Rodelero

The rodeleros were Spanish infantry units equipped with swords and round shields.

This weapon combination was often used against pikemen and halberdier formations, as swordsmen could dodge deadly pikes and infiltrate formations to decimate them from within.

The buckler is a type of European shield from which this unit takes its name. They were round or oval and for this reason they were called bucklers. This shield could be made of steel, but it was also customary for tournaments to make wooden shields covered with cooked leather, which made them very resistant to spear impacts. It is documented that sometimes they were also covered in velvet of some color.

Hernán Cortés landed in the New World in 1506 with just over 400 men-at-arms, including a team of rodeleros. Rodeleros were versatile, capable of fighting in confined spaces, such as the deck of a ship, and responding to the guerrilla tactics of non-European enemies.