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Thread: Pike and Shot

  1. #1

    Default Pike and Shot

    I've always been boggled by the common pike and shot formation being gunners on the wings of pikemen. This makes approximately 0 sense to me, as I thought that pike and shot was developed to defend gunners from cavalry.



    (o is arquebusiers/musketeers, P is pikemen, h is halberdiers)

    To me, this is asking for a cavalry charge and usually happens in M2TW as the AI loves nothing more than a good zerg rush, especially against gunners. I have always used what was described as the Danish pike and shot formation, which is gunners in front of pikemen, or as I like to use it, pikemen and gunners inter-weaved into one formation.



    This formation usually allows for optimal defense against any infantry that survives the deadly volleys of the gunners by stabbing them with obscenely long spears, and in some cases the gunners can actually still get volleys off while the pikemen are facing off against the enemy infantry. This formation has done me wonders and makes me question the purpose of the real pike and shot formations used in the Thirty Years' War.

    Thoughts?

  2. #2
    UndrState's Avatar Centenarius
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    Default Re: Pike and Shot

    I'm sure others will be more knowledgable, but I think in reality the gunners would've been swifter to at retreating than what we can pull off in the game. I also think that the pikemen were more responsive with regard to protecting the flanks of their neighbouring formations.

    I'm just gonna put this here, before the "Pikemen are broken" people get here:

    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...Employ-Pikemen

    I don't normally integrate my gunners into the ranks of the pikemen, except the back rank, just because I'm concerned about friendly fire within the formation and I'm used to doubling up on my pikemen, per the guide above.

    One thing I found interesting in my admittedly shallow research about pikemen is should be able to be more aggressive than they can be used in game. As it is, I think most players use pikemen as mostly passive, defensive "islands" on the battle field (how I normally use spearmen); I try and make more aggresive moves, but it can be tough.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Pike and Shot

    I usually don't make use of pikemen outside of city defense until gunpowder is released, because once arquebusiers/musketeers are available they become the staple of my battle line and the AI never tends to catch up, endlessly zerg-ing my now gunpowder battle line; so pikemen never see an offensive role in my armies, but I will try that guide when I next sally out in defense of a city before gunpowder is introduced.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Pike and Shot

    Pikemen aren't "broken." People just don't know how to use them properly, or haven't the patience required to fully utilise them. Their subtlety is their power, rather than a heavy infantry unit where you just charge hell for leather at the opponent.

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