My opinion on the Hero classes.

[Barristan]

A hero class does not specialise until the very high end. As a Hero class you are exactly the same as you most likely would have been at level 52, just with the specialisation on top. You are precisely as generalist as you would have been. The only true specialist at that level for pikeman is the Halberdier, which is designed to be slower and more of a tank.