User blog comment:Lord Loss/Discussion of the Week: Lances/@comment-219.89.186.41-20120614002258/@comment-5043481-20120614163927

The manual says that they have the longest range, but they really don't. Its only horizontal range that its good for, but a weapon like a great sword can hit things that are high up.

Also, because you move forward while stabbing the long horizontal range is ineffectual for things that you want it for (khezu's electric feild, mini monsters etc). Then you have to use the weak gaurd stab.

And, the horizontal stab has only 2/3 of the power of the shorter ranged upstab.

And yes, for pure offence, nothing beats long sword!