Did the Germans really have phalanxes?

[BitParity]

I'm not sure if this has been answered anywhere else in the forum, but I couldn't find it. After doing some web searching, I was reading about how the germans did have spear warbands, but they were usually a motley group like the rest of their infantry, running charging, etc.

Are there any history buffs out there who can clear this up? Did the germans REALLY have phalanxes? Seems to be a stretch, since germany is so far from Greece.

I'm tempted to, when playing the german campaign, not to touch them at all for historical accuracy. Would this in fact, be more accurate?

[Spongly]

Right, to start with, the term phalanx denotes a group of men in close formation - it does NOT imply the use of a Macedonian style pike formation. The typical late Germanic "phalanx" would have been a simple "shield-wall" formation - this is pretty likely to have been common amonmg the early Germans, the Celts and anyone else with shields and an ounce of sense.

Given this definition, yes, the Germans did have phalanxes. We are told quite specifically that they fight in close formation on a number of occasions, and are apparently particularly famous for fighting in a large wedge shaped formation.

On the other hand I have yet to see any reasonable evidence that they fought using a Macedonian style pike phalanx, and I find it highly unlikely. We are told specifically by Tacitus for example that very few of their warriors wielded swords or long spears, but that the standard spear of the rank and file was something called a "framea", a light spear that could be thrown or used in hand to hand combat.

Given that I would have made the basic Germanic warband a lightly armoured, fast moving group of guys who can throw javelins before closing to fight with spears.

[Red Harvest]

CA can't really win whichever way they go with this one. Julius Caeser described them as fighting in phalanx. As Spongly says, this is rather generic and does not mean Macedonian or hoplite phalanx--context is the key since phalanx is generic. It is likely to be used if there is discipline and/or close ranks, especially if the men have shields and spears, but at times it refers to the body of any army--even legions.

I modded the spear warbands in 1.1 so that they were in phalanx, but used the "short_pike" instead of the "spear" attribute. This gives them slightly less reach with their formation, allowing swordsmen to close with them somewhat more easily.