“For you, an enchanted blade, blessed with our most potent magicks.” ―Mother Talzin, to Savage Opress, Clone Wars

The polearm is a surprisingly wide-spread weapon in the Star Wars universe. From the Imperial Royal Guard’s force pike to Darth Maul’s double-bladed saber to the staffs carried by Grevious’s Magnaguards, polearms have been a continual background – and occasionally foreground – presence.

And the trend has continued even in the Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series – Savage Oppress’s initial melee staff and later another double-bladed saber, while Rebels character Zeb’s weapon of choice is a Bo-rifle.

In Empire in Flames, the venerable pike can be the right weapon at the right time.

Polearm combat is heavily defensive in nature. Slower than a single-bladed weapon, pikes provide a sturdier defense but allow for sweeping attacks against multiple opponents. While they can lash out for a longer attack than any other melee weapon can manage, as a rule they are kept closer to the body for defensive purposes, giving up pure offensive power for more effective defense.

A good pikeman is hard to take down in a melee fight.

Pikes are favored by characters who love to stand and fight. They serve well in pure melee combat, and can be useful in keeping a ranged opponent pinned down if the pikeman gets within melee distance.