Spears have been broken since the original Warband Beta, over a year ago. The only attack they get with a shield is thrust, and you can counter infinite thrusts with one downblock, forever. Not only that, but when used with a shield, notice the huge delay when you strike someone, before your animation completes. Spear thrusts that do not strike flesh get "hung up" while the animation tries to complete the full thrust, even though the forward motion of the spear has stopped. This is against the swinging weapons that get a "bounce effect" when their strike is blocked. They recover rapidly, able to launch a second strike almost before the blocked animation has completed. Pair all of this with a ridiculously tiny "sweet spot" of about the last 1/8 of the animation, and you get a weapon meant for expert players only. Kudos to y'all that are good with them, you've earned some recognition.