Polearms (Civ3)/Civilopedia

Long bladed weapons mounted on poles have been used by soldiers since the time of Alexander the Great; the innovation in medieval polearms 
was primarily versatility. Macedonian pikes used by hoplites to keep enemy formations at bay were effective but narrow of purpose; once a Greek 
hoplite was able to unhorse an enemy mounted warrior, he had to move in closer and switch to his sword or javelin to finish off the enemy. Medieval 
polearms, conversely, permitted soldiers to use different parts of the weapon's blade to unhorse or unshield an armored opponent and then slay him. 
Many exotic forms proliferated throughout Europe; a common one was the bill hook, which put a vicious curved hook on the blunt edge of a single-edged 
axe blade and mounted the whole arrangement at the end of a pole. Soldiers using this weapon could thus unhorse an enemy knight using the hook, without 
the blade getting in the way, and then quickly reverse the weapon and use the blade to kill the fallen enemy.