The view of the business end of the pike, at right, shows how unpleasant it would have been to face a pike block of hundreds. At the end of an ash pole, tapered for ease of use, a steel blade would have been aimed at the eyes and face of the enemy. The pike was whippy, and so the point would have been hard to avoid as it came towards you.

Pikemen tended to be the biggest and strongest soldiers. They considered themselves the elite because guns were still relatively new as a reliable weapon, but the pike was an ancient weapon. In our period, though, the pike was becoming old-fashioned, and it would soon be consigned to ceremonials and history. It was, however, the best defence against cavalry for soldiers in the open. The butt of the pike was braced against the ground, and the tip angled up towards the horse’s face - a barrier few horses were too stupid to attack.