"28mm Swiss/Renaissance pikes length?" Topic

Just curious what length pikes people use on their 28mm pikemen? I am trying to decide the ideal length and have to factor in usability, looks, realism, handiness, etc…

Any opinions?

Mine are 80mm long – that is almost three times the height of the man wielding the pointy stick.

Griefbringer

Mine are the same as Griefbringers

I also use 75 to 80mm long. It looks right.
I use brass rod and hammer the end to form a spade end. Then I shape this o a spear point. Remember to blunt it slightly so you dont injure yourself later.

Mine are 75mm in length which seems to look about right.

80mm

Hmm, I am thinking 100mm…

I know people always complain about the problems of pikemen scratching the opposing unit with their pikes. I was trying to figure out a convenient way to base, move, and handle the unit on the tabletop, and this is what I came up with:

picture

Has anyone ever considered basing along these lines?

Has anyone ever considered basing along these lines?

I thought of it, but I dismissed the idea as it would not inflict enough pain on my adversaries' units!

Hmm, I am thinking 100mm…

The way I calculated it was as follows:

(1) Pikes in the late 15th century seemed to be around 10-12 feet long. Later pikes "grew" to upwards of 16-18 feet. I use 16 feet as the "happy" medium.

(2) The average 28mm figure is actually about 30mm to the top of the head, and assuming an average height of 5'8" (+ or -).

(3) Taking the 16 foot length (192") and dividing it by the average height of a man (68"), results in a factor of 2.8.

(4) Multiply 2.8 by 30mm results in 84mm length. So, 80mm works for me. (Going to 100mm is certainly not out of the question, especially if one considers that the average height of a man was a bit shorter than I suggest.)

Iirc, the Landsknechets had longer pikes than the Swiss: don't know where I read that. I think 18' at the longest, and Swiss were closer to 12'?

Why the longer bases? Just move into "contact" with the pointy bits and no closer.

John, your math is right on. But to Doug, the Swiss and Landsknechets used the same length pike. It was just assumed the Swiss used a smaller pike because they held it more in the centre for greater balance. Thus as for the Swiss, at least early on, the pike was an offensive weapon, different then how the Macedonians used them in a hammer and anvil type tactics.
The pike length for both was about 18'…which corresponds to 95mm using John's math (and what I also believe to be very reliable assumptions for height of the man and figure size.)

ilodic.

Hi

I remember reading a disucssion quoting two different landsknicht captains arguing over this . On insisted that 12s were stiffer and allowed the soldier to bat away pikes and stab the enemy in specific places, and the other insisted 16s were all because the poking didn't matter.

this subject has come up a lot in the past on TMP. The short version is that anyone can come up with a source that proves anything on the subject.

My personal german pike are some 30 years old and closer to real 25s, which I arbirarly decided were 6' to the inch. Thus I use 2.5" pikes, or 62.5mm. As I don't belive the "juju" of "mine is bigger on the model" actually has any effect, they seem do to well enough.

It is my Tercios that scare the local gamers!

Rocky

To Imperial Forge regarding "deep front movement bases"

I have based units like your illustration. I wrote a set of rules where units are either on the table or removed, so I based my pike units in big blocks, with arquebus, pike, and sword or halberd present. In a sense, a diorama of a unit. I like the visual effect. I even put arquebusiers forward on many stands, or make the arquebuse stands thin, and either go in front of or behind the unit.

I have been very happy with the results, although I'm sure all would not be.

It does work very well in the rules we play with.

I will try and get some pictures available in a day or two.

BO