Polearm guide

Bannerlord v1.5.7 · checked 2026-11-12 · updated 2026-11-13

This guide explains what the Polearm skill and every Polearm perk really do: which hits get extra damage, how spears and lances knock riders off and push footmen back, what the captain, party-leader and governor halves give your troops and towns, and which perks behave differently from their tooltips, for game v1.5.7. The battle rules (damage, weapon speed, effective skill, hit points, morale) are SandBox models. NavalDLC extends the agent damage, agent stats, battle morale, hit experience, military power, troop training, wage and recruitment cost, militia, security and armor and strike magnitude models. StoryMode extends the hit experience and wage and recruitment cost models in the story campaign.

For exact formulas, edge cases and links to the game code, see the deep dives: Combat damage (damage perks, speed bonus, couched lances, dismount, knockback and knockdown), Combat agent stats (effective skill, weapon speed, handling, movement, hit points), Battles (battle morale, combat XP, auto-resolve power), Settlements (militia, security, veteran militia) and Party and map (wages, recruitment cost, daily troop experience).

Each perk has two halves. The primary half usually helps you personally; the secondary half helps others when you hold a role: captain (troops in the formation you lead in battle, not counting yourself), party leader (your whole party) or governor (the settlement you govern, usually only while you are in it). The verdict after each half says how the code compares with the tooltip:

works: does what the tooltip says, or more; broader effects are noted.
differs: narrower, different or extra conditions or values compared with the tooltip.
unused: never read by the game.
ui_only: only shown in the interface.

No Polearm perk is unused or ui_only.

Many halves are limited at sea, and the perk tooltip says so under the half: "Land only" (the half does nothing at sea) or "Reduced effect at sea". Each half below that carries one of these lines names it; the line is not counted as a difference between tooltip and game.

What unlocks what

You pick one perk of each pair. Tier 11 has a single perk.

Polearm	Perk A	Perk B
25	Cavalry: +2% damage with polearms while mounted	Pikeman: +2% damage with polearms on foot
50	Braced: polearm hits unhorse riders more easily	Keep at Bay: polearm thrusts push footmen back more easily
75	Clean Thrust: +10% thrust damage with polearms	Swift Swing: +5% swing speed with polearms
100	Footwork: +2% combat movement speed with a polearm	Hard Knock: polearm hits knock enemies down more easily
125	Lancer: +20% to the speed bonus of mounted polearm hits	Steed Killer: +70% polearm damage to horses
150	Guards: +50% polearm damage on head hits	Skewer: your couched lance passes through more often after a kill
175	Phalanx: +30 melee skills for your troops in shield wall	Standard Bearer: smaller morale loss when troops of your formation fall
200	Drills: governor half makes every new militia a veteran	Hardy Frontline: +5 hit points to the troops of your party
225	Sure Footed: −40% damage taken from horse charges	Unstoppable Force: couched lance hits on shields deal four times the damage
250	Counterweight: +15% handling of swingable polearms	Sharpen the Tip: +5% thrust damage with polearms
275	Way of the Spear: +0.2% attack speed and +0.5% damage per Polearm point above 250	—

The second half of each perk is described in its section below.

How the damage perks add up

Most Polearm perks raise the damage of a hit by a percentage. All such percentages from perks and banners on one hit are added together and applied once, so a +10% and a +5% perk give the same result as one +15% perk. Only NavalDLC's own naval perks form a second, separate multiplier. The full order is in Amplifications.

Hit damage = damage before perks × (1 + all perk and banner percentages for this hit)

Damage before perks: what the blow deals after armor, from the weapon, your swing or thrust and your speed.
All perk and banner percentages: every bonus below whose conditions this hit meets (yours and your captain's), added together.

The "personal" damage halves (Cavalry, Pikeman, Clean Thrust, Steed Killer, Guards, Sharpen the Tip and Way of the Spear) need a melee weapon that uses the Polearm skill.

Polearm 25: Cavalry or Pikeman

Cavalry

Primary (works): +2% damage with melee polearms while you are mounted.
Secondary, captain (works): +2% damage for mounted troops in your formation. It is broader than the tooltip: it counts for any weapon, including bows, crossbows, throwing weapons and horse charges, not only polearms. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Pikeman

Primary (works): +2% damage with melee polearms while you are on foot. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): +2% damage for troops on foot in your formation. Broader than the tooltip: it covers every troop on foot, not only infantry, and every weapon, including ranged and unarmed hits. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Polearm 50: Braced or Keep at Bay

Braced

A rider is knocked off the horse when one hit deals at least a set share of the rider's maximum hit points. That share is the dismount resistance, which starts at 40% and rises with the rider's Riding skill. Braced lowers it.

Primary (differs): the tooltip says +0.3%, but the game adds 0.25 to a resistance that runs from 0 to 1: your polearm hits on riders ignore 25 percentage points of their dismount resistance. It only matters for polearms that can unhorse at all: a swing with a hooking polearm while you are on foot, or a thrust with a polearm that can dismount. A hooking swing already ignores 25 points on its own, and Braced adds its 25 on top; see the worked example in Dismount penetration.
Secondary, captain (works): +10% damage by troops on foot in your formation against riders and against horses that carry a rider. Broader than the tooltip: any weapon counts, ranged included. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Hit needed to unhorse = rider's maximum hit points × (dismount resistance − Braced and hook bonus)

Dismount resistance: 40% plus 0.1% per point of the rider's Riding.
Braced and hook bonus: 25 points from Braced, plus 25 for a hooking swing. The result never goes below zero.

Keep at Bay

Primary (differs): the tooltip says +0.3%, but the game adds 0.3 to a resistance that runs from 0 to 1: your polearm thrusts ignore 30 percentage points of a footman's resistance to being knocked back. It only applies to enemies on foot; riders are never checked for knockback. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, governor (works): +1 militia per day in the settlement you govern, while you are in it.

Polearm 75: Clean Thrust or Swift Swing

Clean Thrust

Primary (works): +10% damage with polearm thrusts. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): +30 Polearm skill to troops on foot in your formation. It goes to any troop without a horse, not only infantry. The extra Polearm is real effective skill: it raises their polearm damage and attack speed from the skill effects below. Whether a troop counts as mounted depends on its equipment, not on whether it is sitting on a horse right now. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Swift Swing

Primary (works): +5% swing speed with polearms. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): +2% swing speed to troops on foot in your formation. Broader than the tooltip: it works with any melee weapon, not only polearms, and for any troop class on foot. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Polearm 100: Footwork or Hard Knock

Footwork

Primary (works): +2% combat movement speed while you hold a melee polearm. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (differs): +2% movement speed to troops in your formation, but troops holding a shield get nothing, which the tooltip does not say. It also is not limited to infantry: any troop without a shield in hand gets it. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Hard Knock

A hit knocks the victim to the ground when it deals at least a set share of the victim's maximum hit points (the knockdown resistance). Hard Knock lowers that share.

Primary (differs): the tooltip says +0.3%, but the game adds 0.25 to a resistance that runs from 0 to 1: your polearm hits ignore 25 percentage points of the victim's knockdown resistance. Also broader than the tooltip: it counts for thrusts and also for polearm swings that land on the sweet spot of the weapon, since both can knock down. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, party leader (works): +3 hit points to regular troops on foot in your party. Any troop without a horse gets it, not only infantry. Heroes do not, because a hero's hit points come from the hero's own character. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Polearm 125: Lancer or Steed Killer

Lancer

When you hit someone while moving, part of your speed is added to the blow. Lancer raises that speed part.

Primary (works): +20% to the speed part of your polearm hits while mounted. It counts for swings, thrusts and couched lance hits.
Secondary, captain (works): +30% to the speed part of polearm hits by troops in your formation, mounted or on foot. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

It adds to Unstoppable Force (secondary) and other speed-bonus perks; see Extra linear speed.

Steed Killer

Primary (works): +70% damage with melee polearms against horses, whether you are on foot or mounted.
Secondary, captain (works): +30% damage against horses with melee polearms by troops on foot in your formation. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Polearm 150: Guards or Skewer

Guards

Primary (works): +50% damage with melee polearms on head hits. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, governor (works): +20% combat experience to mounted troops of your garrison. The bonus is on the experience each hit earns in battle, so it shows when your garrison fights. You must be in the settlement.

Skewer

When you kill someone with a couched lance, the lance normally passes through and stays couched with a 5% chance; otherwise it bounces back. Skewer adds 25% to that chance, for 30% in total.

Primary (works): +25% chance for your couched lance to pass through after a kill (30% in total, as the tooltip says). Land only, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, governor (works): +1 daily security in the settlement you govern, while you are in it.

Worked example. A mounted hero with Skewer kills an enemy with a couched lance:

A mounted hero with Skewer kills an enemy with a couched lance.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Couched lance pass-through chance after a kill	base		0.0500
1	Skewer	add	+0.2500	0.3000
Result	Couched lance pass-through chance after a kill			0.3000

With these inputs, couched lance pass-through chance after a kill is 0.3000.

Polearm 175: Phalanx or Standard Bearer

Phalanx

Primary, party leader (differs): +30 to One Handed, Two Handed and Polearm skill for the troops of your party while their formation is in shield wall. Mounted troops are excluded, which the tooltip does not say. You do not need to lead the formation yourself; it is enough that you lead the party. Land only, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): +3% damage with melee polearms by troops in your formation, mounted or on foot. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Standard Bearer

When a troop falls or panics, its side loses battle morale. Only AI-controlled troops are affected.

Primary, captain (differs): −20% to that morale loss. The tooltip reads as if your formation's troops lose less morale; in fact the game checks the captain of the troop that fell or panicked. When a troop of your formation falls or panics, the morale loss your side suffers is 20% smaller. You count too: if you lead the formation, your own fall is covered. When the fallen troop is only unconscious and its party's surgeon has Health Advice (Medicine), there is no loss at all, and Standard Bearer does nothing. The perk also gives a hidden bonus the tooltip does not mention: like every captain perk, it raises your power in auto-resolved battles, here by 0.03, see Hero power modifier. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, governor (works): −20% wages for the infantry of your garrison, while you are in the settlement.

Garrison wage reduction = −20% × infantry share of the garrison's wages

Infantry share: the wages of infantry troops divided by the garrison's total wage.

Polearm 200: Drills or Hardy Frontline

Drills

Primary, governor (differs): the tooltip promises +1% chance that new militia spawn as veterans. The game adds 1 to a chance measured from 0 to 1, so the chance becomes at least 100%: every militia troop spawned in the settlement you govern is a veteran, while you are in the settlement. For a village, the governor of the town it trades with counts. See Veteran militia chance.
Secondary, party leader (differs): the tooltip promises +0.1 daily experience to your troops, but the game rounds this bonus to a whole number before adding it, and 0.1 rounds to 0. It adds no experience at all.

Hardy Frontline

Primary, party leader (works): +5 hit points to the regular troops of your party, Heroes do not get it. Land only, as the tooltip shows: nothing while your party is at sea.
Secondary, party leader (works): −20% recruitment cost of infantry. The game checks the party leader of the hero who buys the recruits.

It stacks with Hard Knock (secondary) and other hit point perks; the flat bonuses are simply added.

Worked example. A regular infantry troop with 100 base hit points, on land, whose party leader has Hard Knock and Hardy Frontline:

A regular infantry troop on foot with 100 base hit points, on land, whose party leader has Hard Knock and Hardy Frontline. Inputs: base health 100.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Agent base health limit	base		100.0000
1	Hard Knock	add	+3.0000	103.0000
2	Hardy Frontline	add	+5.0000	108.0000
Result	Agent max health at spawn			108.0000

With these inputs, agent max health at spawn is 108.0000.

Polearm 225: Sure Footed or Unstoppable Force

Sure Footed

Primary (works): −40% damage you take from horse charges. When you ride, charges against your own horse are reduced too. Land only, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): −30% damage from horse charges for troops in your formation. Broader than the tooltip: mounted troops get it as well, not only troops on foot. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

It adds to Braced (Athletics), which also reduces charge damage.

Unstoppable Force

Primary (differs): when a couched lance or braced polearm hit of yours is blocked by a shield, the game adds +300% to its damage, so it deals four times the damage, not the tooltip's triple. These passive hits only have force when a horse is involved (you are mounted, or the target rides or is a horse), so in practice this is for couched lances. Land only, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): +30% to the speed part of polearm hits by mounted troops in your formation, for swings, thrusts and couched lances. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Polearm 250: Counterweight or Sharpen the Tip

Counterweight

Primary (works): +15% handling with polearms that can swing. Pure thrusting polearms get nothing. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (differs): +20 Polearm skill to troops in your formation, but mounted troops are excluded; the tooltip says all troops. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Worked example. A spearman on foot with Polearm 100, in a formation whose captain (another character) has both Clean Thrust and Counterweight. Both adds go to the same skill:

A spearman on foot with Polearm 100 in a formation whose captain (another character) has Clean Thrust and Counterweight. Inputs: skill value 100.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Character skill value	base		100.0000
1	Clean Thrust	add	+30.0000	130.0000
2	Counterweight	add	+20.0000	150.0000
Result	Agent effective skill in battle			150.0000

With these inputs, agent effective skill in battle is 150.0000.

Sharpen the Tip

Primary (works): +5% damage with polearm thrusts. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary, captain (works): +5% thrust damage by troops on foot in your formation. It works with any melee weapon that can thrust, not only polearms. Land only, as the tooltip shows.

Polearm 275: Way of the Spear

Both halves are personal and only count the Polearm skill you have yourself; captain bonuses to your skill do not raise them.

Primary (works): +0.2% swing speed and thrust speed with melee polearms for every point of Polearm above 250. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.
Secondary (works): +0.5% damage with melee polearms for every point of Polearm above 250. Reduced effect at sea, as the tooltip shows.

Way of the Spear speed bonus = 0.2% × (your Polearm − 250)

Your Polearm: your own skill level, without captain bonuses. At 250 or below the bonus is zero.

Skill effects

Your Polearm skill itself does two things, whether or not you have perks. Both use your effective skill in battle, so captain bonuses such as Clean Thrust and Counterweight raise them.

Polearm weapon damage (works): +0.07% damage with polearms per point of Polearm.
Polearm weapon speed (works): +0.06% swing speed and thrust speed with polearms per point of Polearm.

Weapon speed starts from a base of 0.93. The skill effect multiplies it first, then your riding penalty if you are mounted, then all speed perks together (Swift Swing, Way of the Spear and the captain bonuses) added into one percentage. See Swing speed and thrust/ranged ready speed.

Swing speed = 0.93 × (1 + 0.06% × Polearm) × (1 + all speed perk percentages)

Polearm: your effective Polearm skill in battle.
All speed perk percentages: Swift Swing, Way of the Spear and captain speed perks, added together.

Worked example. A hero on foot with Polearm 275 and no captain bonuses, who took Clean Thrust instead of Swift Swing and has Way of the Spear. Polearm weapon speed gives +16.5% and Way of the Spear +5%:

A hero on foot swinging a polearm, Polearm skill 275 and no captain bonuses, who took Clean Thrust instead of Swift Swing and has Way of the Spear. Inputs: skill 275.

Step	Source	Stage	Change	Running value
Base	Melee swing speed multiplier	base		0.9300
1	Polearm weapon speed	factor +16.5%	+0.1535	1.0835
2	Way of the Spear	factor +5%	+0.0541	1.1376
Result	Melee swing speed multiplier			1.1376

With these inputs, melee swing speed multiplier is 1.1376.

What the skill level itself does

The game also reads your Polearm level directly, without any perk. Effects that depend on any skill level are listed once in the skills guide.

What it affects	What the level does	Level needed	Conditions	Verdict
Agent AI combat level	A soldier's melee combat AI level is their melee skill ÷ 300 × the difficulty setting, kept between 0 and 1. The skill is the primary weapon's (One Handed, Two Handed or Polearm; other weapons count as One Handed; Athletics with no weapon). The game engine uses the level.	—	—	works
Agent AI combat level	A soldier's ranged combat AI level is the skill of their primary weapon (One Handed, Two Handed, Polearm, Bow, Crossbow or Throwing; Athletics with no weapon) ÷ 300 × the difficulty setting, kept between 0 and 1. The game engine uses the level.	—	—	works
Wielded weapon inaccuracy	A wide-grip melee weapon's inaccuracy is 1 − 0.01 × skill (at least 0). A sling's is 1 − 0.007 × skill, at least 0.2.	Only wide-grip melee weapons and slings; no minimum skill	Item: melee weapon	works
Ranged max movement accuracy penalty	A ranged weapon's movement accuracy penalty is 0.125 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500), at least 0. Mounted it is 0.025 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500) × (1 − Riding ÷ 1800).	—	Item: ranged weapon	works
Ranged max unsteady accuracy penalty	A ranged weapon's unsteady accuracy penalty is 0.1 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500), at least 0. Mounted it is 0.12 × (1 − weapon skill ÷ 500) × (1 − Riding ÷ 1800).	—	Item: ranged weapon	works
Ranged aim unsteady begin time	Per skill point the aim holds steady longer: 0.01 for throwing weapons, 0.01 × a factor between 2 and 4 for bows, 0.064 for slings, 0.005 for wide-grip melee weapons.	—	—	works
AI clan hero score for leading a new lord party	AI clans pick who leads a new lord party by the score 3 × Tactics + 2 × Leadership + Scouting + Steward + One Handed + Two Handed + Polearm + Riding (raw levels of the candidate).	—	—	works
Hero can equip item	A hero can equip an item only if their level in the item's skill (a weapon skill, or Riding for horses) meets the item's difficulty. Captain and party bonuses do not count.	Skill at least the item's difficulty	—	works
Hero counts as a combatant	A hero counts as a combatant if any of the six weapon skills is 100 or more. A non-combatant clan companion cannot enter tournaments; AI clans use it to pick party leaders and rate clan strength.	Any weapon skill at 100 or more	—	works
Player may take an issue's quest	You cannot take an issue's quest while all six weapon skills are low (other conditions also apply).	At least one weapon skill at 50 or more	Hero: main hero	works
Score of a participant in a simulated tournament	In tournaments you do not attend, an AI participant's score adds 0.01 × the best of One Handed, Two Handed and Polearm, scaled by the hero's own factor.	—	—	works
Simulated tournament attack power	Each non-shield weapon's part of a simulated attack power is multiplied by 0.3 + 0.7 × the weapon's skill ÷ 300.	—	Mission: tournament	works

Who the perks work for

Who counts as you, a relative or a wanderer, and why some halves skip one of them, is explained in the Skills guide.

Every other Polearm perk half and skill effect works for every hero: you, relatives and wanderers.

Perk	Half	Works for	Where the hero has to be
Keep at Bay	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Guards	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Skewer	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Standard Bearer	secondary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor
Drills	primary	relatives and wanderers, not you	governor

All effects at a glance

Every effect site of the Polearm perks, skill effects and skill level. Values are what each site applies; a value that grows with skill is shown at the perk's required skill (skill effects and skill levels: per skill point). ×N marks N identical sites.

Perk	Half	Game number	Stage	Value	Conditions	Verdict
Cavalry	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+2%	Role: personal; troops: mounted	works
Cavalry	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+2%	Role: captain; troops: mounted	works
Pikeman	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+2%	Role: personal; troops: on foot	works
Pikeman	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+2%	Role: captain; troops: on foot	works
Braced	primary	Dismount penetration	add	+0.25	Role: personal	differs
Braced	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+10%	Role: captain; troops: on foot	works
Keep at Bay	primary	Knockback penetration	add	+0.3	Role: personal	differs
Keep at Bay	secondary	Daily militia change of a settlement	add	+1	Role: governor; settlement: town	works
Clean Thrust	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+10%	Role: personal	works
Clean Thrust	secondary	Agent effective skill in battle	add	+30	Role: captain; troops: on foot	works
Swift Swing	primary	Melee swing speed multiplier	factor	+5%	Role: personal	works
Swift Swing	secondary	Melee swing speed multiplier	factor	+2%	Role: captain; troops: on foot	works
Footwork	primary	Agent combat max speed multiplier	factor	+2%	Role: personal	works
Footwork	secondary	Agent max movement speed multiplier	factor	+2%	Item: no offhand shield; role: captain	differs
Hard Knock	primary	Knockdown penetration	add	+0.25	Role: personal	differs
Hard Knock	secondary	Agent max health at spawn	add	+3	Role: party leader; troops: on foot	works
Lancer ×3	primary	Attacker extra linear speed in strike magnitude	factor	+20%	Role: personal; troops: mounted	works
Lancer ×3	secondary	Attacker extra linear speed in strike magnitude	factor	+30%	Role: captain	works
Steed Killer	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+70%	Role: personal	works
Steed Killer	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+30%	Role: captain; troops: on foot	works
Guards	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+50%	Role: personal	works
Guards	secondary	Combat XP from one hit	factor	+20%	Party: garrison; role: governor; troops: mounted	works
Skewer	primary	Couched lance pass-through chance after a kill	add	+0.25	Role: personal; troops: mounted	works
Skewer	secondary	Daily security change of a town or castle	add	+1	Role: governor; settlement: town	works
Phalanx	primary	Agent effective skill in battle	add	+30	Role: party leader; troops: on foot	differs
Phalanx	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+3%	Role: captain	works
Standard Bearer	primary	Morale loss of the casualty's side when an agent falls	factor	-20%	Role: captain	differs
Standard Bearer	primary	Morale loss of the side when an agent panics	factor	-20%	Role: captain	differs
Standard Bearer	primary	Hero power modifier in simulation	add	+0.03	Mission: simulation	differs
Standard Bearer	secondary	Party daily wage	factor	-20% × infantry wage share	Party: garrison; role: governor; settlement: fortification	works
Drills	primary	Chance that a spawned militia troop is a veteran	add	+1	Role: governor	differs
Drills	secondary	Daily troop experience	add	+0	Role: party leader	differs
Hardy Frontline	primary	Agent max health at spawn	add	+5	Role: party leader	works
Hardy Frontline	secondary	Troop recruitment cost	factor	-20%	Role: party leader; troops: infantry	works
Sure Footed	primary	Blow damage after victim reductions	factor	-40%	Role: personal	works
Sure Footed	secondary	Blow damage after victim reductions	factor	-30%	Role: captain	works
Unstoppable Force	primary	Passive usage (couch or brace) blow magnitude	factor	+300%	Role: personal	differs
Unstoppable Force ×3	secondary	Attacker extra linear speed in strike magnitude	factor	+30%	Role: captain; troops: mounted	works
Counterweight	primary	Melee weapon handling multiplier	factor	+15%	Role: personal	works
Counterweight	secondary	Agent effective skill in battle	add	+20	Role: captain; troops: on foot	differs
Sharpen the Tip	primary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+5%	Role: personal	works
Sharpen the Tip	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+5%	Role: captain; troops: on foot	works
Way of the Spear	primary	Melee swing speed multiplier	factor	+5% at skill 275, +0.2% per point	Role: personal	works
Way of the Spear	primary	Thrust or ranged ready speed multiplier	factor	+5% at skill 275, +0.2% per point	Role: personal	works
Way of the Spear	secondary	Blow damage after attacker amplifications	factor	+12.5% at skill 275, +0.5% per point	Role: personal	works
Polearm weapon damage	—	Agent weapon damage multiplier	factor	+0.07% per point	Role: personal	works
Polearm weapon speed	—	Melee swing speed multiplier	factor	+0.06% per point	Role: personal	works
Polearm weapon speed	—	Thrust or ranged ready speed multiplier	factor	+0.06% per point	Role: personal	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Agent effective skill in battle	base	skill value	—	works
Skill level ×2	—	Agent AI combat level	base	min(1, max(0, skill / 300 × difficulty factor))	—	works
Skill level	—	Wielded weapon inaccuracy	override	set to 1 at skill 0, -0.01 per point, limit 0	Item: melee weapon	works
Skill level	—	Ranged max movement accuracy penalty	base	0.125 at skill 0, -0.00025 per point, limit 0	Item: ranged weapon	works
Skill level	—	Ranged max unsteady accuracy penalty	base	0.1 at skill 0, -0.0002 per point, limit 0	Item: ranged weapon	works
Skill level	—	Ranged aim unsteady begin time	add	+0.01 per point	—	works
Skill level	—	AI clan hero score for leading a new lord party	add	+3 × tactics skill + 2 × leadership skill + scouting skill + steward skill + onehanded skill + twohanded skill + polearm skill + riding skill	—	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Skill a hero inherits on coming of age	base	+1 per point	—	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Heir selection points of a clan member	add	+5	—	works
Skill level	—	Hero can equip item	override	off	—	works
Skill level	—	Hero counts as a combatant	override	on	—	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Maximum troops lost on an issue's alternative solution	multiply	×max(0.2, min(0.8, trunc(issue required skill / skill) × 0.1))	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Days an issue's alternative solution takes	add	+2 × min(10, trunc(issue required skill / skill))	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Failure risk of an issue's alternative solution	add	-0.005 per point	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Troops required for an issue's alternative solution	multiply	×max(0.2, min(1.2, issue required skill / skill))	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Skill is high enough for a perk reset	override	on	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Gold cost to reset the perks of a skill	add	+40 per point	Hero: player clan	works
Skill level	—	Player may take an issue's quest	override	off	Hero: main hero	works
Skill level (any skill)	—	Persuasion success multiplier	factor	min(0.2, floor(skill / 250) × 0.2)	Hero: main hero	works
Skill level	—	Score of a participant in a simulated tournament	add	+0.01 × hero factor × skill	—	works
Skill level	—	Simulated tournament attack power	multiply	×0.3 at skill 0, +0.002333 per point	Mission: tournament	works

Practical tips

Infantry captain: Clean Thrust at 75 gives every troop on foot in your formation +30 Polearm skill, which raises their polearm damage and speed. Counterweight at 250 adds +20 more, but not for cavalry.
Lancer captain: Lancer (secondary) helps every polearm troop in your formation, on foot too; Unstoppable Force (secondary) only helps mounted ones.
Couched lance hero: Lancer, Skewer and Unstoppable Force all work on couched lances; Cavalry at 25 adds +2% damage.
Shield wall army: Phalanx gives all your party's footmen +30 melee skills whenever their formation is in shield wall, even when you do not lead that formation.
Drills: as governor, every militia spawned in your settlement is a veteran while you are there; the party-leader half adds 0 experience.
Hardy Frontline vs Drills: if you want hit points for your troops: Hardy Frontline gives +5 on land only ("Land only" in the tooltip).
Footwork's captain half skips troops with a shield in hand, so it reaches those without one.
Standard Bearer: if you lead the formation, the 20% cut applies when its troops, or you, fall or panic.