As the weapon type with the longest reach in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Spears offers players the best way to keep foes at bay with many jabs and stabs. Much like how Odin himself had the magnificent Gungnir to use in battle, Eivor can also find similarly awesome weapons to skewer adversaries.
Although Spears can be used from the start of the game, their true potential unlocks after one acquires the Heavy Dual Wield perk from the Way of the Bear skill tree, as this grants new attacks to a Spear's moveset for even more options to impale enemies. To best make use of this polearm, players should practice with them in various manners to learn the best combos and techniques with which to dominate the battlefield.
In The Main Hand
The reach of a Spear is almost entirely directed in front of Eivor as they attack, meaning that this is a type of weapon that is ideal for linear strikes and for facing off against singular threats. For out-spacing adversaries, there is no better weapon, and this means that the player can use a Spear to decimate enemy forces, one by one, from as safe a distance as possible in melee combat.
Simple polearms such as these are effective for their range but also for their basic moveset that is very easy to learn as there is not much variation or complexity to the jabs and thrusts capable with a Spear. The light attack combo starts with 3 long pokes that are followed by a wide horizontal swing for a string of 4 hits.
Heavy attacks are also quite straightforward in that the max chain of 3 hits is a series of slower yet stronger thrusts than and penetrate enemy ranks with sufficient health and stamina damage.
With A Secondary Hand Weapon
With the inclusion of a secondary hand weapon, a Spear's moveset does not change nearly as much like many other weapons, though its light attack combo still benefits. During the 4th strike of this chain, the horizontal sweep, the offhand weapon gains an attack animation as well, which makes this final blow more like 2 hits instead of 1, meaning that the light attack combo now has a max hit potential of 5 strikes.
The secondary hand weapon will almost always be shorter than the main hand Spear (unless it is another Spear, but more on that later), so players should equip another long weapon in order for the final hit of the light combo's chain can land that juicy double-hit with both weapons easier. The best choice for this tactic would be to pair a Spear with a Great Sword or a Dane Axe. Though, unfortunately, the heavy attack combo sees no change in animation or damage from the addition of any secondary hand weapon.
One of the best special attacks that can benefit from a Spear in the main hand is that of a secondary hand Dane Axe, which can unleash a continuously spinning strike. This maneuver can cover a huge area thanks to a Spear's reach and grants Eivor the capacity to become a deadly whirlwind of wood and steel.
In The Secondary Hand
Placing a Spear in the secondary hand is a great option for almost any weapon type in the main hand, as the special attack of a Spear gives the player what is essentially a long-range melee grab attack. When the attack input is pressed, Eivor will lunge forward and stick the head of the Spear into a target's torso (if one is within reach) and will pause for a moment while the prey struggles in pain. With a follow-up press of the same attack input, one can fling the impaled target in a chosen direction, which can be used to toss them at other enemies for bonus damage and great crowd control.
Unlike many other secondary hand special attacks, this one does not continuously consume stamina or have a smoothly looping attack animation; it is a simple thrust and toss tactic that is as quick and efficient as the rest of a Spear's moveset. Players needing extra reach and a way to get past an enemy's guard should try this attack out, especially if one uses one-handed weapons in the main hand like a Dagger or Hammer.
Dual-Wielding Spears
It is recommended to pair a Spear with another two-handed weapon, like a Great Sword or Dane Axe, due to the reasons mentioned above, however, if one solely wants to focus on maximizing their reach and penetrative power, dual-wielding Spears is not a bad idea. The damage of one's attacks will drop a bit, though, this is worth the trade for the boon to both kinds of combos as well as the increased speed granted by the same weapon-type attack speed buff.
The light attack combo gets a nice bonus from 2 additional stabs that are lanced forth by the secondary hand Spear mixed in with the regular 3, and the ending of this chain still incorporates both weapons in the final wide sweep. This brings the total number of blows to 7 deadly strikes.
One's heavy combo will benefit as well, though will not gain additional hits to the attack string. Instead, each of the 3 strong stabs will use both Spears for twice the impact which can knock foes back with high health and stamina damage. If used with proper timing and spacing, players proficient at dual-wielding Spears can take out entire battalions without ever being touched.