Pike square
Videos
The pike square was a military tactical formation in which 10 rows of men in 10 columns wielded pikes. It was developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 14th century for use by its infantry.
Swiss Gevierthaufen at the Battle of Sempach on 9 Jul 1386. Painting by Hans Ulrich Wegmann.
Pikemen of the Swiss Gevierthaufen in readiness position
First rank holding pikes at charge for horse defensive posture and second rank at charge for delivering thrusts
First rank holding pikes at charge for combat and second rank holding pikes at port to avoid injuring front rank soldiers while waiting to replace them (in real combat first 3–5 ranks would hold their pikes at charge, depending on the formation density and pole length, so as all the charged pikes would have their points in front, not inside the formation)
Pike and shot
Videos
Pike and shot was a historical infantry tactical formation that first appeared during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and was used until the development of the bayonet in the late 17th century
Pike square
…the Swiss pike squares were almost invincible on the late medieval battlefield. The dominance of the pure pike formation only came to an end when the pike and shot formation was introduced at the end of the fifteenth century. The pike square dominated European battlefields and influenced the development of tactics…
A 16th-century pamphlet showing a mixed pike and shot formation. Pikemen are represented by the letter "p", the two "winges of shot" by the letter "o". (The letter "h" represents halberdiers.) A group of "loose shotte" has been pushed forward into the front of the formation.
A model of a section of a pike and shot formation from the Thirty Years' War on display at the Army Museum in Stockholm. Consistent (uniform) dress was not common for military troops at the time.
Gari Melchers War Highsmith