How to beat pikes

[martin goddard]

Pike armies were very good indeed during their battles.
The only way they were beaten was by other pikes or being caught in the flank or on rough ground.

In this weeks game the pikes slaughtered the hoplite greeks.
They did this by being on a hill and rolling good dice.
I think they work as intended but here are a few thoughts on how  to beat them.

1. Roll really good dice.
2. Hit a pike zone in the flank.
3. Get the pikes away from close order  +2 support
4. Shoot them a lot. Driving off their skirmishers is a good tactic.
5. Use battle tactics such as erratic leader if available.
6. Don't frontally assault them if they have all the modifiers.

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

How about simply avoiding the pikes (which cost a lot of points) and hoovering up the rest of their (mediocre?) army instead?

Simon

[martin goddard]

I saw that done recently Simon.
It did for the pikes.


martin

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

avoidance worked in the Renaissance period against Landsknecht pike blocks... but when the core of your army is multiple taxeis blocks of pike making up a quarter to a third of your army you'd need to pretty decisively win against everything else...

Neil

[Moggy]

Think the best way is to move next to them and shoot them to death. If they come off the hill they then suffer from arrow effect as well.  Only have to dislodge a unit or 2 and they can't stand.

Derek

[Panzer21]

The main tactic was disorder; whether from broken ground or by attacking elephants stationed between the phalanx formations  or simply attacking the flanks, which were very vulnerable.
We don't know the exact mechanics of ancient warfare, but v Romans it is not wholly down to the effects of pila; ancient sources suggest it's down to more flexible formations and tactics. Frontally, without any other mitigating factors, the phalanx could roll over opponents, but if attacked from different directions, fell into disorder.

In the Italian Wars, it seems a ditch and bank sometimes worked (but not always), preferably a sunken road between you and them. Other successes, were echos of the Romans with sword and bucklermen who could duck under the pikes, arquebus and artillery fires (not as decisive as it would sound) and costly cavalry charges by Gensdarmes (at best to halt them mostly just costly).

Neil

[martin goddard]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KnH5Gmu-N8

Krause collection Macedonians

martin