Longer weapons getting some kind of defensive advantage

[mlangsdorf]

Assuming that the spearman was doing something else on his last turn (say, stabbing the swordsman's ally who was in Hex 3a), there's nothing that lets the spearman stab the swordsman as the swordsman come in.

Which isn't to say that the spearman doesn't have a lot of advantages here. Assuming both combatants have a Step of 1 hex, the swordsman had to make an All-Out Attack, a Committed Attack, or a Move and Attack to close the distance. If the swordsman's attack hits, the spearman can Retreat on the defense and on his next turn, stab the swordsman at Range 2 and then step away again, forcing the swordsman to continue the cycle to stay in range. The swordsman's maneuver prevents him from retreating (or in some cases, defending at all) and often limits his accuracy. This is a really bad position for the swordsman to be in.