Quote Originally Posted by Spongly
This is true, but in use against cavalry you don't actually have to thrust with the spear - so long as you have a sufficient wall of spears presented to the enemy, no horse will charge it. The horse, after all, doesn't know that pilums are weak. Once the momentum is broken, you can close on the cavalry with your swords.
True, but I present that a sword is a less effective weapon than a spear when fighting cavalry, even when the horseman is at a standstill. Better to kill the soldier or horse from a distance.

I guess the pilum would have been marginally effective...for the first stab. It's better than no spear at all.