Charging and Trampling vs. Pole Weapons

[Skarg]

That's against a cavalry charge. Gut the horse and be harder to hit with a saber.

I don't see that being very useful, and certainly not being necessary to get pole weapon advantages, in melee combat with foes on foot.

A cavalry formation charging a line has to either stop or run into that line. A skirmisher on foot with a sword will see an opponent kneeling with his weapon stuck in the dirt in one spot... that doesn't look advantageous to me, compared to standing with the polearm ready and not stuck in the ground.

Here's an example of spear sparring. Imagine if one of these two were kneeling with their spear stuck in the ground. Seems clear to me that it would mainly make them a sitting duck.

Here's another example, of groups fighting with swords and spears. Lots of Waiting For An Opening and two-hex jabs, and they're playing for touches so not going to really drive a shaft into anyone, but I think it's clear the essential need to be mobile and not have your spear's end stuck in the dirt.

And here is a sword/buckler versus spear example, again showing Waiting For An Opening, reluctance to run up into a spear, two-hex jabs and the general dominance of using a spear due to reach. Again, mobility of the spear is clearly a vital element, as is keeping its length between the wielder and the foe. The swordsman stops when advancing if/when the spear comes down such that if he kept going, he'd be running up the spear. I didn't ever notice the butt of the spear set into the ground. I did see the point set against the ground, but just as a resting place from which to lift it up and strike. Swordsman tries (and occasionally succeeds) to get his shield and sword to bind and/or knock the spear aside so he can run past it and strike (I would call that a Defend during the turn the charge attack defense, followed by an attack, in TFT).