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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 6310554" data-attributes="member: 19675">That's a helm that dates to about...oh...300 years after the pike square was dominant on the battlefield.The standard tactic, when engaged, was the outermost ranks facing the foes knelt and set their pikes.&nbsp; The next row was set about shoulder height to those kneeling, the next, interspersed between the front 2.&nbsp; They weren't pointing upwards.Yes...in the same horizontal plane, not the vertical.&nbsp; Engaged by troops using standard tactics, the pike square has nobody to spare to point upwards.&nbsp; The vertical path of attack is clear because the pike formation won't work against the ground troops otherwise.&nbsp; Looks to be so to me.True.&nbsp; Perhaps in a D&amp;D world, spiked armor WOULD be present in the battlefield.&nbsp; In fact, I've suggested that it would be.Because IMHO, in a standard high-fantasy world which- besides eladrin teleporters- contains all kinds of flying threats and giant-sized foes, a formation like the pike square or shield wall may never have been as dominant as they were in our world.&nbsp; Maybe they wouldn't even exist, because they're vulnerable to attack from the vertical plane.And by that, I mean, there are so many more threats than the typical projectiles of spear, arrow, slingstone and the like.&nbsp; Really, combat in such a world would more closely resemble that of the post-WW1 battlefield than a medieval one.Where a RW shield wall or pike formation might be able to raise shields or buckers to &quot;turtle up&quot; to avoid injury from incoming projectiles (because the ground troops so won't be able to engage when their artillery allies are bombarding their foes), the fantasy world's blinking/teleporting troops are fully capable of coordinating attacks with conventional forces.(see Harry Turtledove's Darkness novels- essentially, a WW2-type conflict in a fantasy world.)<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/erm.png"&nbsp; class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":erm:" title="Erm&nbsp; &nbsp; :erm:" data-shortname=":erm:" />&nbsp; I see that more as jumping down- a controlled, voluntary change in altitude- as opposed to falling down.&nbsp; I suspect there would be a measurable difference of opinion on that, though.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 6310554, member: 19675"] That's a helm that dates to about...oh...300 years after the pike square was dominant on the battlefield. The standard tactic, when engaged, was the outermost ranks facing the foes knelt and set their pikes. The next row was set about shoulder height to those kneeling, the next, interspersed between the front 2. They weren't pointing upwards. Yes...[I]in the same horizontal plane,[/I] not the vertical. Engaged by troops using standard tactics, the pike square has nobody to spare to point upwards. The vertical path of attack is clear because the pike formation won't work against the ground troops otherwise. Looks to be so to me. True. Perhaps in a D&D world, spiked armor WOULD be present in the battlefield. In fact, I've suggested that it would be. Because IMHO, in a standard high-fantasy world which- besides eladrin teleporters- contains all kinds of flying threats and giant-sized foes, a formation like the pike square or shield wall may never have been as dominant as they were in our world. Maybe they wouldn't even exist, because they're vulnerable to attack from the vertical plane. And by that, I mean, there are so many more threats than the typical projectiles of spear, arrow, slingstone and the like. Really, combat in such a world would more closely resemble that of the post-WW1 battlefield than a medieval one. Where a RW shield wall or pike formation might be able to raise shields or buckers to "turtle up" to avoid injury from incoming projectiles (because the ground troops so won't be able to engage when their artillery allies are bombarding their foes), the fantasy world's blinking/teleporting troops are fully capable of coordinating attacks with conventional forces. (see Harry Turtledove's [I]Darkness[/I] novels- essentially, a WW2-type conflict in a fantasy world.) :erm: I see that more as jumping down- a controlled, voluntary change in altitude- as opposed to falling down. I suspect there would be a measurable difference of opinion on that, though. [/QUOTE]

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