School of Soldiers

Official Shire of South Keep Website.Home Up Tactics

 

 

An Essay on Melee Tactics

By Count Kein MacEwan of Ansteorra

 

 The Way of the Warrior He covers some topics on melee fighting, armoring, and historical ... combat and training
than it is a "how-to" guide.

SCA Melee Fighting Website- This website serves as an archive for information related to large group fighting (melees) in The Society for Creative Anachronism.

Feargus's Heavy Weapons Page, some Nice Basics

 

 

 

 

South Keep School of Soldiers

TROOP FORMATIONS AND COMMANDS

FORMATIONS:

COLUMN -

PHALANX -

TURTLE -

WALL -

WEDGE -

 

PURPOSE

RAPID TROOP MOVEMENT

SHIELD WALL DEFENSE / ATTACK

CROSSING FORDS / ENTERING CASTLES

DEFENSE FOR BRIDGES / CHARGES

PENETRATING DEFENSIVE POSITIONS

FORMATION COMMANDS:

COLUMN

[ FORWARD ]

[ STOP ]

[ PHALANX ]

[ WALL ]

[ TURTLE ]

PHALANX,

[ CENTER ] ( RIGHT, LEFT )

[ FORWARD ( MEDIUM )]

[ BACK ]

[ STOP ]

[ COLUMN ]

[ WEDGE ]

WEDGE

[ FORWARD, CHARGE ]

TURTLE [ FORWARD ]

[ WALL ]

WALL [ TURTLE ]

[ PHALANX ]

[ COLUMN ]

 

FORMATION USE SEQUENCES:

SENARIO: CROSSING A FORD AGAINST A FORCE.

COLUMN - APPROACH FORD, JAVELINS BEHIND COLUMN.

WALL - AT RIVERS EDGE, JAVELINS DEPLOY PAVISES.

TURTLE - PREPARE TO ENTER FORD, TURTLE ADVANCES ACROSS,AT CONTACT, JAVELINS VOLLEY INTO THE POINT OF CONTACT. TURTLE PRESSES ONTO BANK.

WALL - IS DONE TO KEEP FROM BEING PUSHED BACK. JAVLINS CEASE VOLLEY AND PREPARE TO CROSS RIVER.

PHALANX - DONE WHEN BEACHHEAD EXPANDS. MAY FORM WEGDE TO DRIVE ENEMY FROM BANK.

COLUMN - ENEMY IS DRIVEN AWAY OR DESTROYED, JAVELINS CROSS AND JOIN COLUMN, ANY SIEGE EQUIPMENT SUPPORTS FROM FLANKS OF JAVELINS.

 

 

South Keep School of Soldiers

Troop diagrams for Javelineers

  

 

This tactic is the most efficient and effective when a small group of

heavies try to overrun the javelineer's position. The javelineers move to

encircle the approaching heavies to throw at them from all sides.

 

 

 

This is one of the heavy infantry support tactics to distract the enemy

while he is engaged in shield wall verses shield wall combat. The

javelineers move from behind the shield wall to the flanks where they can

volley into the pikemen and the opposing heavy infantry.

 

 

This example portrays a battle where the javelineers and balistas are supporting an advance across a bridge. This tactic is one of the formations where the javelineers use pavises to shield their static position. The formation is also effective at ford crossings or other places where troops are close and cannot move readily. The javelineers throw their javelins by row count, thus row 1 throws first followed by row 2, followed by row three, then repeats. There is always 3 to 6 javelins in the air from each group.

 

 

 


 

 

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