[3.5] Making a Knight-like Fighter in Midnight

[Keld Denar]

EWP: Spiked Chain is mechanically superior in almost every way to Short Haft. Short Haft requires a swift action to switch grips, so you can only do it once per round. Once you choke up, you've lost your reach, which is the main reason to use a reach weapon. You've also given up your swift action so you can't use it for a ton of other things. With the advent of ToB and MIC, and some of the later completes, swift actions are now incredibly valuable.

If you don't like the fluff of a Spiked Chain (yea, its silly), then change it. Just call it an exotic polearm with multiple striking surfaces that can hit close or far. Done.

You've also saved yourself from taking a crappy feat like Weapon Focus. Take Martial Study:Steel Wind instead. That'll get you 2 attacks as a standard action once every combat. WAY better 9/10 times until you get your 3rd iterative at level 11.

EDIT:
Law Devotion from Complete Champion would be very knightly and make you harder to hit, or hit harder depending on what you focus each round. Probably be wise to take it twice so you have it available in more than 1 encounter per day.