[LT] Armor and cutting damage concerns

[Ji ji]

Pollaxe is an anomaly per se.

Unbalanced weapons do sw+2 one-handed. +1 for two-handed, +1 for reach 2. -1 for impaling, +1 for crushing w/flanges-spikes. After these base statistic, there are special exceptions (like warhammer, more damage counterbalanced by unreadiness, etc.).

Pollaxe damage, to get consistent with regard to dueling halberd, should be sw+5 cr.

Apart from these consideration, let's consider a sword blow on a mail armor (5 vs cut, 3 vs crush) given by a 12 ST guy (a tough fighter). 2d-1 damage, media 6, 2,8% of blows do 11+.
A cutting blow converted to crushing means:
- less damage, even if we use crushing DR
- no bleeding
- no risk of infection
My PC and NPC care a lot about these things. If not, they die in little time.
Let's look hevy mail's competitors:
Heavy layered leather, fine leather. Better DR against crush, much more heavy and expensive.
Heavy scale. Better DR against crush, much more heavy.
Heavy segmented plate. Better DR against crush, much more heavy.
Mail and plates. A little better DR against crush, a little more heavy.

The only real competitor is mail and plates, that is mail.

Another area of contrast is if all blows (arrows, swords, spears) were able to injure through mail quite so easily, I doubt it would have been so popular considering the weight and cost.

Alternatives are even worst. So what's the point?

However, these are counterarguments to your arguments.
My arguments are other.

If we apply your idea of edge protection, we go for this:
A light club blow makes 2 more damage points than tha same blow with a broadsword.
A round mace (an unbalanced club of 5lbs) makes 2 more damage points than a 4lbs-axe.
A 1lbs baton makes 2 more damage points than a 2lbs shortsword, 1 more than a 3lbs falchion.
A 8lbs oar makes 1 more damage than a 10lbs (...) dueling halberd.

This is not my idea of good simulation.