There are some factors you are not really considering: 1. what made the Swiss so different in their use of the pike, especially at the time of their introduction, was that they employed it offensively and aggressively. Until that time, though pikes had been used eg by the Scots, it was regarded primarily as a defensive weapon. Pike units generally had limited tactical mobility; once they were deployed on the battlefield, they tended to not move quickly or far. The Swiss changed all that by showing how pike formations, even large ones consisting of thousands of men, could move quickly and be used to attack, and by sheer mass and aggression, disrupt and destroy the enemy 2. the Swiss were well-trained and highly disciplined. As stated above, they could move in large formations and quickly. They were what could be best described as extremely pugnacious and despite taking extremely heavy casualties, like at Bicocca, would maintain their morale and continue to fight and advance 3. Unlike their contemporaries, the Swiss usually advanced in a deep column. This reduced their vulnerability to cavalry and concentrated their impact over a reduced frontage 4. Especially due to the increasing effectiveness of artillery and firearms, when combined with 3. above, it simply became too costly to attack an enemy well-supported by cannons (again, see Bicocca, after which the Swiss were never really the same, the myth of their invincibility broken), the balls smashing deeply into and through their closely-packed and deep ranks 5. At the end of the day, though their morale and elan were not easily emulated, their tactics were more easily duplicated once other armies saw just what could be done with pikes.
Lee Vincent Hello , I have a question. Wich mercenary is the best between a Swiss pikemen and a german Landsknecht? (I don't consider the period of the arrival of the fire arms like Arquebusier, only the period of the haleberd and the Zweihänder sword)
There are some factors you are not really considering:
1. what made the Swiss so different in their use of the pike, especially at the time of their introduction, was that they employed it offensively and aggressively. Until that time, though pikes had been used eg by the Scots, it was regarded primarily as a defensive weapon. Pike units generally had limited tactical mobility; once they were deployed on the battlefield, they tended to not move quickly or far. The Swiss changed all that by showing how pike formations, even large ones consisting of thousands of men, could move quickly and be used to attack, and by sheer mass and aggression, disrupt and destroy the enemy
2. the Swiss were well-trained and highly disciplined. As stated above, they could move in large formations and quickly. They were what could be best described as extremely pugnacious and despite taking extremely heavy casualties, like at Bicocca, would maintain their morale and continue to fight and advance
3. Unlike their contemporaries, the Swiss usually advanced in a deep column. This reduced their vulnerability to cavalry and concentrated their impact over a reduced frontage
4. Especially due to the increasing effectiveness of artillery and firearms, when combined with 3. above, it simply became too costly to attack an enemy well-supported by cannons (again, see Bicocca, after which the Swiss were never really the same, the myth of their invincibility broken), the balls smashing deeply into and through their closely-packed and deep ranks
5. At the end of the day, though their morale and elan were not easily emulated, their tactics were more easily duplicated once other armies saw just what could be done with pikes.
Lee Vincent Hello , I have a question. Wich mercenary is the best between a Swiss pikemen and a german Landsknecht? (I don't consider the period of the arrival of the fire arms like Arquebusier, only the period of the haleberd and the Zweihänder sword)
So they did use shield and swords :)