Empires Armies Focus : Pike formations

The pike formation or square is an infantry formation used extensively both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. It is the basic formation upon which most infantry tactics in the empires are formed and has been so since the days of Alexander's famed Macedonian phalanxes.

The pike is an extremely long weapon, varying considerably in size amongst the different empires. In the Western Roman Empire, the sarissa is 5.45 meters long. Among the Byzantines their kontarion is 4.5 meters long, and the Persian bighal which can range from 2.7 to 3.6 meters in length.

The great length of pikes allows a great concentration of spearheads to be presented to the enemy, with their wielders at a greater distance, but also makes the longer pikes unwieldy in close combat.

Western Roman pike formations tend to be densely packed with individual pikemen standing shoulder to shoulder. Protection is usually half-armor for the front two ranks with lighter protection (if any) for the rear ranks. Roman pike tactics are aggressive, and their formations more flexible than their eastern counterparts. However they depend on accompanying flank and missile troops to protect them from counterattacks from flank or rear or to answer enemy missile fire.
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Byzantine pike formations are generally not so dense as individual pikemen carry shields (skoutaria) very much like the old Macedonian phalanxes. In addition Byzantine pike formations are more 'combined arms' units as they incorporate missiles (either crossbows or bows) and equip their pikemen with darts. Byzantine formations are primarily defensive and not very flexible but have a formidable integral missile component.
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Persian pike formations are composed of varying lengths of pike or thrusting and throwing spear allowing them to close with heavy melee troops like skoutatoi without being encumbered by overly long weapons. Against more dedicated pike formations like those of the Romans or Byzantines they tend to come off second best. However Persian pike formations are used primarily to coordinate with and support Persian Savaran heavy cavalry and the lighter horse archers.
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