Do a generation without a sidearm, after that you can pick one up if you like. Helps you know when you really need to pull it out as opposed to taking it every 1v1 and spending less time using your spear.
War spear is too short versus other spears.
Spend more time attacking then you spend blocking. The more you attack, the less you block. The less you block, the longer your shield lasts.
Common shield doctrine: If you have a shield and you get hit, you are doing it wrong. Mentally review how you got hit and how you can avoid it next time. Mistakes are bad and if you get hit with your shield unbroken you most likely made one. Despite the above tip, you are a defensive class and you do not want to die. Dying is bad.
Don't try an kill people, try and stab them. Focusing on killing gives you tunnel vision, which is bad. You want to win the battle as a whole, so just poke whoever is not looking or downblocking.
If the guy in front of you is getting all uppity about you poking his teammates, but insists on holding his downblock, nudge him away and shift behind or to the side of a teammate and pick a new front buddy.
If fighting alone versus multiple people, rate them in order of aggression and pick the LEAST aggressive one as your front buddy. Move around to keep everyone behind your front buddy so you can poke them from over his(front buddy) shoulder.
Alternate front buddy's every now and then or they will catch on.