Formation

Formations are groupings of troops in battle under the command of a particular officer. Troops in formation usually fight in a particular order, and various formations offer various advantages.

The shieldwall is by far the most common formation in SCA combat. This can be as simple as having everyone with a shield make a line, shoulder to shoulder. Everyone else gets behind them. Some commanders/units will add order to the back field.

There are other common formations such as the skirmish line and the flying wedge.

Technically, a column is a formation, although typically it is not used for combat, only marching.

Getting troops to fight effectively in formation requires a great deal of practice.