Quote Originally Posted by Kraxis
Which are all less capable weapons that the trusty spear. The spear is just about one of the best weapons ever. And there is a reason basically all troops carried one. Or that most weapon trainers emphasise that equal level swordsmen and spearmen should not engage as the spearmen will usually win. In Japanese martial arts it is a general rule that kenjutsu practitioners(swordsmen) should be three levels above any yarijutsu opponent to have an equal fight.

Besides a spear and shield is an intuitive form of combatstyle. You can basically give anybody a large shield and a spear and he will understand without any instruction how to use it effectively.

I don't mind that spears are supposed to get beaten by swords as it is really an abstraction of elite and not elite infantry. But it becomes silly when craptacular Peasants can take avantage of the setup for that.
True in a one on one fight, not true in a formed melee. A spearman will admitedly always have the advantage over a swordsman in a duel because of his reach. If the swordsman steps forward to even things out, the spearman can step back, and still reach him.
But in tight formation, you cannot step back, you cannot keep that safety distance, and you cannot use wide, circling swings or figure 8s either, the longer your spear is, the more you're restricted to predictable forward thrusts, either overhand or underhand. So the swordsman who dodges the first stab and gets you in his kill range has a good chance to smoke you, since his weapon is faster and more wieldy.