask Jagex, i'm sure they'll tell you.

[Zonorhc]

Because I wanted to (SHOCK!) stimulate discussion about something beyond "LAWL UPDATE" or "OMG I GOT SKAMED ROFLBEANS". Is it my fault when I set up a place for intelligent discussion and it's instead overrun by monkeys who throw faeces at passersby?

[bestsob]

I think they make an interesting combat weapon. As you said they were used to 'hack' through platemail.

[jabraulter]

To make melee, mage and range even. It wouldn't be very fair for warriors if there was no way they could train their stats without being hit.

 

 

 

My thoughts as well.

[indalecio]

I would like to clear something up for everybody, as there seems to be alot of

 

confusion on the matter. RuneScape is not a world in the past; it is in fact a world

 

set over 3,000 years in the future. In the aftermath of WWIV, the world

 

was a place of confusion and despair. The nuclear winter caused by the detonation

 

of hundreds of plutonium-based bombs killed over 99% of th e worlds population.

 

Now, in the year 5000 A.D., we are just reaching the stage of civilization that

 

our ancestors achieved in the year 1500 A.D.

 

 

 

The dragons you struggle so valiantly to overcome are descended from

 

mere newts and lizards. The infamous Kalphite Queen is a direct descendant

 

of our scarab beetle, although it has been throughly mutated by generations

 

of radioactive exposure. Your common horse was made completely extinct

 

by the nuclear war; the closest descendant still living is the Hellhound.

 

And in this world of desolation and death, where mankind's total population

 

has only recently exceeded 1,000,000, an oppressive new king has seized

 

power. That king's name is Zezima, and only one thing left in the world can

 

stop him. Half man, half machine, he is ...

 

 

 

INDALECIO, NUCLEAR JUSTICE WARRIOR!!

 

 

 

Coming February 2007 to a theater near you.