The formation of Shield walls is a military tactic common to many cultures. Walls of shields are formed by soldiers standing in formation shoulder to shoulder, holding their shields so that they abut or overlap and each man benefits from the protection of his neighbour's shield as well as his own. Statue showing a Gallic shield with a butterfly boss. ...

This tactic was used by many ancient armies including the Roman legion and the Greek hoplite phalanx formation. The Roman legion (from Latin legio, from legere — to collect) was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army. ... A hoplite armed with a spear. ... A phalanx (plural phalanxes or phalanges) is a rectangular mass formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or similar weapons. ...

Notably used during the early medieval period in China to refer to the main method of Anglo-Saxon warfare, and also clearly visible throughout the Bayeux Tapestry. The tactic began to die out when shields became less and less effective in combat because of the use of gunpowder. A shield would offer no defence against a musket ball. By the time of the English Civil War, open pike formations had replaced the closed shield wall. The ranks of pikes would provide protection from cavalry charges. The Bayeux Tapestry (French: Tapisserie de Bayeux) is a 50 cm by 70 m (20in by 230ft) long embroidered cloth which depicts scenes commemorating the Battle of Hastings in 1066, with annotations in Latin. ...

The shield wall was commonly used during the 8th and 9th Century by Vikings, and by Anglo-Saxons from kingdoms such as Mercia, Wessex, and Northumbria.

See also

• Roman infantry tactics, strategy and battle formations