phalanx spear angles

[Hooahguy]

I’ve always wondered this- in RTW the phalanxes have their spears in 0, 45, and 90 degree angles. In EB, its just 90 and 0, IIRC. Why is this? A friend of mine and I were arguing over this a few days ago. He said EB was wrong- the spears are in 3 angles, to stop cavalry better, but I said EB was right. Whos right? Even though I think EB is right, it doesn’t really make sense….
Heres a picture to help show wat i mean-
https://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/hooahguy14/phalanxsetup.jpg

[Folgore]

They look the same to me:

RTW:
http://www.g-unleashed.com/files/34_macedon_infantry_pikemen_phalanx_screen.jpg

EB:
https://img116.imageshack.us/img116/8657/011battlely1.jpg

The first four lines are at 0 degrees to the ground, the 5th line at about 30 degrees, the 6th line at 60 degrees and the rest at 80 degrees.

[Redmeth]

I don't think EB changed the phalanx animations, so... :shrug:

[Admetos]

I always thought they were the same...

[Stone and Blood]

Well... anyway, betwen the two pictures that hoahguy14 presented, the right one is the RTW's. After the guy in the front dies, the man before him decreases his spear angle to 0 and moves to the first line, so its easyer to move from 20 to 0 than from 90 to 0 degrees. And the 20 degrees spear's angle helps to defeat cavalry, and sometimes to defend some arrow or spear that would be thrown by the enemies ( i know it's hard to hapen, but its not impossible). So it's better the phalanx use 0, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 degrees than just, 0 and 90.

[cmacq]

good god....

now its pikey angles
cant we get less about bloody, gyppo-tossers?

[The General]

Oh god.

I had just forgotten how ugly the RTW vanilla models were. So simple, unrealistic... And, well, ugly.

And, on-topic... I'd reckon one good reason would be fending off cavalry. If presented in with the spears(/sarissae) in multiple angles, the phalanx resembles a bush or thicket of spears, and the horses won't charge into it.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

It's to defend against arrows, and there's no difference between EB and RTW, RTW has the angles right.

[Dodge_272]

Oh god.

I had just forgotten how ugly the RTW vanilla models were. So simple, unrealistic... And, well, ugly.

LOL

Parthian units made me vomit, although not quite as bad as the sassanid's in BI!

[Cheexsta]

What? The Purple Parthian People Eaters were my favourites ~D

Right up there with the Walk Like an Egyptian Egyptians.

[NeoSpartan]

Well I always liked and STILL like RTW's "Militia Hoplites" and "Armored Hoplites"

-The Militia H just look bad ass. No t-shirt, just shield, helment and spear. I think some of that model should be included in EB2's Hoplitai Haploi. That way we got guys with shirts, guys without shirt.

-The Armored H also looked bad ass. No realism what so ever. But the dudes looked bad ass. I think was the cut of the eyes in the helment, and the crest that made them look "uber cool" :knight: Hell I even picked up the "stiff-torso-stiff-arms-and-rocking-shoulders-walk" from them.

-Also XGM's uber Spartans back when version 3.x was around is also one of my favorite NON EB Units.

[pezhetairoi]

Heh, the vanilla pikemen have such tiny shields! I don't recall them ever being so tiny. XD And the dot patterns on the shield puts me in mind of dice. Ah, those were the days when I was just happy enough to have a game in which ouflankings and morale actually COUNTED for something...

And then EB showed me how much more we could demand from it. Thank you, EB.

That aside, the phalanx is right, yup. 0, 45 and 90.

[Moros]

I don't think EB changed the phalanx animations, so... :shrug:
In rtw the phalanx units carried their sarissa's with only one hand, they used their other to hold the shield. While EB's units hold the sarissa's in two hands and have a larger shield strapped on their arms.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Yeah EB definitely doesn't use Vanilla animations for the pikes. AFAIK it's Alin's we use; anywho: both EB and Vanilla hold at ~0; ~45; ~90 (walking) which is correct.

(The ~45 modus lets the back rows enjoy some kind of "awning like" screen ... against arrows and other nasty things usually flying around on battle fields... )

[Hooahguy]

oh wait, ya, i was wrong- they are the same.... :embarassed: