pikes effective against

[L4cus]

Idk how historicallyaccuarate this game should be, but well, pikes were effective against armoured units
The force to wield a two handed arm was bigger than a one handed arm. This is basic logic...
Btw the pression of the entire force was directed on a single point in the end of the pike. This focused stregnht was able to pierce troguh armored knights. that was the end of heavy cavalry. That the reason of their effectiveness

[Endru1241]

Pikes were not very effective in close melee.
There is a reason why every pikeman worth it's salary was always bringing secondary short melee weapon along.
Real long pike weighted even 6 kg. And it couldn't be effectively used in short range, because of it's length.
Compare it to any footman weapon, especially side weaponry used in such short distances like longswords ( ~1m length with barely over 1kg weight) or even dedicated two-handed swords ( ~1.5m long with 2kg of weight) - very short battle would show difference in stamina usage and with more tiredness - bigger chance of blunder and death.

Pike formation was so effective because it denied easy approach.
It was deadly against any sort of cavalry, because their two main advantages in melee battle - impact and higher position was nullified.
There was however cases of successful charges through pike formation, so nothing is really absolute.

As for effectiveness strictly against heavy infantry.
It could prevent footmen from approaching, but not because pike was especially effective against armor. Rather the concentration of pike points made any sort of uncoordinated attack immediately fail.
But really - all it would take to break it is good concentrated attack.
It was not often used, because there is even easier, safer way - just shoot them and wait until they break their own formation to escape.

As for the end of heavy cavalry - I didn't know there were any pikemen used in 19th century.
Anywhere.
Yes - the official last usage of heavy cavalry is commonly agreed to be 1870-1871 during Franco-Prussian War.
If you meant the dawn of knights - it more related to social changes and increasing the risks - more weapons capable of hurting and killing heavy armored knight made them no longer untouchable elite - battlefield started to belong to common men more and more.
Up to around 13th-15th century, differing from location most knights survived the battle. Even on loosing side. They more often died from infection, than during the battle itself and armor was made to minimize the risks of even getting cut slightly.

And as the last solid proof - there was very important reason why formations like spanish tercio came into existence - because pike itself was not enough against any infantry unit.

[makazuwr32]

Cossacs though last time were used during world war 2.

[L4cus]

Cossack is a very generic name...it is not heavy cav necesarily (maybe i am missunderstanding something...again)

[makazuwr32]

I mean that cavalry in general still was used a long after.

Also as for pikes in 19th century — they were used quite commonly for russian militias during napoleonic wars. Just a long wooden polearm with sharp end. No metal was used.

[Endru1241]

I mean that cavalry in general still was used a long after.

Also as for pikes in 19th century — they were used quite commonly for russian militias during napoleonic wars. Just a long wooden polearm with sharp end. No metal was used.

Agree - cavalry was used after that.
But no longer as heavy/shock cavalry.

And honestly I didn't really check last pike usage - sorry.
My point was, that removing heavy cavalry from usage was not related to appearance or advancements of pikes.

[makazuwr32]

Cuirasseers can be seen as heavy cavalry of napoleonic wars times.

As for pikes — that just was cheapest weapon for militias because when Napoleon came to Russia we have got more than 200'000 volunteers and of course due to bad roads and not that good production of weapons and ammunition (we could produce enough of that for regular army but we could not increase production drastically for suddenly increased army; as for roads — we could not also drastically increase amount of transportation through the roads because of them being bad (any good rain and roads will become impassable for quite a good amount of time for carts) and poor production of horses (Russian western part is forested and swamped and thus has insufficient amount of good places for horses and agriculture when compared to Europe and ofc highest priority in Russia up until revolution always was agriculture, not horse breeding)) that was fastest and cheapest choice of armament here and now for them.