Forum

First: Do the rules specify that Heavy weapons are two-handed? I may have just missed that.
Sure, great clubs and two handed swords are two-handed in real-world use... ...but what about long spears?

I mean the reason the spear had a place on the battlefield for thousands of years: you can still hold a shield and make effective spear attacks with a very long spear. Unlike a polearm, you are only stabbing the user doesn't need the leverage required for a swinging weapon.

The Heavy feature simply means it takes two inventory slots.  This is how the feature works in their other Year Zero games.  

Unfortunately, this is explained elsewhere in the text (p33), so it is quite easy to miss.  Oh, and it has been mentioned to Fria Ligan, too, so we should see this made a bit more clear in the next / final version of the rules.

First: Do the rules specify that Heavy weapons are two-handed? I may have just missed that.
Sure, great clubs and two handed swords are two-handed in real-world use... ...but what about long spears?

I mean the reason the spear had a place on the battlefield for thousands of years: you can still hold a shield and make effective spear attacks with a very long spear. Unlike a polearm, you are only stabbing the user doesn't need the leverage required for a swinging weapon.

From the Alpha, all I can see referring to HEAVY weapons is the table of equipment and this section from page 84:
"SWING WEAPON: You swing your melee weapon to make your upcoming strike more powerful. No roll is required, but this fast action requires a HEAVY weapon. Must be performed directly before a SLASH or STAB, in the same turn. If the attack is successful, the Damage done increases by +1."
Hope that helps.

Thank you for the feedback!

I had caught the Encumbrance note (counts as two items) and the Swing action.

But so far, no mention of requiring two hands? I am more than willing to let "Reason" rule the day here, but I was wondering if I had missed a line.

Thank you for the feedback!

I had caught the Encumbrance note (counts as two items) and the Swing action.

But so far, no mention of requiring two hands? I am more than willing to let "Reason" rule the day here, but I was wondering if I had missed a line.

I haven't fully interrogated the rules yet, so I may be off, but I see the Longsword as a bastard / hand-and-a-half sword and the Battle Axe (from the picture) appears to be the same length as the normal Axe, so neither appear to be 2H weapons.
Going by this, I would say the Heavy feature doesn't equate to 2H.  In other words, the rules don't seem to prevent the use of a spear and shield like a hoplite.

Thank you for the feedback!

I had caught the Encumbrance note (counts as two items) and the Swing action.

But so far, no mention of requiring two hands? I am more than willing to let "Reason" rule the day here, but I was wondering if I had missed a line.

I haven't fully interrogated the rules yet, so I may be off, but I see the Longsword as a bastard / hand-and-a-half sword and the Battle Axe (from the picture) appears to be the same length as the normal Axe, so neither appear to be 2H weapons.
Going by this, I would say the Heavy feature doesn't equate to 2H.  In other words, the rules don't seem to prevent the use of a spear and shield like a hoplite.

Indeed! I feel like the tenth little bee, our thinking is so matched on the matter!

Indeed! I feel like the tenth little bee, our thinking is so matched on the matter!

Haha!