Long spears aka pikes

[Xol!]

I have two issues with the long spear:

1) It can overhead through teammates.  Everyone knows it's a problem.  There's nothing that can be done about it, theoretically, until the WSE comes out.  I think the overhead should simply be removed until that happens, and then, if possible, both the pike and the long spear should be given 'high' thrusts.

2) Everyone and their mother can carry one into battle.  I think the slots taken should be raised to 3.  Right now, it's too easy to hybrid a regular melee build with a support build, simply by bringing a long spear to fill those extra equipment slots.

Coincidentally, I can see two questions coming up right off the bat:
1)  Why would anyone use the long spear over the pike?
You can use one with a 12 strength build, and the other you can use with an 15 strength build.  Hopefully the long spear would have a price reduction as well.

2) Won't everyone who carries a long spear + 2 slots of gear simply switch to the bamboo spear?
Maybe.  And that's perfectly fine.  The bamboo spear has a manageable 200 length, forcing the user into combat range.  It also has slightly lower overhead damage than the long spear, so it (presumably) would glance more.  It does only require 10 strength, so current dedicated long spear fans and newly-retired peasants would be able to use the bamboo spear in a similar way the long spear is used now.  The only difference is the higher chance of personal risk.

Just my two cents.  Since everything else can spinstab, I don't really see the point of arguing about it in this one specific instance.  I'm not saying my solutions are necessarily balanced, together or separately, but I think they're the best fixes for the problems I listed.

[Fartface]

yes remove the overhead doesnt make sense anyway with it.
make it 3 slots , that means al these fake 2h using a pike dont do it anymore while the treu deticated pikeman keeps on +1 to me.

[Siiem]

means al these fake 2h using a pike dont do it anymore while the treu deticated pikeman keeps on +1 to me.

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First of all you use a long spear, secondly you suck.

[Joxer]

Long spear isn't used anymore than it used to be. Now you just see it since you have to start the fight with it in your hands. Also if you have trouble with the "speed" of long spear I'm at a loss for words. It's slow as hell.

[Xant]

The stab is instant if you're close to the pikeman. That's not the problem, though. The problem is that it turns the melee into a no-skill spamfest. Not to mention that currently even if you manage to completely play your opponents and keep the pikeman behind his teammates 100% of the time, he still just overheads you through your teammates. In short, it's retarded. It does way too much considering you need zero skill to use it effectively.

[Uumdi]

The stab is instant if you're close to the pikeman. That's not the problem, though. The problem is that it turns the melee into a no-skill spamfest. Not to mention that currently even if you manage to completely play your opponents and keep the pikeman behind his teammates 100% of the time, he still just overheads you through your teammates. In short, it's retarded. It does way too much considering you need zero skill to use it effectively.

Block down, buddy.  I would argue it takes a ton of skill.

[Xant]

Block down, buddy.  I would argue it takes a ton of skill.

You're obviously not from EU.

[Gorath]

You obviously don´t know that a downblock does not cover you from an overhead.

Spam overheads, chamber 2 long spears simultaneously regardless of their attack direction.   

[Vibe]

Block down, buddy.  I would argue it takes a ton of skill.

This would work if there was only 1 pikeman. Yesterday when I played, whenever I found myself attacked by a group of 3+ enemies they almost always had 1 spearman with his attack chambered just waiting for me to drop my shield. Now I can fight off multiple enemies but as soon as there is atleast one pikeman in the group I'm done for.

Also:

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[Joxer]

Yeah cause that's exactly the reason pikes excists? Also if you go up against your own class with an equal skilled player then how are you "fighting off multiple enemies". 

[Thucydides]

everything is balanced, In a server full of long spear my old friends get a pike and out range the motherfucker. He'll think you're using a longspear, and miscalculate the range. After you get rid of the longspear bundle of stickss you can switch to a proper melee weapon.

Its like only 5% of the CRPG community can come up with a counter to an obvious tactic and the rest go on the CRPG forum and whine.

[Xant]

... Longspear is obviously balanced, yes, when you can go pike and outrange them! Wow! You must be somehow related to Fasader.

[Cyclopsided]

Overhead stab, just saying. I'm 95% sure it collides with teammates, unlike overhead pole swing.
lol wse, One more final warband patch and we'll then get the solutions to our problems

[[ptx]]

Is there a connection between 22nd being almost exclusively 2h and them also being the greatest complainers about long spear?

[Cyclopsided]

Is there a connection between 22nd being almost exclusively 2h and them also being the greatest complainers about long spear?

It is the great equalizer. Greater numbers and teamwork win in the face of player skill. Every time.   Sadly, this is currently more-so caused by the overhead negating the player skill coordination requirement of the teamwork. When people complain about the thrusts though, I laugh.
Any highly skilled melee player doesn't like it, They can't solo that group of bad players then! Hell, I'm a pikeman and I hate going against enemies supported by them when on my 2h characters. But I understand that I shouldn't win a fight of me vs 5 people normally.

It's all good though. 2h still sits at the top of the heap, king of duels and one on ones. 1v1s still being the vast majority of kills in the current crpg metagame. They've never been good at teamwork as a weapon, and that is not their niche.