formations?

Is there a way to teach the Ai to use the Phalanx more effectively? Every time I face a phalanx heavy army they kind of split and turn and rotate so that more often than not my infantry can get behind them and slaughter them. I noticed that sometimes the splitting and turning actually works, if they have a double line so that their 2nd line of troops can pin my guys in between but again, more often than not it just makes their troops extremely vulnerable...

I seldomly saw that and fought the Seleukids for the last 52 years...

Well, give them time. Don't select all your troops and just tell them "run and attack". Put your troops into formation and then advance. In a suitable distance to the enemy, tell them to hold, regain formation as the line will be a bit split up due to the marching, and let your archers fire at the enemy. Once the ammo is gone, advance further, hold again, regain formation, let them throw their javelins, and then attack. Or see what the enemy does. Normally at some point they will have found their formation. If you use a phalanx too, don't click attack on the enemy, but just ram them. That should work perfectly.

Well I usually just wait for them to come to me and what happens is that when the battle starts, their deployment makes sense. The phalanx is in a line or two lines and the skirmishers/cavalry in the front and sides respectively. But when they start walking towards me their phalanx just starts breaking, opening up these big gaps in the middle and it never closes! once they get close enough they just ordered 3-4 to attack one of my units, leaving 4 units in the center to just walk behind them and trap them

Hi all, here I my formations for playing as SPQR - Polybian reforms. I use more battle groups (Roman numbers) , than are my field manoeuvres more flexible.

http://img40.picoodle.com/img/img40/...1m_deeb37f.jpg

http://img40.picoodle.com/img/img40/...2m_4558296.jpg

http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/...3m_f532ff4.jpg

http://img39.picoodle.com/img/img39/...4m_b093b85.jpg

I usually put my skirmishers and/or archers in the first line, to fire off a volley or two and keep the enemy busy for a little bit before retreating behind the mainline troops and dispersing to each flank for envelopment and firing into their backs, accompanied by a small cavalry force to ram in and sweep the line when the enemy flank starts to waver.

Putting the missile troops in front entices the AI to focus troops on them, especially cavalry, so the cavalry can be disposed of quickly and the enemy becomes narrower and easier to envelop.

To maximize the potential of the Velites in a polybian legion, always deploy them between the maniples of Hastati. I usally take 4 Hastati and 3 Velites. The damage inflicted on a charging enemy sometimes cause the entire front line of the enemy to panic. Of course heavy armed infantry suffer less, but they do take 10% casualties before hand to hand combat is commenced.

Cheers.