ITT: We discuss the efficacy of pike formations against opposing forces wielding only short handheld weapons such as clubs and light shields.Threadly fact: did you know that during the 1642 English Civil War pike formations were mixed in with musketeers?
>>536281942/k/?
>>536281942>Threadly fact: did you know that during the 1642 English Civil War pike formations were mixed in with musketeers?Swedes were the last european country that was using pike and shot formation.There were still using them at the beginning of XVIII century.
>>536282382>/k/?Everyone loves pike formation!
>>536281942Here's everything you need to know https://youtu.be/uulrerMwSjI?si=t0GqGuL6YgMqeowh
>>536282461They're extremely effective at blunting the cavalry. It wasn't until firearms became trivial to reload that the pike was truly obsolete, and even then the standard rifle could essentially double as a pike with its bayonet.
>>536281942horse archers would wreck that shit
>>536281942there is a /k/ forum you know
>>536282927Horse archers are impractical,
>>536281942They must have some really strong hands to hold that for long
>>536282927>horse archers would wreck that shitSorry sweetie, but pike formations were supported with shitload of guns. Spaniards even had one gunner for every two pikemen.
>>536283212>impracticalpikes are like 20 feet long
>>536283370>gunsok, helicopters would wreck that shit
>>536283372Then why are armies who solely rely on horse archers so overwhelmingly rare while pikes were ubiquitous until recent history?
>>536281942Heavily armored infantry basically renders pike formation useless, since a long thrust will just deflect off the armor. They were used still to repel some cavalry charges, but once the battle starts properly then it's close range melee.
>>536283237REAL WHITE MEN USED THEIR COCKS
>>536283237The old tercios held for a day at rocroiSamson's hair is an allegory for the foreskin
>>536283580because wars are blood sacrifices to yahweh or whatever
>>536283584If you close enough to the formation after getting battered down and jabbed for minutes the halberdiers will wreck your shit.
>>536281942/gsg/ is that way
>>536284124this is why you go max javelin
>>536284319>>536284124guns and horseswikipedia.org/wiki/Caracole
>>536283237Before recent history soldiers had insanely overdeveloped musculature and bones due to how strenuous holding hand powered weaponry was.
Maybe the limeys protesting right now will take notes on this but no they're just gonna let their government steamroll them in favor of browns.
>>536283584And how many heavily armored infantry do you think there is?First of all: people who can afford full plate armor can also afford a horse, meaning they are cavalry.Second: they tend to constitute a tiny fraction of the entire army, as little as 1-5%, and can only be in one place, so while it's possible your 500 knights smash 2 enemy formations to shit nothing is stopping them from another formation walking around the back and smashing them in their literal ass.That's pretty much what the melee between hordes of peasant retards is for:>pin them down so they don't flank or encircle you
>>536286742Also all that armour won't do shit against a musketball
>>536281942It seems easy to outmaneuver and outflank pike formation but I haven't seen it during High Middle Age battles.If I remember correctly, Romans beat Macedonian pikes during 2nd Roman-Macedon War because of uneven ground and pikes didn't have enough time to form up.
