Was there a better melee weapon?

Yes.

>only useful in formation combat

which is what warfare was about why would I give a flying fuck about duels if I have plenty of guys with me?

It can't thrust not does it have multiple striking faces, and it doesn't have a spike on the butt end.
The poleaxe is the ultimate fighting axe

Who wins in a fight, a faggot with a poleaxe and a magic anti-poleaxe shield or a faggot with TWO poleaxes?

Two poleaxes hands down.

It's the same isn't it, the shield negates one pole axe and they're both left fighting with effectively one pile axe.

When it comes to pillaging though the shield is useless.

No it can thrust.

The bearded blade reaches beyond the haft.

But it's shit at thrusting, and would do fuck all in a battle of plate armour.
Too much surface area to be effective against later medieval armour.

Then you should've stated "in a battle scenario, not a duel"

just chop them in the right places

No
There's a reason they weren't used
Vikingshits pls go

Not used in the high and late medieval periods I mean.
They were cool to chop off unarmoured Norman horse heads, but not much use for plate armoured opponents.

u first :-DDD

The poleaxe is also a great grappling weapon

but did they climb with it?

They used ladders and actual siege equipment because they could afford it :v

real men climb

Real men fight real battles instead of raiding monasteries and coastal towns

I'm a sucker for warhammers, personally.

Say that to my serrated mace-spear and see what happens, faggot.

...

All you faggots can't handle my thrusting power!

>cant outreach polearm
>cant deal with armor

Then you just are not THRUSTING hard enough.

...

>When i see someone use this

youtube.com/watch?v=y06fozFuVvE

longsword reks halberd 1v1

This. Vickings were nothing more than snow niggas

>cant deal with armor
You could still poke in the gaps of the armour, and a rapier with a very fine tip could get through the rings of chainmail. Also why not halfsword and mordhau like with longsword?

Also why the fuck an estoc could deal with armor but rapier not? Makes no sense.

Good thing 1v1 never happens in combat scenarios.

nigga, theres too much surface area to be effective against anything

asside from taking a direct axe hit to the bare skull, the axe is pretty much useless.
it takes a lot to kill a man in battle. being hit on the arms or shoulders, or across the chest is not enough to stop someone from fighting

how did people make chains back in those days?
there was no welding

the only possible way i can conceive making is a double-twist, weldless chain. which obviously that is not

Why does welding need to be involved? Just bend the segments into a closed loop.

this 100%

I find your lack of faith disturbing

Are they not forged?

>not owning a gun

Your face.