A military formation of
infantry formed by condensing the
shield -carriers shoulder to shoulder, making penetration of the wall difficult. If the infantry were well disciplined, then, as they did at the
Battle of Hastings , the wall can sometimes repel a determined attack by
cavalry . A shield wall also defends some of the combatants against attacks by missile weapons (arrows, etc.). Within the
SCA , the shield wall is a dominant tactic employed by infantry units. The most effective shield walls involve rectangular or oval shields, generally large ones. SCA units tend to use
spears as heavy cavalry, their aggressive pikemen attacking the shield wall. Most such walls are defended in the second rank by slashing
polearms or their own spears, an attempt to keep would-be penetrators from getting too close to the wall. When one shieldman is slain, another comes forward to take their place, plugging the hole. These defenses are must useful in narrow passes such as on bridges where the
flanks are anchored. In the field, the wall is exposed, to a degree, and the best tactic to break a wall is generally to attack the flanks, distracting the corner anchors and besieging the unit on two or more fronts.
