shield-wall
Overlapping barrier line
A shield-wall is a defensive military formation in which soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder with overlapping shields, presenting a continuous barrier to the enemy.
The tactic was central to ancient and medieval warfare, particularly among Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and Greek forces.
The term now appears mostly in historical fiction and fantasy: The Vikings formed a shield-wall at the top of the hill.
Massed infantry formation
- formationCreation or arrangement
- testudoRoman protective shield array
- overlappingCovering part of another
- interlockingEngaging by overlap
ranks · defense · infantry · spears · cohesion · discipline · frontline · advance
Ancient Scandinavian civilization
- Anglo-SaxonPre-Conquest British Germanic peoples
- HastingsEnglish seaside town, historic
- housecarlMedieval Scandinavian household soldier
- longshipSlender Norse rowing vessel
raiders · saga · berserker · Stamford · Wessex · Northumbria · warband · mead-hall
Unity among allies
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- protectionGuarding against harm
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
collective · impenetrable · brothers · defense · unbroken · stalwart · bulwark · rampart
Thorough financial review
- replicaFaithful scaled reproduction
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- drillHole-boring device
training · tournament · festival · armor · costuming · pageant · encampment · sparring
phalanx
Massed infantry formation
- formationCreation or arrangement
- testudoRoman protective shield array
- overlappingCovering part of another
interlocking · ranks · defense · infantry · spears · cohesion · discipline · frontline · advance · hold
Norse
Ancient Scandinavian civilization
- Anglo-SaxonPre-Conquest British Germanic peoples
- HastingsEnglish seaside town, historic
- housecarlMedieval Scandinavian household soldier
longship · raiders · saga · berserker · Stamford · Wessex · Northumbria · warband · mead-hall · Odin
solidarity
Unity among allies
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- protectionGuarding against harm
resistance · collective · impenetrable · brothers · defense · unbroken · stalwart · bulwark · rampart · unyielding
SCA
Thorough financial review
- replicaFaithful scaled reproduction
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
drill · training · tournament · festival · armor · costuming · pageant · encampment · sparring · choreography
shield-wallcavalry charge
Armed riders attacking en masse
guerrilla tactics · flanking maneuver · rout · skirmish line · open order
shield-wallcharge
Cost or accusation
assault · offensive · frontal assault · advance · sally
shield-wallsingle combat
Fight between two individuals
berserker · every man for himself · unshielded · defenseless · lone wolf
shield, wall, shields, shielded, shielding, walls, walled, walling