Tercio Formation-How effective could it be in Mount&Blade?

[Weewum]

First of all, if you don't know what a Tercio is, click here.

This will be, first of all, only possible with clans, because of the amount of cohesiveness you need to fight in a Tercio.

The way I would see it is, pikes, being able to stab through friendlies at point blank, makes them ideal over long spears for this formation.

Second of all, the gunners should most likely be replaced with arbalest-users or heavy crossbowmen, depending on what you prefer, longbows may also work.

Third, the "Heavy Infantry" in the Tercio, should be shielders, to protect the pikemen and crossbowmen  from ranged.

 This should be the end to any annoying cavalry and archers if you can get a large, decent group together.

If anyone wants to put in their 2 cents about how well it will work, or how bad it will fail.

Mods, feel free to move this if you feel it is in the wrong place.


It would be similar to this

HHHH
PPPP
RRRR

H=Heavy Infantry
P=Pikeman
R=Ranged

[Zanze]

Extremely effective. We may name it a simply shield wall, but we in NH mimic that formation, or at least do our best to.

It comes out a little differently however as we seem to lack the ranged department, so we just make the back row another set of heavy infantry and then give everyone throwing. We of course have a much looser formation in Na1, so we add hoplites, long spears, maulers to add more diversity and fill more roles.

It comes out to more of a big circle...

   MHHM
H  S S S  H
     H S

M= Mauler
H= Shield
S= Hoplite or Spear

Roughly that is what goes on with each spear bouncing in place, the "front line" working in groups of 2 to swiftly eliminate targets before they get the spears, the flanks guarded by shielders, the back with a shielder and spear/hoplite to watch for cav or act as a reserve. Everyone in this scenario has throwing weapons except the spears/hoplites.

[Gourmi]

very efficent i remember chaos fighting like that in strat at one point

[MrShine]

personally I've found that the looser the formation the better.  Making a formation for formation's sake often leads to players too focused on staying in formation than thinking for themselves.  However it goes without saying that you'll be the most effective when you stick with other teammates.

[Cyclopsided]

It's very (VERY) effective under VERY SPECIFIC CONDITIONS AND ONLY THEM:
If people don't move at all within formation.
If it's a chokepoint -- say, in siege, that you are completely blocking off with say a row of 3 thick.
The front row shielders know how to kick-chamber.

if that is qualified, it is literally unbeatable by anything.
 Longbows can fire between the cracks of the front two rows since they don't move.
Constant piking through the shielders without any chance of hitting the teammates since they aren't moving.