Svinfylking

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The Svinfylking, or the Swine Array was a version of wedge formation utilized by the Vikings. The formation consisted of heavily-armed, presumably hand-to-hand warriors and less-armored archers grouped in a triangle formation with the warriors in the front lines protecting the archers in center or rear. Cavalry charging a group in Svinfylking formation were frequently attacked by the outer warriors with spears causing complete chaos among the horses. The Swine Array could also be used as a wedge to break through enemy lines. Several Svinfylking formations can be grouped in a side by side appearing something like a zig-zag to press or break the opposition's ranks.

The weakness of the swine array was that it couldn't handle setbacks. A tactic widely used by the Romans to counter it was by letting the legionaries in the center retreat in order while the flanks held their ground.Roman cavalry and horse-archers attacked the swine array from behind and then the legionaries in the center held their ground.

Swine array was based on a monumental shock. If the swine array didn't break the enemy lines immediately then the men in the swine array would not hold long. This is the same tactic that Hannibal used at Cannae which led to some 50000 Roman dead.