Tactical formations

Defensive shield wall used by Roman Legions

naval tactic (formation)

military defense formation

tactical formation of soldiers

arrangement or deployment of moving military forces

combat formation of infantry

formation of soldiers marching together

An akshauhini ( akṣauhiṇī) is described in the Mahabharata (Adi Parva 2.15-23) as a battle formation consisting of 21,870 chariots (Sanskrit ratha); 21,870 elephants (Sanskrit gaja); 65,610 horses (Sanskrit turaga) and 109,350 infantry (Sanskrit pada sainyam). Thus one akshauhini consisted of 218,700 warriors (not including the charioteers, who didn't fight). The ratio is 1 chariot: 1 elephant: 3 cavalry: 5 infantry soldiers. In each of these large number groups (65,610, etc.), the digits add up to 18.

concentrated rush of soldiers

Infantry Defensive Formation

military tactic

A schiltron (also spelled sheltron, sceld-trome, schiltrom, or shiltron) is a compact body of troops forming a battle array, shield wall or phalanx. The term is most often associated with Scottish pike formations during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. thumb|Depiction of the Battle of Bannockburn, with schiltron of pikeman on the left. == Etymology == The term dates from at least 1000 AD and derives from Old English roots expressing the idea of a "shield-troop". Some researchers have also posited this etymological relation may show the schiltron is d

right|250px|thumb|A depiction of the Padmavyūha or Chakravyūha formation as a labyrinth thumb|Abhimanyu while entering the [[Kaurava's chakravyūha]]

military configuration

frame|Four F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16s of the USAF [[457th Fighter Squadron flying in a "Finger-four" formation]]

a formation in which its units are arranged diagonally

thumb|Riot police kettling protesters at the Camp for Climate Action#Camp in the City 2009|Camp for Climate action, part of the [[2009 G20 London summit protests]] thumb|Police kettling protesters at the Opernring in Vienna, COVID-19 pandemic in Austria#Prevention measures|part of the protest against coronavirus restrictions

thumb|Sketch of the Svinfylking. The Svinfylking (Old Norse for "swine array" or "boar snout") was a formation used in battle. Related to the wedge formation, it was used in Iron Age Scandinavia and later by the Vikings. It was also used by Germanic peoples during the Germanic Iron Age and was known as the Schweinskopf or "swine's head". Its invention was attributed to the god Odin.

The Panzerkeil ("armoured wedge" or "tank wedge") was an offensive armoured tactic developed by German Kampfgruppe (battle groups) on the Eastern Front during World War II. The Panzerkeil was developed in response to the Soviet employment of the Pakfront anti-tank gun defence.

The Pakfront was a defensive military tactic developed by the German forces on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. It was named after the phonetic pronunciation of the acronym nomenclature for German towed anti-tank guns, PaK (PanzerabwehrKanone, "tank defense cannon"). The Soviets soon copied the tactic, and used it to great effect at the Battle of Kursk in July 1943.

heavy bomber formation used by the USAAF in WW2 to concentrate offensive and defensive firepower

anti-cavalry defensive infantry formation for pikemen

military positions

tactical formation