Quote Originally Posted by seienchin View Post
PS: Off course when the swiss came up with the Gewalthaufen no enemy used it so they one some battles surprisingly easy (Just as alexander), but after most countries adopted it, it became just as unflexible as in the Diadochi times. Also there are quite a few theories about the end of the pikeformations I like the theory that cannons, advanced cavallery tacticts and the spreading of the bayonett made their formations impossible to hold and useless.
It's almost always like this. Consider the older examples. The Hyksos Hittites and whathaveyou come south and invade and next thing you know, in the blink of an eye (to use a saying), you have Egyptians and Co. using iron weaponry. Assyrians use cav as a unit of battle and not just to carry supplies, and everyone follows suit. The Sumerians fight in phalanx formation presenting a wall of shield and spear, and many follow suit.
The introductory periods almost consistently see bloody victories on the part of the technologically advanced. When enemies mimic tech, things even out and victories don't kill as many people anymore. Doesn't mean there aren't exceptions. At Cynoscephalae, as far as I can remember, the Romans didn't adhere to "rules of war". They massacred many instead of accepting the sign of surrender (raised pikes) by the Makedones. Guess the Romans had larger goals and sights, more ambitious and couldn't afford a resurrection of the Makedonian professional army...