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The Pikeman is a Medieval Era anti-cavalry unit in Civilization VI. It upgrades from the Spearman (or its replacements).

In the Rise and Fall expansion, the Pikeman can upgrade to a Pike and Shot. In the Gathering Storm expansion, its Production Production cost is decreased from 200 to 180, its Gold Gold purchasing cost is decreased from 800 to 720, and its Gold Gold maintenance cost is decreased from 3 to 2.

  • Attributes:
    • +10 Strength Combat Strength vs. light, heavy, and ranged cavalry units.

Strategy[]

Come the Medieval Era, civilizations with access to Iron Iron can start fielding Knights, whose great mobility and Strength Combat Strength can be devastating on the battlefield. Pikemen are your best defense against them, and have the advantage of not requiring any resources to produce. Use their long pikes to keep enemy Knights at bay, and provide a decent line of defense even if you have no Iron Iron. Try to avoid having them fight Men-At-Arms, however, until they earn Thrust and Schiltron - Pikemen with these Promotion Promotions are a force to be reckoned with, but without them, the +5 Strength Combat Strength bonus Men-At-Arms receive against anti-cavalry units will turn the tide in their favor.

Make sure to upgrade your Pikemen as soon as possible. Pikes alone become useless against the muskets of the Cavalry, whereas the Pike and Shot and the AT Crew have the strength to resist them.

Like the Spearmen from which they upgrade, Pikemen serve as the guards of barbarian outposts, making them difficult for Knights to capture and allowing them to withstand a few attacks from stronger cavalry units.

Civilopedia entry[]

A pike is, basically, a very long spear, used for thrusting the sharp point into someone instead of throwing it at them. Very effective against other foot soldiers and especially against horsemen of all types. Indeed, besides longbowmen and muddy ground, the pike was about the only thing that would dissuade mounted knights from riding the peasants down. Thus, the pike was best used in mass formations, as by the Greek phalanx or Swiss mercenaries or German landsknechts. However, as it’s difficult to hold a pike with two hands and a shield simultaneously, pikemen tended to be vulnerable to archers and swordsmen; they weren’t much good in a melee. But if it could maintain close ranks, a pike-armed mass could roll right over the opposition, and could anchor the flanks against knights. During the heyday of its use in the Renaissance Era, the pikes became longer and longer, eventually some being 22 feet or so.

Trivia[]

See also[]

Civilization VI Units [edit]
Civilian SettlerBuilderTraderArchaeologistSpyNaturalistRock Band GS-Only
Land military AT CrewArcher (Hul'che1Pítati Archer1) • ArtilleryBarbarian Horse ArcherBarbarian HorsemanBombardCatapultCavalry (CossackHuszár GS-OnlyLlanero1) • Courser GS-Only (Black Army GS-OnlyOromo Cavalry1) • Crossbowman (Voi Chiến1) • Crouching TigerCuirassier GS-Only (Rough RiderWinged Hussar1) • Field Cannon (Hwacha R&F-Only) • Giant Death Robot GS-OnlyHeavy ChariotHelicopterHorseman (Hetairoi1) • Infantry (Digger1) • Keshig R&F-OnlyKnight (Mandekalu Cavalry GS-OnlyMamlukTagma1) • Line Infantry (Garde ImpérialeRedcoat) • Machine GunMalón Raider R&F-OnlyMan-At-Arms (Khevsur R&F-OnlyBerserkerSamurai) • Maryannu Chariot ArcherMechanized InfantryModern ATModern ArmorMountie GS-OnlyMusketman (ConquistadorJanissary GS-Only) • Nihang1Pike and Shot (Carolean GS-Only) • Pikeman (Impi R&F-Only) • Questing Knight4Ranger (Highlander R&F-Only) • Rocket ArtillerySabum Kibittum1Saka Horse ArcherScout (Okihtcitaw R&F-Only) • Skirmisher GS-Only (Warak'aq GS-Only) • SlingerSpearman (Hoplite) • Spec Ops R&F-OnlySwordsman (Hypaspist1Immortal1LegionNgao MbebaToa GS-Only) • TankTrebuchet (Domrey1) • Vampire3VaruWar-CartWarrior MonkWarrior (Eagle WarriorGaesatae1) • Zombie5
Naval military Aircraft CarrierBattleship (Minas Geraes) • Caravel (Nau1) • DestroyerFrigate (De Zeven Provinciën R&F-OnlyJong1) • Galley (Bireme GS-OnlyViking Longship) • IroncladMissile CruiserNuclear SubmarinePrivateer (Barbary Corsair GS-OnlySea Dog) • Quadrireme (Dromon1) • Submarine (U-Boat)
Aircraft BiplaneBomberFighter (P-51 Mustang) • Jet BomberJet Fighter
Support Anti-Air GunBattering RamCultist3Drone R&F-OnlyMedicMilitary EngineerMobile SAMObservation BalloonSiege TowerSoothsayer2Supply Convoy R&F-Only
Religious ApostleGuruInquisitorMissionary
See also Great PeopleHeroes
1 Requires DLC2 Apocalypse mode only • 3 Secret Societies mode only • 4 Heroes & Legends mode only • 5 Zombie Defense mode only
R&F-Only Added in the Rise and Fall expansion pack.
GS-Only Added in the Gathering Storm expansion pack.
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