Question about pikes...

[IGdood]

Can someone teach me how to use pikes well?

They always lift their pikes when they get charged, and I have to disable spear wall, then reenable it before they put their pikes back down and hold formation. Afterwards I click the attack button and they perform their pike push.

Otherwise, they just lift up their pikes and everyone switches to their swords.

Can somebody help?

[VirusITA]

They lift their pikes when you move them (if you order to attack, for example). They are useful when you don't move them! Most of all when they're charged by cavalry..
Use them as a wall, your first, impact line.

[Lost Crusader]

the pikes are buged in vanilla 1.2

[Taimee Rose]

the pikes are buged in vanilla 1.2

How so? They seem to be more than effective on my campaing.

[Lost Crusader]

How so? They seem to be more than effective on my campaing.

because they switch to secondary weapon almost immediately after contact, instead of holding to their pikes.
and because they attack with their pikes up

[IGdood]

Damn that sucks....

And to VirusITA, I don't tell them to attack. I let them get charged.

[PooFoo]

They should have left spearwall similar to the phalanx formation of RTW. And it wouldn't be as powerful since pikemen don't have shields (any missile fire destroys them, plus they are very slow moving). It would be perfectly balanced.

[Saibot]

They're really usefull against cavalry based factions when they're besieging you just place 3 units of pikemen in a box formation at the gate and watch all cavalry die as they come in. And if you place some archers behind them who can shoot into the massed crowd you'll get in a lot of kills before their losses are too great to be efficient.

[ShadowGladius]

Just to mention, Swordsmen historically defeated pike formations by getting in between pikes and cutting up the lightly armored pikemen.

Pikes are mainly for anti-cav, if horseman even touch the pike line they just die instantly, and I would only use them vs infantry if you have them upgraded with weapons and armor or if they're experienced- if you do they usually can stop an infantry charge from getting in too close, but if they aren't the swordsmen will get through the pikes, like they should. You could also have your own infantry stationed in the pike formation's pikes to stop a charge.

Really, the reason why pikes were dominately used in the late medieval ages was because cavalry were previously the dominate force - but pike/crossbow/gun counters heavy cav.

Later, forces like the "Sword and Buckler" man were made to fight pike formations, getting in between the pikes and cutting up people. And then the common usage of cannon and shot really ended the dominate use of deep pike formations.

[PooFoo]

Just to mention, Swordsmen historically defeated pike formations by getting in between pikes and cutting up the lightly armored pikemen.

Pikes are mainly for anti-cav, if horseman even touch the pike line they just die instantly, and I would only use them vs infantry if you have them upgraded with weapons and armor or if they're experienced- if you do they usually can stop an infantry charge from getting in too close, but if they aren't the swordsmen will get through the pikes, like they should. You could also have your own infantry stationed in the pike formation's pikes to stop a charge.

Really, the reason why pikes were dominately used in the late medieval ages was because cavalry were previously the dominate force - but pike/crossbow/gun counters heavy cav.

Later, forces like the "Sword and Buckler" man were made to fight pike formations, getting in between the pikes and cutting up people. And then the common usage of cannon and shot really ended the dominate use of deep pike formations.

Yeah, light infantry should have some kind of a bonus to reflect that. Heavy infantry though shouldn't be able to penetrate the formation.

[IGdood]

So...I suppose this is a bug now?

But I agree that they should be left like the phalanx of RTW.
I do remember in pure vanilla MTW 2 pikemen held on to their pikes and continued to brace even though they get charged.