Shieldwall

A shieldwall is a formation line of warriors standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their shields locked together, that is, with edges overlapping and held tightly against each other. This literally locks the line into place, and is extremely difficult to force apart.

Fighters in a shieldwall cannot be attacked on their flank as they are protected by the shields of their comrades. From behind the shieldwall, fighters with polearms or bows can kill attackers in reletive safety. When attacking a shieldwall, the goal is to punch through and disrupt the entire formation.

The ends of a shieldwall are called the flanks and must be protected.