Special ability - Shield wall

**Singleton Mosby** · 11-21-2006, 14:43

I have to say I miss the interlocking shields of RTW: barabarian invasions. Or, have I perhaps played the wrong countries?

**Talbot** · 11-21-2006, 16:37

AFAIK the idea of interlocking shields to form a wall died out with the saxons. Someone more knowledgeable might be able to correct me on that.

**Jagger** · 11-21-2006, 16:42

I haven't run into any units with the shield wall capability yet in my Venecian campaign. However the schiltron formation is very handy when you need to buy time against cavalry.

**shifty157** · 11-21-2006, 18:12

As far as i can tell the shield wall is out. WHile it is true that it was a dying formation (being replaced by pike walls) at the time it was still rather commonly used in the early midieval ages. Despite Norman conquest, England was still very anglo-saxon and expecially levy units still used the formation. It also remained prevalent in most Norse cultures like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Im not sure about Russia or Lithuania but i wouldnt be surprised if it was still in regular use there as well at game start.

Despite the fact that the formation quickly died out from common use after the start date, I think that it was a good formation that should have been kept if for no other reason than for the use of modders. Then again maybe it is still in. We wont truly know until we get the unpacker.

**Singleton Mosby** · 11-24-2006, 13:16

Thanks a lot for your replies. Do we already know when the unpacker will be released?

**Bob the Insane** · 11-24-2006, 13:21

Originally Posted by Singleton Mosby

Thanks a lot for your replies. Do we already know when the unpacker will be released?

With the first patch, which was unoffically due a couple of weeks after the release... But then only if it passed QA on the first attempt and they didn't want to include anything else in it...