The change in tactics was a gradual process.

It started with the introduction of light infantry who would fight in open formations, make usage of terrain and cover, croch and even lie down. These troops were intended to disrupt the enemy formation and delay their deployment to allow your own line infantry to be better organised and set up earlier for the decisive blow.

Swedish light infantry started using rifles during the Pommeranian War (part of the 7 years war) 1757-62 and it became increasingly common for light infantry to use rifles as the 18th century drew to a close. The famous British 95th Rifles used rifled muskets during the Napoleonic War.

After the Napoleonic War, the European armies started introducing rifled muskets en masse to their troops, and the manouvre formation changed from the batallion (which was a formation intended to be able to attack in column and line) to the platoon, which moved in "rifle chain" formations. The "rifle chain" was still two or three lines of men with the front line crouching to deliver volley fire, but the formation was much less massed than the Napoleonic squares, lines, columns and blocks (used by the Austrians).

The British, using "rifle chain" formations and rifles with minie balls decimated the Russian column attacking them at the Battle of Alma 1854 - this was the last time the massed column was used for an attack.

However, "rifle chains" continued to be used in battle up to the early part of ww1. During the mobile phase of the war in the west, men lined up, advanced and fought in "rifle chain" formations - the Britihs using their "mad minute" (massed rifle fire) tactics with "rifle chain" formations. Once the war in the west turned into a stalemate, soldiers dug down into the earth still in "rifle chain" formations now turned into trenches.

From there new formations and tactics, such as flexible defence, strongpoints and infiltration developed.