sword vs. spear

[woirble]

I've read various threads on the forum that discuss how a light_spear unit suffers a -4 penalty to its defence when it faces a sword unit.

I have a couple of questions related to this that I was hoping someone might be able to help me with.

Some of the spear units have swords as a secondary weapon.

If the men in a Thorikitai Hoplitai unit, for example, are using their swords while fighting a sword unit, do they suffer the -4 penalty to their defence?

If the men in a Thorikitai Hoplitai unit, for example, are using their swords to fight a spear unit, do the men in the spear unit suffer the -4 penalty to their defence?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

woirble

[Watchman]

People really need to stop thinking in terms of the MTW "bonus fighting spears" idiocy. No, the "spear" weapon attributes don't give penalties when fighting swordsmen; they give penalties when fighting infantry.

They are also very much limited to the weapon with the attribute, should the unit have an alternative melee weapon.