#polearms

Halberd, Dutch Flemish or Luxembourg, circa 1580-1600

"The Nomenclature of Pole Arms" by Gary Gygax explained exactly what all those obscure names in the AD&D Players Handbook meant (article in Dragon magazine 22, February 1979). This expanded on a pair of articles that originally appeared in the first two issues of The Strategic Review in 1975. Unfortunately these issues came and went, leaving most AD&D players confused about many of these terms for another decade.

Note the heading for the "Partisans" section is missing, following the "Ranseur" paragraph. There the infamous "Bohemian ear spoon" finally is revealed to be a variant partisan with spikes instead of small side blades. Later the "Lucern hammer" (or "Lucerne") is illustrated and described as a very pointy piercing weapon with extra prongs, not the blunt bludgeoning weapon many cleric players assumed.