Pikes in 1.2

**Maelstrom** · 08-14-2007, 09:31

I don't know the specific answer to your question, but last night I had my longbowmen and sherwood archers overrun a couple of units of pikemen after they had exhausted their ammunition.

I was watching this closely, having never seen pikemen in action before, and in this instance they held onto their pikes throughout - much to their detriment....

They were badly depleted, and I did have a unit of cavalry hovering in the background though, in case this makes a difference.

**khaos83_2000** · 08-14-2007, 09:40

I dun use pikes in mtw2. imo, They are plagued with game mechanics issues.
But pikes in rtw works WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY better. At least they hold the line like they are supposed to.
Maybe i just don't know how to use them in mtw2

**Per Ole** · 08-14-2007, 13:01

pikes in m2tw are not offensive weapons, they are kind of mobile "stakes" (the ones you can place with longbowmen). Pikemen form a line, and have missile troops behind them shooting at the enemy. If you want attack-troops, use swordsmen or other infantry

**khaos83_2000** · 08-14-2007, 16:59

I feel that pike in mtw2 can't even HOLD the line. Maybe i just don't know how to use them. I tried using various methods e.g. activate or without defend with spear wall but they drop their spears 3 secs after impact from another enemy unit.

**Goofball** · 08-14-2007, 17:04

Originally Posted by khaos83_2000

I feel that pike in mtw2 can't even HOLD the line. Maybe i just don't know how to use them. I tried using various methods e.g. activate or without defend with spear wall but they drop their spears 3 secs after impact from another enemy unit.

You saw this happen in 1.2, or are you still using 1.1?

Modding out their secondary weapon fixes this problem. In my experience, after that "fix" is applied, pikes will hold the line quite well, definitely against cavalry, but also against infantry.

**Rhyfelwyr** · 08-14-2007, 20:58

Modding out the secondary weapon makes them a little overpowered though, you have to reduce their attack or kill rate to balance them.

Pikes are brilliant for cancelling out cavalry charges. While cavalry charges are quite badly bugged and often do not work correctly, I've noticed that when they do work they can kill half of a strong infantry unit in seconds. But try a charge like that on pikemen and your horses will get minced.

I think Pikes are realistic in M2TW considering its a medieval era game, pikes then were used really as anti-cavalry units, not as the backbone line-holders that the ancient phalanxes were.

**Herkus** · 08-15-2007, 02:43

Originally Posted by Caledonian Rhyfelwyr

I think Pikes are realistic in M2TW considering its a medieval era game, pikes then were used really as anti-cavalry units, not as the backbone line-holders that the ancient phalanxes were.

You really don't know much about real medieval warfare (and following renaissance), do you?
The Swiss reinslaufers, landsknechts, Spanish tercios etc. used pike as offensive weapon.

Too bad that the pike fighting both offensively and defensively is seriously f*cked up in m2tw.