Regardless of how strong you are, it is always better to have a lever. That's why hammers have long handles. For a hammer that is made for war it is even more important to have a sufficiantly long handle, because of weapon reach. That's why most real war hammers look so puny compared to fantasy ones. They have relatively small heads but long handles, since that just makes more sense. Same for axes btw.
I want a warhammer just for the sheer satisfaction of swinging such a long thing around and hitting someone with it
Poleaxes rule! Fun fact: Many of them are not even axes, they just have hammers and spikes at their upper end. Fun fact 2: They have a very metal name in German: "Mordaxt" (murder axe).
Poleaxes are also my jam. You can hook a shield and break someone's arm with it. Get the blade over the shield edge, get the back of the blade caught on the shield, yank forward, break arm, move shield
Or just hit them in the head with the hammer thing. The force those can create is magnificient. A single hit of a poleaxe to the head can knock out or kill a knight in full plate armor. I once did the math on one of those and I was shocked. You might say I was....wait for it.... poleaxed. (I can't believe that's a word that really exists) Can't find the result anymore but it was like being kicked in the head by a horse IIRC.
Polearms are OP. They really are. Guess that's the reason why they were so popular for several millenia.
That's a pretty poor length. (yes I know it is deadly but we are talking melee weapons, and for that it is poor)
Well range is a different thing... But pikes are longer... single purpose and hence less effective in one on one fighting but longer...
I have indeed set myself up. okay but look, it is far easier and cheaper to get my hands on a poleaxe in my area than a sniper rifle and I feel poleaxes have a much greater practical application. What sort of practical application, Hype? you may cry You get great arms using them and you look pretty awesome and no one is guaranteed to come within 7 feet of you when you hold it. GREAT for personal space
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/artic...for-the-longest-confirmed-kill-shot---but-how I know... it was a joke. Spoiler: Melee weapon
Oh, I just noticed I disagree here: They are very effective in 1on1 fighting. In an open field their range advantage makes 1on1 fights with a sword against them almost futile. Modern HEMA practicioners say the chance of a poor spear fighter winning against a pretty good swordsman is, like, 3 out of 4 times. Even one spear against two swordsmen wins half of the time.