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The front rank of the pike block holding their pikes horizontally as a protection against advancing infantry. Once the enemy infantry had fought their way past the points of the pikes, the pike would be dropped and the pikeman would draw his sword. Pikemen wore cheap, fairly short, swords. Pikemen sometimes used their swords for other things, like chopping wood, which tended to break them. Following a a victory they could pillage a replacement from the dead or wounded. Otherwise they had to do without, or try to get a replacement from their commanding officer. |
Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland 1997