[quote=@Dinh AaronMk]
On the other hand: fielding a dude with a spear is easier than fielding a dude with a sword. Because the technique with a spear is ultimately a lot easier to master than with a sword. The spear is such a basic and primitive weapon, the ultimate and basic use hasn't changed since Grog the caveman went to go kill some lion on the hill.

With a sword though, you need to know the right way to hold it, and you can't simply blindly wail. And you also need to know how to grip the blade for some of the ways you can use a sword beyond a hack-and-slash weapon. You can use the pummel and hilt as a mace in the right situation, and in often times against armored foes you pretty much have to grip the blade when thrusting between plates of armor so the blade doesn't bend and be as useful as a flaccid cock.
[/quote]

If you take two peasants and give them swords to let them blindly wail, they'll do some damage. They might not stand against a trained opponent, but that is just as true with a spear. 

There are a few advantages that spears offer. The most obvious, and the reason why they were so popular with untrained men, is that they are way cheaper to produce. When looking at Feudal Europe, you are looking at a society organized to be cost efficient. They couldn't afford to arm their levies properly. 

Another advantage is that spear walls lend themselves to tight, compact formations, whereas swords require some breathing room. If you have a bunch of men pressed together holding spears or pikes, they can't really run even if they want to. If you've ever been to a concert and you tried to get close to the stage, you've probably felt what it is like to be held into position by the people around you. That sort of force will keep the cowards in your battle line from breaking.

If you aren't using formations, spears are pretty shitty though. Even in a case where you have a single spearman vs a single rider, since the spear just means the guy on the ground has more reach than he usually would. This is why it was so common for raiding cultures like the Germans and the Vikings to use swords and axes. 

[quote=@TJByrum]
<Snipped quote by Vilageidiotx>

I thought the orcs held position, guess I was wrong.  And yeah, I'll give it to them, that is probably one of greatest scenes in the movie.  Love the Rohirrim.

That's neat about the Mongolian horsemen, I didn't know that.  Strange that, as much as I like history, I know little about the Mongolians except as far as a few battles and Kublai Khan.
[/quote]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yorHswhzrU[/youtube]