Why did BILLS BEAT PIKES at the Battle of Flodden 1513?

Comments · 527

• CO

  @corpsetastic · 1 month ago

  Cat Easton main character from the beginning.

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• HI

  @hippiemcfake6364 · 1 month ago

  You're telling me a guy called Bill won the Battle of Flodden?

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• GA

  @garrenbrooks4778 · 1 month ago

  It's interesting to note there are sources from the Italian Wars in the 1520s describing Swiss and German pike blocks being supplemented two or three ranks deep with halberds.

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• Y9

  @y9y-f9q · 1 month ago

  it's great that we're still getting good content from Matt Easton after all these years. We're old guys now

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• DA

  @DaDudeb · 1 month ago

  Everybody gangster until the bill arrives.

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• CA

  @callumherbert2708 · 1 month ago (edited)

  It's too complex to conclude the battle was lost due to the pikes being outclassed by the bills. According to the accounts of the day the scots with pikes in the centre of the formation were bogged down by wet marshy ground and abandoned their pikes "like a forest falling down" and then with short weapons were cut to pieces by the bills. The longbows were ineffective against the heavily armoured front lines of pikemen but did cause terrible damage to the unarmoured highlanders and made them flee. Another thing to mention is that its generally more effective shooting a cannon uphill because the balls bounce through the formations of men and the english only had light small guns which actaully helped them in this case because the battle field was quickly prepared and it seems the artillery was used much more effectively by the English against the scottish "heavy siege guns". I think the artillery was very decisive factor as although it didnt cause a huge amount of death in the scottish ranks "simple iron ball" it did forcwe them to attack marching forward down from their defensive position which would have been impossible for the English to attack. The scottish artilery was apparently very heavy and ineffective so posed little threat in return fire.

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• TY

  @tykjpelk · 1 month ago

  1512: William Hook, apprentice royal blacksmith, trips over the anvil and royally messes up a pike.<br>1513:

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• WI

  @WiseSnake · 1 month ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlWMdpVqBNc&amp;t=94">1:34</a> cat

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• B.

  @b.h.abbott-motley2427 · 1 month ago

  Finally, regarding armor, it is true that infantry soldiers increasingly discarded it over the 16th century. However, the standard remained for pikers, especially in the front ranks, to wear three-quarters harness or at least half harness. This was true through the close of the 16th century, as noted by both Spanish &amp; English manuals of the period. Armored pikers had their swords &amp; daggers to use in close combat if needed. One circa-1600 military treatises says that contests between pikers could get so tight that they mainly fought with their daggers.

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• LY

  @Lynemn · 1 month ago

  Flodden is one of many examples where the terrain was the deciding factor, rather than the equipment. &nbsp;Any time you fight a battle after heavy rain, the advancing army (Scottish in this case) is at a massive disadvantage, especially considering they were marching downhill on muddy slopes. &nbsp;As Matt said, this broke their formation and provided gaps for the English to exploit with their bills.

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• ER

  @ErikEldrtich · 1 month ago

  Every single pike-using military formation also used some form of halberd. &nbsp;English bills are just English halberds. &nbsp;Halberds were always very effective against pikemen whenever formations were disrupted, which is why they were universally popular. &nbsp;But when a pike formation was in order, there&apos;s nothing that halberds or any other melee weapon could do about a determined push of pike.

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• CA

  @cameronbaines9691 · 1 month ago

  Some years ago I went to Flooden, and the local who gave me a tour of the field had a theory that the scots lost their footing coming down the hill to the flooded field due to the weather, incline, armour and unweildy pikes. Because of this each scot was separated, and entirely vulberable as pikes only work in formation. More than the scots&apos; pikewalls being disorganised, they were non-existant by the time they made contact with the english

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