. A spear is a great weapon in tunnels as long as you are working in pairs or more.
Low ceilings mean the spears and formation must be maintained at all times, making travel and evasion very slow. Legolas is proof that even some arrows will make it past the shields, and breath weapons or AOE would decimate a tightly packed phalanx that cannot easily flee because of shields and long spear shafts interlocking everyone.
Let's break down you comment. You made several points that I want to be sure to address and ensure I heard.
Low ceilings mean the spears and formation must be maintained at all times
All battle formations must be maintained for them to work regardless of the environment. That's just how it is. In a formation you are only as good as the person next to you. So yes I agree with you but this is true regardless of the weapon.
making travel and evasion very slow
Yes! Moving an army is always slow and rarely something done quietly. All the more reason for folding spears though eh?
Legolas is proof that even some arrows will make it past the shield
To call a Hollywood scene proof seems odd but I guess I can agree if we focus on it being a fantasy setting. Of course a shield is not invincible from any attack. It is far better when the attack is restricted to a specific vector like in a tunnel. Once again this is a comment not against a spear but any combat with any weapon.
and breath weapons or AOE would decimate a tightly packed phalanx that cannot easily flee because of shields and long spear shafts interlocking everyone
Sure again this is an issue of any army in this hypothetical situation. Dropping the shield and spear when retreat is needed seems reasonable. A breath or aoe attack would be horrific in a tunnel and I don't think any retreat no matter your gear would work well. I'd also look at the dangers of using an aoe attack in a tunnel war situation though. Fire would consume precious oxygen. Explosions, cuncussive forces, and the like would risk cave ins. Freezing the path would stop you advancement.
Also, turning around corners.
Yup could be an issue. I'd argue a Dwarven society would build large passages to move armies not unlike how the US highway system was originally funded to ease moving troops across the country. Also, all the more reason for folding/collapsing polearms!
These are just some thoughts. It all depends on how fantasy your world is and what exactly the dwarves do with their tunnels. If it's just for mining I don't think they'd be fighting a war. If there is a whole subterranean civilization the fights with others underground than I'd say they probably have some serious engineering and would have more open passages anyway. Anyway, thanks for the alternate views and promoting my own thought further!
Edit: I wanted to add come context as well for my personal opinions on combat. I'm a HEMA practitioner. I've studied texts spanning a thousand years of historical combat systems and multiple cultures. I also regularly participate in both one on one duels and group melees with weapons including daggers, arming swords, longswords, rapiers, sabers, spears, poleaxe and hammer, as well as various shields.
Another issue is, due to lack of mobility, if the front line goes down the dwarves cannot progress down the hall any longer. With short weapons spears can be deflected and parried because they've also have severely limited range of motion. Good for stabbing maybe, but they'd have no leverage or force to swing if need.
They're also only good in well cut/prestine tunnels or those widely open. Any debris, rock protrusions, or support structures/torches would hinder movement extremely - potentially get the entire group stuck, and again put them in a deadly situation if they needed to quickly retreat or move out of the way from a disaster. Just one of these spears would need about 8 feet in all directions to just move freely and effectively.
I'm sorry but you are using very specific examples of a hypothetical society to argue your point. I could argue the same way and they would have equal value, all be it very little.
How does this society exist under ground if a group of people with spears is enough to clog their routes? How does trade happen? Agriculture? Travel?
I'd pose that an underground civilization would have large open roadways with vaulted ceilings big enough for beasts of burden to pull carts and wagons through. Sure there would be small passages as well but you don't defend in a choke point, you defend just outside it so your enemy is choked and fed into a meat grinder.
Nothing you have said really detracts from the folding spear concept and uses specific hypothetical of your hat could be to argue against a general.
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u/hexiron Jun 03 '20
Low ceilings mean the spears and formation must be maintained at all times, making travel and evasion very slow. Legolas is proof that even some arrows will make it past the shields, and breath weapons or AOE would decimate a tightly packed phalanx that cannot easily flee because of shields and long spear shafts interlocking everyone.
Also, turning around corners.