D&D 5E Just how long is the D&D Pike supposed to be?

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I disagree with the "easy to dodge" part.

With a "real" pike -- something twice the length of that spear in the video -- that the movement of the far end is greatly magnified itself makes it easy to "overcorrect" when moving it in reaction. And because the the distance from your hand to the fulcrum is a third of the distance from the fulcrum to the point, it means you need to use a lot of strength on the short side to move the far side -- which means a loss of precision in itself. So, combined, when the strength is exerted, sure, the tip can move fast -- from one side of the target to the other, and then he steps forward past the point as you try to correct. (An ox-tongue head helps, but only so much.) Further, the lever principle means it takes far less force to bat the pointy part aside than to hold it steady with a hand on the butt. So if he has a handy weapon or a shield to shove your pike's tip aside, he can do so unless you're way stronger than him, and step inside the danger.

So, there are two ways to mitigate that problem. The first is to be in a real pike formation, so there's too many pike-heads for him to dodge -- ideally with additional ranks of pikemen behind you with the points of their pikes sticking out in front of you. The second is to move your fulcrum-grip closer to the head and your rear grip further from the butt, so you can regain your ability to threaten and get finer control of the point. But the second only works in a duel, because in a group, you'd get the extra length behind you tangled up in your allies.

Pike-formation and pike-duel tactics and techniques were completely different, and D&D-size groups are in the position where neither set applies. You're much better off with a ten-foot spear in a D&D group.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

Looking at the stats of the Pike in DnD 5th the weapon seems more like the naval boarding pike the the historic army pike.



Naval pikes where about 8 feet long.
The head of the pike was less wide then the shaft where as in the case of spears the spear head is usualy wider then the shaft.
One of the reasons for this was that the shaft was wider, in cases described as as thick as a sloops rowing oars.
There are stories about people being lifted of the ground impaled on a boarding pike spear shafts would break under that kind of weight.

The boarding pike seems to fit the bill for a heavy reach weapon.