Pike
This page answers two questions for the pike: which piece drives which stat, and which recipe gives the best result for each goal once you have unlocked pieces up to a given tier. The formulas were read out of the game's own code: they were recovered from v1.4.6 and compared method by method against v1.4.8, where none of the compared methods changed (some could only be compared by their headers; Value and price has the details). Rows labelled "NavalDLC" give the best result with NavalDLC active, which adds pieces and changes which pieces each weapon type can use; they are listed only where they beat the base game. How smithing works in general is in the Crafting guide; the usages, grips and blade ranges in full are in Weapon templates.
Usages and damage
The pike has four slots, pommel, handle, guard and blade. One crafted item has up to two usages, both with the two-handed wide grip:
- Pike: 35 blades in the base game, 47 with NavalDLC.
- Two-handed polearm (bracing): 47 blades in the base game, 59 with NavalDLC.
A usage is only there if every piece you picked is allowed for it, and with different blade lists some blades give an item with only one of the two usages.
Pieces from the bottom up: Pommel, Handle, Guard, Blade.
| Usage | Grip | Blades in the base game | Blades with NavalDLC | Swing damage factor | Thrust damage factor | Stack size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike | Two-handed, wide grip | 35 | 47 | 2.7 to 4.9 | 1.5 to 3.2 | - |
| Two-handed polearm (bracing) | Two-handed, wide grip | 47 | 59 | 1.08 to 4.9 | 1.44 to 3.2 | - |
Damage factor and stack size ranges cover every blade, NavalDLC ones included.
| Usage | Swing drag per unit of reach | Tier score multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Pike | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| Two-handed polearm (bracing) | 3.9 | 0.8 |
Example recipe:
| Slot | Piece | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Blade | spear_blade_42 | 4 |
| Guard | default_polearm_guard | 1 |
| Handle | spear_handle_27 | 4 |
| Pommel | default_polearm_pommel | 1 |
| Usage | Handling | Thrust speed | Thrust damage | Weight | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike | 52 | 89 | 40 pierce | 1.85 | 209 |
| Two-handed polearm (bracing) | 52 | 89 | 40 pierce | 1.85 | 209 |
| Result | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tier score from the stats | 2.5033 |
| Tier score from the pieces | 2.87 |
| Tier score | 2.6500 |
| Rounded tier | 3 |
| Value | 1,313 |
| Sell price with Trade 86, no market data | 391 |
| Smithing difficulty | 200 |
| Tier score factor for pierce damage | 1.15 |
Most blades have no swing and deal thrust damage only. Both usages have the same grip, so the same pieces give the same stats: the example recipe deals 40 pierce damage in both. The wide grip has a swing drag of 3.9 per unit of reach, more than three times a sword's 1.17. For the tier score, both usages count 0.8, like other two-handed-only usages.
Which piece drives which stat
- Blade: sets the damage factors and the damage type, and decides whether the item swings at all. It also counts most for difficulty.
- Handle and guard: add weight and length. The pieces stack from the handle up, and the handle, guard and blade all add to the length.
- Pommel: adds weight but no length. The game counts it as if it sat past the blade tip when it works out handling, so a heavy pommel costs far more handling than its real position would. Its appearance sets the value multiplier.
- Weight: all pieces added up. More weight means more thrust strength, so more thrust damage, but usually less speed and handling.
- Length: the pike's long reach comes with the full wide-grip swing drag.
Loading pieces…
Best results from tier 1 to tier 5
With tier-1, tier-2 or tier-3 pieces there is no pike recipe at all, for either usage. From tier 4:
- Thrust damage: 44 at tier 4 and 46 at tier 5 for the pike usage, 42 and 45 for the bracing usage. NavalDLC pieces give 51 at tier 5 in both, and 44 at tier 4 for bracing.
- Thrust speed: 92 at both tiers.
- Handling: 56 at both tiers.
- Length: 257 at tier 4, 276 at tier 5.
- Weight (lightest): 1.67 kg at both tiers.
- Value: 17,568 at tier 4 for the pike usage, 17,202 for bracing; 68,202 at tier 5 for both.
Best recipes by highest piece tier
Each row is the best recipe for one goal using only pieces at or below that tier. The highest piece tier is the highest tier among the pieces you have unlocked for the pike. Neither usage has rows for tiers 1 to 3.
Line charts of the best pike result for each goal against the highest piece tier, 1 to 5, every piece at scale 100. Pike usage. No recipe at tier 1, 2 or 3. Thrust damage: tier 4 44, tier 5 46 (NavalDLC 51); Thrust speed: tier 4 92, tier 5 92; Handling: tier 4 56, tier 5 56; Length: tier 4 257, tier 5 276; Weight (lightest): tier 4 1.67 kg, tier 5 1.67 kg; Value: tier 4 17,568, tier 5 68,202. Two-handed polearm (bracing) usage. No recipe at tier 1, 2 or 3. Thrust damage: tier 4 42 (NavalDLC 44), tier 5 45 (NavalDLC 51); Thrust speed: tier 4 92, tier 5 92; Handling: tier 4 56, tier 5 56; Length: tier 4 257, tier 5 276; Weight (lightest): tier 4 1.67 kg, tier 5 1.67 kg; Value: tier 4 17,202, tier 5 68,202. With NavalDLC, results are better in 3 of 24 goal and tier pairs.
Pike usage
| Goal | Highest piece tier | Pieces from | Blade | Guard | Handle | Pommel | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrust damage | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_7 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 44 |
| Thrust damage | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_7 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_7 | default_polearm_pommel | 46 |
| Thrust damage | 5 | NavalDLC | nord_spear_blade_5 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_7 | default_polearm_pommel | 51 |
| Thrust speed | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 92 |
| Thrust speed | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 92 |
| Handling | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 56 |
| Handling | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 56 |
| Length | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_22 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 257 |
| Length | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_22 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_7 | default_polearm_pommel | 276 |
| Weight (lightest) | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 1.67 |
| Weight (lightest) | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 1.67 |
| Value | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_7_blunt | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 17,568 |
| Value | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_24 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 68,202 |
All pieces at scale 100. Weight in kg. No recipe when the highest piece tier is 1, 2 or 3.
Two-handed polearm (bracing) usage
| Goal | Highest piece tier | Pieces from | Blade | Guard | Handle | Pommel | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrust damage | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_11 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 42 |
| Thrust damage | 4 | NavalDLC | nord_spear_blade_8 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 44 |
| Thrust damage | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_13 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_7 | default_polearm_pommel | 45 |
| Thrust damage | 5 | NavalDLC | nord_spear_blade_5 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_7 | default_polearm_pommel | 51 |
| Thrust speed | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 92 |
| Thrust speed | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 92 |
| Handling | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 56 |
| Handling | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 56 |
| Length | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_22 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 257 |
| Length | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_22 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_7 | default_polearm_pommel | 276 |
| Weight (lightest) | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 1.67 |
| Weight (lightest) | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_38 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 1.67 |
| Value | 4 | Base game | spear_blade_19 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 17,202 |
| Value | 5 | Base game | spear_blade_24 | default_polearm_guard | spear_handle_27 | default_polearm_pommel | 68,202 |
All pieces at scale 100. Weight in kg. No recipe when the highest piece tier is 1, 2 or 3.
Every recipe here has every piece at scale 100, the piece's default size. The scale slider changes weight and length, and with them the other stats; how it works is in Scaling a piece. What the solver research found about scale is in Getting the best weapon from your pieces.
Worked example. With tier-5 pieces and NavalDLC, your best pike thrust damage is 51, with blade nord_spear_blade_5, guard default_polearm_guard, handle spear_handle_7 and pommel default_polearm_pommel. Without NavalDLC the best is 46, with spear_blade_7 on the same guard, handle and pommel.
Practical tips
- You need tier-4 pieces. Below that the pike has no recipe in either usage.
- Tier 5 helps damage, reach and value only. Thrust speed, handling and the lightest weight stay the same as at tier 4.
- NavalDLC only helps thrust damage. It has no better recipe for any other goal.
- Keep the default guard and pommel. Every best recipe on this page uses default_polearm_guard and default_polearm_pommel.
- Wide grips hate length. The pike's swing drag is more than three times a sword's, so a longer pike swings much slower.