Pikemen were a key part of European armies for a very long time. While firearms developed, armor was developing as well, and becoming lighter. Eventually, pikemen went into battle wearing only a cuirass to protect them from edged weapons, and a helmet to cover their heads. Pikemen wielded long pikes, hence the name. They fought in a close formation, and were designed to safeguard the musketeers from the attacks of enemy cavalry. Firearms were still far from perfect. As a rule, after one salvo, musketeers would either meet the enemy in hand-to-hand combat or exchange position with a back rank which had not yet taken a shot. In such circumstances, some infantry corps had to be equipped with armor and cold steel for close-range combat. Some armies employed pikemen into the beginning of the 19th century.
