Pikeman

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Introduction

The Pikeman is a marked improvement from the Spearman. It’s a great counter to one of the most powerful units in the Castle Age, the Knight. Since knights are seen in almost every game, unless the player is playing as a meso civ, pikemen are seen much more often than its barracks counterpart, the Long Swordsman. It is easily countered by ranged units, so make sure to mix in some units that can counter them, such as the Elite Skirmisher, the Mangonel, or your own knights.

Overview

In-Game Description: Stronger than Spearman. Attack bonus vs. cavalry, especially War Elephants.

History from the Game Manual: The success of spearmen against cavalry led to innovation in the equipment and tactics they used. Pikemen
were an innovation of towns and communities that did not have the resources to field large armies of heavy
cavalry. Pikes were cheap and could be quite effective with training. One important change was the
lengthening of the weapon shaft. Where the spear had been 6 to 8 feet long, the pike had a shaft up to 18 feet
long. The longer weapon meant that more spear points could be extended beyond the bodies of the men in the
front rank. Pikemen combined with crossbowmen or hand cannoneers to make a useful combined arms unit.
The pikemen prevented cavalry from overrunning the group, while the missile troops caused casualties to the
enemy at range. Working together, this combination dominated battlefields at the end of the age. As firearms
improved after the Middle Ages, the pikeman component became less necessary. The bayonet made the pike
component obsolete and allowed the musketeer to defend himself against cavalry.

Civ Bonuses and Upgrades

Statistics

Note: Click on a column header to sort the list by the selected column. Click on the Icon column header to return the table to its default state. The other units in its unit line are included for comparison.

Standard Statistics

Advanced Statistics

Civ Availability