The Macedonian Phalanx

[Sir Zachary]

I am sure many of us are familiar with the idea with a bunch of guys in formation with shields and polearms moving like a spiked war machine. Well I looked it up and apparently that is the Macedonian Phalanx. I am trying to build a defender for a game I'm going to be in soon. I am a half-orc Banneret with a spell-less Ranger dip(the maneuver one).

My idea was to take the Sentinel feat, Tunnel Fighter style and use a reach weapon for a lot of opportunity attacks. Basically trying to recreate the supportive Crusader trippers from 3.5. I'd try and get the enemy to want to attack me and when they did I'd have a bunch of AC. I'd be like a one man phalanx blocking the way to my squishes. I thought I would do this with a spear, but the spears are not reach weapons. As far as I can see none of the other polearm reach weapons can be used in one hand.

So I ask you, dear Playground, if any of you know a way to have a one-handed polearm? My DM is new and has been very accommodating in approving the use of UA stuff for me already and I would like to avoid asking for a DM handwave on one-handing a polearm and just have a published rule only way of doing this.

[JackPhoenix]

Spear Master feat from UA can give spear reach as a bonus action, increases its damage and give you the option to set it against closing enemy for double damage.

[WickerNipple]

So I ask you, dear Playground, if any of you know a way to have a one-handed polearm? My DM is new and has been very accommodating in approving the use of UA stuff for me already and I would like to avoid asking for a DM handwave on one-handing a polearm and just have a published rule only way of doing this.

It's odd you picked Macedon's phalanx because the primary revolution involved there was to make the spear so long it couldn't be used one handed. Their shields weren't really 'wielded', more like hanging on a strap to offer some torso protection and something to use if the formation broke up.

The earlier greek phalanx all used much shorter spears that could be used one handed.

[Sigreid]

It's not a pole arm but a whip is a 1 hand reach weapon. Generally speaking, the balance of a 1 hand weapon would be too awkward to be effective if it were designed for use at reach unless the weapon were too light to be effective against armored opponents.