Polish Winged Hussars?

He specifies 4 methods of breaking pike-shot infantry and gives examples from battles.

The first method – firstly strike enemy cavalry; then strike infantry confused by fleeing cavalry. Sikora gives 2 examples when it happened: battle of Lubieszów 1577 and battle of Kircholm 1605 (in this second case it happened in the later phase of the battle). According to Sikora and his detailed analyze of the battle of Lubieszów, this method was almost harmless for hussars. I mean casualties of hussars were minimal.

The second method – firstly, own infantry should shoot to enemy infantry; then cavalry should charge. And again Sikora gives 2 examples when it happened: battle of Kłuszyn 1610 and battle of Mitawa 1622. According to Sikora, the key to success of this method was to confuse (and to frighten) infantry enough before a charge of cavalry.

The third method – charge fast enough to strike enemy infantry before pikemen will be ready to fight. And again Sikora gives 2 examples when it happened: the battle near to Moscow 1611 and the first phase of the battle of Połonka 1660.

The fourth method – use longer lances than enemy pikes. Sikora gives 1 example – the charge of hussars vs Cossacks, who were defending wagons, in the fight between Lubar and Cudnów 1660.

After that, Sikora writes also about lengths of hussar lances. The longest ones were 6,2m long and they were used already in the first half of 17^th c. He also writes about special manner of wielding the lance. This manner permitted to use such long lances.

Then he also specifies another battles, where hussars broke pike-shot infantry: Byczyna 1588, Mohylew 1655, Smoleńsk 1633 and Kircholm 1605 (the first phase). But he points out that known sources don't explain how exactly hussars broke pikemen in these battles.

Then he analyzes the first phase of the battle of Kircholm 1605 and speculates how hussars could break pike-shot infantry.

In the chapter hussars vs pikemen, Sikora also writes about some popular myth – that horses were not able to charge piks. He quotes primary sources from different battles (Kłuszyn 1610, Kumejki 1637, Łubnie 1638, Olkienniki 1700) which prove that horses' chests hit: piks, fences, wagons, Spanish riders (a kind of obstacle).

Finally he recapitulates this chapter and writes about decisive factors which permitted:

I hope it helps :)

A musket isn't that great, for instance: Period muskets were tested and forty three percent of them were duds and that was using good modern (precisely measured) powder, and that was just duds thats not counting misfires, explosions, dampness, rust, etc.