Hrokii thundertusk wrote:madu and short spear combo?
Could you be more specific?
If you are looking for advice, what type of madu? What length is the "short spear"? By spear, do you mean stab only, or really a short pole-arm?
I personally would not recommend ever using just a spear (stab only) unless your class limits you to such.
If you have an ultra-light core, I have seen people fight with what we call a howitzer and a down madu.
A howitzer is a 61" pole arm with minimum padding and an ultra-light core. Goal is to make it as light/lighter than a long sword. It is then wielded like a sword.
I down madu is a 60"-ish pole attached to a small shield. The pole portion is wielded pointed down. Used to block the legs, and get snap attacks in on the same side legs/torso.
This setup does very well against newer players, but better fighters will take your lunch money any day. If someone knows how to close, you will lose to them almost every time. If you aren't losing, your opponent a) doesn't know how to close b) doesn't know how to block c) they are out of shape d) you have a good neighbor on the field
It requires an excessive amount of retreat fighting, which is frowned upon, but legal outside of tournaments.
The This combo can be unsafe in less experienced hands.
I do not recommend any other combinations of pole/madu for a competitive atmosphere. In my opinion, poles/spears require two hands to be wielded effectively.
Also, please don't confuse fun/competitive. Weird mixes of weapons can be a lot of fun, just don't expect to win too often.
Keep in mind on page 4 (6 in the PDF) of the rulebook:
13. Players may not wield more than one weapon in a single hand. Firing multiple arrows simultaneously is an exception to this rule.
A madu is considered a weapon, so if you block a shot, or hit someone with the madu while also using something else with that hand it will not count.
If you clarify some of the above, I can give more targeted advice.