Best way to portray early 16th century pikemen?

[Khurasan Miniatures]

Curious about which of the various pike holding positions gamers prefer when building units for the Italian Wars/Early 16th century.  This is for 15mm if it matters, but I reckon it doesn't.  Pikes would be separate in all cases.

[Cubs]

Personally, with pikemen I've always favoured having the front rank with pikes levelled, then the next couple of ranks with them held diagonally up, then the next rank held vertically, so there's a hedgehog effect. But this is a bit of a hassle and probably tricky to move them about on the table if the pikes are sticking out at the front.

[Khurasan Miniatures]

That's what I mean by Pikes Out by the way -- push of pike.

I think gamers don't like that too much because it's very impractical to line up units in base contact.  But I'm listening .....

[Yarkshire Gamer]

I am with Cubs on this one, front ranks level, then angle changing progressively towards upright going back through the Block.

As in the pic below of one of my blocks I extend the base at the front to protect the figures and the fingers of the players (they are steel with a pointy end), gaming wise never had a problem, simply agree with your opponent where measurement is taken from either front of the actual base or where the front of the base would be without the extention, which is easy enough to mark. If the other player argues about the depth of the unit I would normally go and find someone else to game with !



Regards Ken
The Yarkshire Gamer
http://yarkshiregamer.blogspot.co.uk

[Andreas Johansson]

I like the pikes somewhat forward option, it's reasonably practical for gaming and imparts an impression of forward momentum.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

I play FoG:R at 15mm, using almost entirely 2nd Generation Minifigs.  I'm with the majority (pike upright, butt on ground), for two reasons.  First, because all my 15mm pikeys have had their (soft) metal spaghetti replaced with brass pikes, with leaf-shaped tips which really hurt if you try and pick them up other than by the bases. 

And second, because I'm a sadistic bastard.....

I did forget once and ended up with two bases, each of four pikemen, embedded into the ball of my thumb.  Just lucky they weren't later Renaissance-era pikes, as I double rank them on the bases for better visual impact.

[RichBliss]

Almost all of mine are Pikes at 45.  The reasons are two-fold.  One, for ease of play, two, because that’s how Old Glory did it and they were cheaper. 

[Charlie_]

Advancing, pikes lowered at 45 degrees, with additional packs for front rank levelled pikes.

I personally can't stand the 'standing to attention' poses.... because once they are contacting the enemy in game it just looks daft!  Though for the same reason I don't like wild, action-packed combat poses...., because they look daft in any other situation....
I like a compromise for all units -advancing close to the enemy poses, so they look good in all stages of the game.

[Khurasan Miniatures]

Interestingly though, most of the models in your unit are in other poses I suggested!!!

I am with Cubs on this one, front ranks level, then angle changing progressively towards upright going back through the Block.

As in the pic below of one of my blocks I extend the base at the front to protect the figures and the fingers of the players (they are steel with a pointy end), gaming wise never had a problem, simply agree with your opponent where measurement is taken from either front of the actual base or where the front of the base would be without the extention, which is easy enough to mark. If the other player argues about the depth of the unit I would normally go and find someone else to game with !



Regards Ken
The Yarkshire Gamer
http://yarkshiregamer.blogspot.co.uk

[jaytee]

All of them!

[Yarkshire Gamer]

Interestingly though, most of the models in your unit are in other poses I suggested!!!

Not sure what you mean ? The poll doesn't have an all of the above option, it reads, to me like a, "which of the following is the best". I was saying I like multiple poses to produce the unit shown.

Regards Ken

[levied troop]

I’d agree with ‘all of them’ - I’d like my units to be the way Yarkshire Gamer has them and you’d need all the poses suggested. I like the way it displays how a pike block worked and suggests the momentum/size that made it so effective.

[Charlie_]

Like so....

[meninobesta]

I like the standing pike option most,
It's the easiest to use and to move around in the table
and it has that kriegsspiel / toy soldier look which I prefer

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

I’d agree with ‘all of them’ - I’d like my units to be the way Yarkshire Gamer has them and you’d need all the poses suggested. I like the way it displays how a pike block worked and suggests the momentum/size that made it so effective.

Which is fine until you get someone like the tw*t who re-designed the 15mm Minifigs range back in the mid 1980s and made the unarmoured (ie rear ranks) pikemen at "charge your pike" and the armoured (ie front ranks) pikemen at order arms.  And not just for one nationality, but for two - Landsknechts and English!