Overview
This is a short guide on how to use a pike in multiplayer For a while now, I’ve noticed many people in multiplayer saying the pike sucks, and this can only be down to one thing: they don’t know how to use it. Yes, its like a longer 2h spear, and yes, a spear can be wielded 2h and couched in the same manner, they are still different weapons. A spear is the more versatile version of a pike. It is excellent for supporting allies and deterring cavalry, and can allow you to take a shield to deal with archers. The pike is a more specialised version of the spear. It can support allies from a further distance than the spear, instakill cavalry, and, in sieges, can reach up or down ladders. The major trade-off is the lack of a shield; you are very vulnerable to archers, especially if your armour rating is low (<15), and have to hide or pick up a shield and use your sidearm, which limits how effective you can be with the pike. What's more is you cannot use it on horseback. So why pick the pike? A relatively recent feature for spear-type polearms in online multiplayer is the ability to 'couch' the polearm using 'X'. 'Couching' a polearm means lowering it from a fixed position, damaging whatever runs into it, and is aimed using the camera. This can apply to lances, pikes and spears, though they must be equipped 2h and be dismounted. This is relatively well known amongst online players. What is not well known is how to move with a 'couched' polearm, since you automatically return to a standing position if you move, meaning you need to toggle the 'couch' again. The trick is to toggle 'CAPS LOCK', which switches between walking/running, after 'couching' the polearm. This allows you walk in any direction while aiming the pike, as you would in a fixed position. This is far more effective with a pike than a spear, as most spears are short enough to give the cavalry player a chance to manoeuvre around or stop before the 'couch'. Most mounted polearms are also longer than the dismounted spears, like the Kontos, and can outreach and kill a player couching with the wrong weapon. That threat is eliminated with the pike, which will outreach all targets coming straight towards them. 90% of the time the horse will rear or die and make for an easy kill. If you just want to kill the player, aim higher. With that in mind, I will now briefly outline how I use the pike in multiplayer.CAPTAIN: Very effective against heavy or light cavalry, but poor against everyone else. Only take if you know the enemy team is taking 2 or more cavalry units (not including mounted archers). Otherwise take a shield or 2h shock weapon like the Bardiche. SKIRMISH: Again, the spear is a better option in supporting close-up melees, since players tend to move fast when they fight which can lead to them unintentionally blocking you. Same vulnerabilities as above, though the smaller maps make it a bit easier to manage archers and mounted archers. TDM: In this game-mode anything goes. For new players the pike is a gamble, but for players better acquainted with the mechanics of multiplayer, the pike can be a hedged bet for kills. If you are with your team you should stay behind your melees and try to aim up at the opponents face. Walking mode helps with accuracy. If you are alone and you get attacked by another melee, try to block and kick them away (this should appear as a push in the animation), walking backwards. Create as much space as you can between you and your opponent, again moving backwards after each attack or push. If they get too close try to switch to your sidearm after blocking their first attack. If you time it right, you will get a short window where it is safe to draw and block, before getting a chance to strike back. If you find yourself in a space that sees cavalry (the sloping street in Nord Town or the main dock in Harbour of Ovks), move into a choke point where they have to take a 'Y' turn to avoid you. Most players will avoid a pike in such a zone of control, though a few may still challenge it. Should they try do so, toggling 'CAPS LOCK' before 'X' fast enough should kill their horse before they can react, if not the player too (riskier with the spear). If they survive and land before you, stab them with the pike. If they land too close, draw your sidearm. If there are archers move in small circles or zigzags up and down the choke point, and if there are too many enemy melee units, find a different spot.SIEGE: My favorite gamemode and the reason why I made this guide, the pike can be an absolute asset for both the defending team, and for the attacking team defending their siege weapons. There are also many many choke-points in the castle that allow extremely effective 'couching' against cavalry (like the G gate for Baravenos Encirclement or left of the G spawn at Skala landing) The maps also have choke-points against melee units, where one or two pikes and a pair of shields can be enough to stop the enemy from capturing a flag (like the stairway to F in Skala or the D gateway at Fen Altai). For the latter spears are viable, but for the former they are always a worse replacement. To conclude, pike is chad, spear is virgin.