Brief Description:  The plançon à picot (literally "spiked club") was a medieval infantry weapon designed for both bludgeoning and piercing. It featured a stout, iron-reinforced wooden shaft (1 to 1.5 meters long) shaped like a heavy baseball bat, topped with a sharp steel spike. It was a cheaper, formidable alternative to swords.

Key Characteristics:

Dual Functionality: The thick, club-like body was ideal for delivering devastating blunt force trauma, capable of breaking bones or crushing armor. The steel point on top was designed to penetrate the gaps or weak points in heavily armored foes.

Design & Materials: Resembling a baseball bat, the wooden shaft was frequently reinforced with iron bands or metal fittings to prevent it from splintering during combat.

Cost & Accessibility: Because it was relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, it was favored by peasant levies, militias, and low-cost infantry who could not afford high-end armor or more complex polearms.

Tactical Role: It was highly effective at close quarters and was frequently employed by infantry to combat heavily armored, mounted knights.