Halberds

The halberd was cheap to produce and very versatile in battle. 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.

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Halberd - the Weapon of the Early Swiss Armies
Halberd - the Weapon of the Early Swiss Armies
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Halberds are two-handed “pole weapons” and were an important primary infantry weapon in the 14th and 15th centuries, that proved very effective against cavalry. This article also explores other similar weapons used across Europe that resemble the…
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Halberds

halberd (also called halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm (staff), and Barte (axe) - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft. It always has a hook or thorn on the back side of the axe blade for grappling mounted combatants. It is very similar to certain forms of the voulge in design and usage. The halberd was 1.5 to 1.8 metres (5 to 6 feet) long.