Swords and shields are arguably the most ubiquitous armaments in thesoulslikegenre, butthey’re far from the only ones. Many fans will be looking for a heftier weapon with some more reach to it, and to that end, they’ll likely seek out a halberd.
These bladed weapons combine the long reach of a spear with a heavy swing that’s great for punishing enemies from a safe distance. This versatility generally requires a higher skill level, though. Halberds can be slow and tricky to wield, and without proper timing, wielders can open themselves up to a lot of pain. Here are some good soulslikes for trying out this lengthy weapon.
The high-octane combat ofLies of Pcertainly favors swift, surgical strikes, but there are a few options for players who want something larger. The game’s mix-and-match weapon crafting system lets players attach blades to different handles, some of which are ideal for two-handed combat.
Between longer handles like the City Longspear Handle and hefty blades like Cursed Knight’s Halberd Blade, players can effectively craft their own halberds to use against the renegade puppets ofLies of P. Special weapons like the Azure Dragon Crescent Glaive and the Puppet Ripper offer ready-made halberds for players to use.
2020’sDemon’s Soulsfaithfully remadethe FromSoft title that started it all. This includes the rich and varied weapons arsenal that would be a feature of many soulslikes to come. Polearms are just one of the many weapon types featured in the inaugural soulslike.
There are only five polearms inDemon’s Souls, but this list includes a reliable halberd and a couple of scythes for flashier combat. These heavy weapons feature both wide sweeping blows and heavy thrusting attacks. These weapons might be slow, but they hit hard, and are excellent at dealing with crowds.
The 2D nature ofSalt and Sacrificeand its predecessor set them apart from most of their fellow soulslikes. In many other ways, though, they take obvious inspiration from theDark Soulstrilogy and its ilk. This means thatSalt and Sacrificehas a broad selection of weapons for players to choose from, including halberds.
Salt and Sacrificefeatures both glaives and halfspears, each of which represent iconic halberd properties in their own distinct ways. As one might expect, halfspears are a bit speedier than glaives, and are a good option for a more defensive style. Glaives, meanwhile, dish out much higher damage and have some excellent combos, but are quite a bit slower and thus riskier to use.
The legendaryDark Soulsalmost singlehandedly invented the soulslike genre, and it has the genre hallmarks to back it up. The game’s 22 weapon categories include a robust selection of nine halberds, including a few powerful boss weapons like the Gargoyle Halberd and the Lifehunt Scythe.
Halberds inDark Soulsare both powerful and versatile. They give players access to several damage types, including thrust, which makes them great for fighting in tight corridors. While they may be slower than spears, they make up for it in damage output, making them an excellent option for players who want to hit hard.
The brutalNioh 2has a unique take on the halberd archetype. Instead of presenting traditional heavy glaives, this game features aweapon category called the Switchglaive. There are 22 different switchglaives for fans to find and use inNioh 2, and all of them present a distinct approach to combat.
As the name suggests, the switchglaive weapon class allows players to seamlessly shift between multiple weapon forms, presenting a combat style similar to the trick weapons fromBloodborne. Since they’re still glaives at heart, though, many switchglaives have forms that offer excellent reach. They even boast a special attack that allows players to deflect projectiles.
The iconicDark Souls 3refined a lotof mechanics from its two predecessors. Unlike the first game,Dark Souls 3splits halberds and scythes into two separate categories, giving them different mechanics and movesets. Fortunately for halberd fans, that still leaves 11 weapons in the prior category to play with.
As before, these weapons generally function as heavier, slower spears, but they also have some vicious slashing moves to give them more variety. They excel at reach, but if an enemy closes in tight, players might be better off switching away. Notably, halberds inDark Souls 3have a sweet spot mechanic: if a player lands a hit just right, they’ll get some bonus damage.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a historical fantasy set in the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China, has a remarkable approach to its halberd weapons. The basic halberd category includes just three weapons, and they function about as one would expect, offering excellent reach and solid defensive capabilities.
Uniquely, however, the game also has a category for dual halberds. There are four matched sets of halberds for players to collect, and these play differently from the standard halberd archetype. They favor high mobility and long combos, and are excellent at mowing down groups of foes.
The infamousDark Souls 2made a lot of changes to the series' combat formula, but one thing that didn’t change was the variety of weapons. Like its predecessor,Dark Souls 2has a hefty selection of halberds, with fourteen of them available to players. This doesn’t count scythes, whichDark Souls 2split into a different category.
Like the other games in the trilogy, halberds are capable of heavy swings that can cut down a lot of enemies at once. Some of them can also be thrust forward like a spear, albeit a slower and heavier one. In trueDark Soulsfashion, these spear-like halberds can be used while maintaining a shield guard, making them an excellent choice for defensive players.
Lords of the Fallen, like theDark Soulsgames that inspired it, has a healthy variety of halberds for players to use. The polearm weapon category boasts fourteen distinct weapons for players to acquire over the course of their adventure. This includes not only basic halberds, but also bladed staves and strange weapons like the Abbess Staff.
Poleaxes and halberds inLords of the Fallenexcel at reach, and are ideal for dealing with foes from a safe distance. They do suffer at closer range, but with the help of the game’s unique weapon rune mechanic, players can customize and craft a polearm they can truly be proud of.
It might be a long time before another soulslike is able to rivalElden Ringfor the depth and breadth of its weapon library. The Lands Between and the Realm of Shadow are bristling with weapons of every type one can imagine, and this includesa blistering eighteen halberds. Like all the weapons inElden Ring, these halberds have a fully realized moveset and can be freely customized with the game’s many Ashes of War.
If players want to go for an even heavier reach weapon than the halberd,Elden Ringalso offers the Great Spear category. These ten weapons incorporate the heavy thrusting techniques of halberds and spears alike, taking this playstyle to the extreme with its brutality.
