Halberd

Halberd

A halberd is a polearm which combines characteristics of both a spear and an axe, allowing its wielder a long reach in a melee. Such weapons appear in Ultima IV, Ultima V, Ultima VI, Ultima VII, Ultima VII Part Two and Ultima IX, as well as in the Nintendo-port Ultima III.

Description

Halberds afford their users a great deal of distance between them and their enemy, although as weapons they can be heavy and cumbersome. Commonly used by guards and paladins, the halberd has long ranked as one of the most powerful mundane weapons available to Britannians.

Effectiveness of the Weapon

In Ultima IV, a halberd does 96 points of damage and has a reach of exactly 2 and can strike over walls.

In Ultima V, a halberd does 30 points of damage and can strike over walls.

In Ultima VI, a halberd does 30 points of damage.

In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, a halberd does 10 points of damage and has a reach of 3.

In Ultima IX, a halberd does between 55-85 damage.

Lore

“	Seven feet of stout wood topped with a blade of deadly steel. The halberd requires excellent coordination to be used effectively. It is the most deadly of weapons in the hands of an expert, who uses it to strike over the heads of his fellows. A favorite among Paladins. – from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar)

“	Polearms require much strength to wield but they're extremely effective. Most popular among those strong enough to wield it is the halberd, a long stout staff with a battleax blade at the end that allows its wielder to strike a foe at twice the distance of most weapons. – from The Book of Lore (Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny)

“

A polearm is generally a stout wooden or metal staff topped by a metal cutting or bludgeoning fixture. Morningstars, halberds, and other polearms are prized for the damage they are capable of doing and for their long reach. Unfortunately, polearms are unwieldy weapons which are most effective in the hands of a user possessed of great strength and dexterity. – from Compendium (Ultima VI: The False Prophet)

“	Many weapons such as pole arms and the larger swords are heavy enough to require the use of both hands. – from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII: The Black Gate)

Trivia

• In the Nintendo port of Ultima III, halberds replace +4 axes in the hierarchy of weapons and can be bought at Dawn for the same price as enchanted axes in the original version of the game.
• In Ultima IX, the Halberd is not equipable and only appears as a show piece; however, with a minor edit (hack) to the weapon's weight, it can be equipped and used without issue.
• In Ultima VIII, the guards use halberds as weapons. However, the weapon does not appear as an item in the game.
• Luther in Ultima VII Part Two will mock the Avatar if the hero selects a halberd to settle their score on the List Field (though this indeed is the best choice a player can make).

Gallery

• 

  Using the normally unusable halberd in Ultima IX

See Also

• Weapon Values

References

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Weapons

Melee Weapons
Basic Melee Weapons	Axe ☥ Bladed staff ☥ Club ☥ Custom sword ☥ Cutlass ☥ Dagger ☥ Decorative sword ☥ Dum‑dum ☥ Halberd ☥ Hammer ☥ Jeweled weapons ☥ Knife ☥ Mace ☥ Main gauche ☥ Morning star ☥ Poison dagger ☥ Saber ☥ Scimitar ☥ Serpentine dagger ☥ Serpentine sword ☥ Silver sword ☥ Spear ☥ Spiked helm ☥ Spiked shield ☥ Staff ☥ Sword ☥ Two‑handed axe ☥ Two‑handed hammer ☥ Two‑handed sword
Enhanced Melee Weapons	Blackrock sword ☥ Exotic Weapons ☥ Fire sword ☥ Glass sword ☥ Great dagger ☥ Lightning sword ☥ Lightning whip ☥ Magic sword ☥ Mystic Weapons ☥ Sword of defense

Ranged Weapons
Basic Ranged Weapons	Blowgun ☥ Boomerang ☥ Bow ☥ Crossbow ☥ Iolo’s bow ☥ Flaming oil ☥ Hawk ☥ Musket ☥ Siege bow ☥ Sling ☥ Throwing axe ☥ Triple crossbow
Enhanced Ranged Weapons	Anachronistic weapons ☥ Fire wand ☥ Infinity bow ☥ Lightning wand ☥ Lightning whip ☥ Magic axe ☥ Magic boomerang ☥ Magic bow ☥ Magician’s wand ☥ Starbursts

Ammunition
Basic Ammuntion	Ammunition ☥ Arrows ☥ Bolts ☥ Cannonballs ☥ Sling stones
Enhanced Ammuntion	Burst arrows ☥ Fire arrows ☥ Love arrows ☥ Lucky arrows ☥ Magic arrows ☥ Magic bolts ☥ Mana arrows ☥ Serpent arrows ☥ Sleep arrows

Non-traditional Weapons
Non-traditional Weapons	Cannon ☥ Cleaver ☥ Death scythe ☥ Fellowship staff ☥ Fishing rod ☥ Hammer ☥ Hoe ☥ Hoe of Destruction ☥ Pick ☥ Pitchfork ☥ Powder keg ☥ Rake ☥ Rock hammer ☥ Rolling pin ☥ Scythe ☥ Shears ☥ Shovel ☥ Tongs ☥ Torches ☥ Whip

Others
Other Weapons	Weapons in Savage Empire ☥ Weapons in Martian Dreams ☥ Gloves ☥ Rope & spikes