History Main / BayonetYa

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* Before the invention of the bayonet, early gunpowder age infantry would often be split into musketeers and pikemen. The muskets fired too slowly, inaccurately, and with too short a range to reliably defend [[AntiCavalry against cavalry charges]], and proved less than adequate in hand to hand fighting. Therefore, it was the pikemen's job to keep the horsemen at bay with a medieval style pike formation, while also serving as a buffer between the gunmen and hand to hand combat. The Bayonet revolutionized things by turning the musket into a spear, allowing a musketeer to both shoot volleys and stop cavalry, all while not being useless at hand to hand. Due to the early musket's aforementioned disadvantages, bayonet charges also served as a surprisingly effective means charging enemy infantry, something a single shot gun could hardly be used for. The bayonet started out not as an emergency weapon, but as primary form of armament.

* Famously used in TheAmericanCivilWar by the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry under Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. During the battle of {{Gettysburg}}, Chamberlain's troops were suffering heavy casualties and running out of ammo, and he knew they would be unable to defend their vital position on Little Round Top against the approaching Confederate army. So, in a complete {{badass}} move, he ordered a bayonet charge, which even at the time was considered an old-school textbook maneuver, but which Chamberlain realized could be used as a simultaneous frontal attack and flanking. The Confederates were utterly cowed and the 20th Maine [[MomentOfAwesome won the day]]. Chamberlain himself received a Medal of Honor for it.

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* An early version of ''{{Doom}}'' includes the rifle's bayonet as the melee weapon. This was later dropped in favor of fists/chainsaw.

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* Early [[SpaceMarine Marine]] designs for ''[[StarcraftII Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty]]'' had bayonets attached to their gauss rifles. The community [[FanDumb did not approve]]. Cut to the ''A Card To Play'' cinematic in the shipped game, where BadAssNormal General Warfield is ambushed by the Zerg and runs out of ammo. He brings out the bayonet and... [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome the rest is history]]. TakeThat indeed.

** Of course, ''Gears of War 3'' features regular bayonets for both the Lancer/Hammer burst. The bayoneted Lancers seem to be an older Pendulum war era variant. Though based on gameplay, the regular bayonet seems perfectly effective at killing Grubs.
*** But that kill is part of an actual charge to get momentum behind it. It probably wouldn't prove to be as effective as the chainsaw in a toe to toe fight.

* Musketeers in ''AgeOfEmpiresIII'' use bayonets as their melee attacks. It's fairly effective [[AntiCavalry against cavalry]].

* Father Anderson in Hellsing uses blessed bayonets as weapons.

* At the battle of Eylau, has the russian forces progressed towards his HQ, Napoleon ordered general Dorsenne to stop their advance with the 2nd regiment of foot grenadiers of the Old Guard and the 2nd regiments of Chasseurs. Seeing one of the grenadiers take aim with his rifle, Dorsenne ordered "Grenadiers, l'arme au bras ! La vieille garde ne se bat qu'à la baïonnette." (Grenadiers, weapons at rest! The Old guard only fights with bayonets). The russian assault was then routed by the Old Guard.

* ''{{BIONICLE}}'': Kopaka Nuva's Blizzard Blade in his AdaptiveArmor form. When attached to his [[FrickinLaserBeams Midak Skyblaster]], he can simultaneously shoot [[LightTheWay Light]] and [[AnIcePerson Ice]].

* Inverted with ''FinalFantasyVIII'', gunblades which seem to be a gun attached to a sword.

* ''SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' has Wolf, whos blaster has a claw on the end of it that can deal an extra hit in addition to the fired shot.

* In one ''{{Paranoia}}'' mission, the experimental equipment from R&D includes a bayonet attachment for a cone rifle. This being ''Paranoia'', it breaks the rifle (which was designed to be used as, y'know, a ''rifle'', not withstand being banged around like a sword or club).

* Quite common in ''[[{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40,000]]''. They even had [[ChainsawGood chainsaw]] bayonets before ''{{Gears of War}}'' did.

A SubTrope of GunAccessories. See also KnifeNut, SwissArmyWeapon, EmergencyWeapon, and BladeOnAStick. [[IThoughtItMeant Do not confuse with]] ''{{Bayonetta}}''.

CoolGuns are great ... until you run out of ammo. Thankfully, you won't be lugging around dead weight when you attach a bayonet to it. Even better when you can detach it and use it as is.

* Not only the Scots. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett "Fix bayonets and follow me."]]

* ''GunslingerGirl''. Triela has one either attached to her Winchester 1897 Trench Gun or sheathed at her waist (with [[BadassAdorable her size]] making it a virtual sword).

** Despite this, several melee units in the game can be more effective than musketeers, if they can get close without being battered down by volleys, that is. The Indian Gurkhas with their kukri swords can easily cut up a squad of professional musketeers.