26. “Pike and Shot” Led to the Longsword’s Demise
As with the knightly sword, the longsword’s battlefield utility ended after a centuries-long heyday, because of changing battlefield tactics and developments. By the mid-1500s, projectile weapons such as crossbows whose bolts could pierce armor, and the newly introduced firearms, had come to rule the battlefield. The wielders of such weapons were protected by blocks of infantry wielding pikes, in what came to be known as “pike and shot” formations.
Against that combination of missile weapons and pikes, longswords did not offer any particular advantage. By the late sixteenth century, firearms had rendered heavy armor obsolete. That in turn rendered longswords, which were developed in response to heavy armor, obsolete. Swords became smaller and went back to normal lengths, while longswords were relegated to sporting competitions and knightly duels.