Quote Originally Posted by zoner16 View Post
The Ji was still rather widespread in the Later Han/Jian'an-Zhengshi eras. The references to it in the histories were on par with those to the spear/pike. It's decline was after this period. The style of Ji used in game are still imperial era (though more Former Han), as they have the single head construction. I've seen a couple that looked like general specific weapons in other people's screenshots that were more aligned with the style of the Later Han era.

If anything should be brought up about nonsensical polearms, its' the glaives. You honestly have to dig very hard to find any evidence that glaive-like weapons even existed in this era, never mind used on the battlefield, but the game is crawling with them.
I actually made a short summary thread on polearms a few years back:
https://forums.totalwar.com/discussi...-ancient-china
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is what Han dynasty Ji unearthed from Western Han tombs look like and that is how ingame look like, this looks completely different from the ones ingame, which has a much thicker blade and a different shape, stereotypical of Warring States Ji.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

On top of this, Armoury records unearthed during Han dynasty indicates Ji to make up very small percentage of the overall arsenal. Yes, it is an ancedote, but it is most concrete and quantifiable evidence so far. If you can read Chinese, look up武库永始四年兵车器集簿, it records the content of DongHai commendary armoury in year 13 BC, Ji only accounts for 6634 of the 614 546 polearms. Heres a quick translation:

  • Bow & Crossbow
    Crossbow: 537,707 (Imperial Heirloom: 11,181)
    Bow: 77,521
    total: 615,228
  • Projectiles
    Bolts: 11,458,424 (Imperial Heirloom: 34,265)
    Arrows: 1,199,316 (Imperial Heirloom: 511)
    Total: 12,657,740
  • Armor
    Standard Armor: 142,701 (Imperial Heirlooms: 379)
    Iron Thigh Armor: 225 pairs with one unique pair
    Heavy Armor: 63,324
    ?? Normal / Leather Thigh Armor: 563
    Lamellar pieces: 587,299
    Tempered leather: 14 jing (Han dynasty weight unit)
  • Helmet
    Helmet: 98,226 (Imperial Heirloom: 678)
    Horse Armor: 5,330
  • Shield
    Shield: 102,551 (Imperial Heirloom: 2650)
  • Polearms
    Bronze Dagger-Axe: 632 (Imperial Heirloom: 563)
    Spear: 52,555 (Imperial Heirloom: 2377)
    Sha (Trident?): 943 (all of them Imperial Heirloom)
    Pi (Long spear?): 451,222 (Imperial Heirloom: 1421)
    Ji Polearm : 6634
    YoFang : 78,393
    Duan: 24,167
    Total: 614,546
  • Swords & Blades
    Sword: 99,905 (Imperial Heirloom: 4)
    Daggers: 24,804
    Saw Blade?: 30,098
    Saber: 156,135
    Long Saber: 127 (Imperial Heirloom: 232)
    Total: 311,069
  • Battle Axes
    Iron Axes: 1132 (Imperial Heirloom: 136)


This is just the start, every single melee weapon other than the Sabre in game is inaccurate/anachronistic/made up. Funny how they get the general aesthehics of Han dynasty clothing and armour right, but almost every melee weapon is blatantly wrong. They also tend to have utterly nonesensical combinations too: Double axes? Single handed swords but no shield? Giant glaives but no armour? It desperately needs an common sense overhaul.