[Candor7]

Mere pikers when compared to the Highland Clan system of Scotland and their war pipes.

[happyathome]

I’ll take Gustavus Adolphus for $500, Alex.

[The Cuban]

Nope. Tercios would kick their ass.

[Fiji Hill]

At the time the Tercios were being developed, the Scots didn’t do all that well against the English at Flodden (1513) and Solway Moss (1542)

[sphinx]

I’m proud of my Scottish heritage, but the Spanish tercios, German landsknechts, Swiss pikemen, or any other heavy infantry or combined arms force of the period would have swept them off the battlefield. The Scots were perfectly fine irregular light infantry. They were effective on their own terrain and for raiding and skirmishing. The Scots also had a warrior culture that produced splendid regular soldiers once they came in numbers into the British army. But light infantry is light infantry. It played an important role in difficult terrain that impeded heavier formations and could be important as auxiliary troops for heavier regular armies. In main force engagements, however, the Scots were one trick ponies. Like so many other “barbarian” armies over the centuries, they relied on a wild charge to break an opponent’s formation, and if that failed, they were overmatched.