Advancing phalanxes on the flanks

[duncan.gill]

I have been in the (pleasant) situation of fighting against enemies with my long pike phalanxes where the enemy flee from the flanks but there are a couple of tough units still fighting in the centre. Does anyone know how you can order the phalanxes on the flanks to press forward against the sides of the enemy? I find that if I realign the flanking phalanxes to attack the sides with the usual guard/phalanx mode enabled the phalanx will kill one or two enemies from the side, then will no longer be engaged with the enemy.

Is there any way of making sure that they continue to surge forward as enemies are killed (without doing anything stupid like switching to secondary weapons etc)?

[Banzai!]

I always turn off guard mode.

[Maion Maroneios]

I always turn off guard mode.

Yep, have them on guard mode and after your enemy has engaged your pikemen, turn off guard mode for the ones you want to push forward. Doesn't always work, though. Depends on how well at bay they have the enemy. If they are too close to the front lines, they might do something stupid like change the direction of their pikes or move backwards to keep the enemy at bay. Hope this helped!

[Cambyses]

Ive always found the easiest way if attacking from the flanks or rear. Turn off phalanx mode. Have them charge in with the secondary weapon. Once you are fully engaged restart phalanx mode. So long as you are on the rear or flanks only this works very well.

Never do this head on agaisnt another phalanx!

[Taneda Santôka]

Make them move instead of attacking : single click "behind" the unit you want your garded and phalanxed soldiers to engage. It works for me, the engage and keep formation without being killed stupidly...

[Maion Maroneios]

Make them move instead of attacking : single click "behind" the unit you want your garded and phalanxed soldiers to engage. It works for me, the engage and keep formation without being killed stupidly...

Does this really work? I think I'll have to try this myself...

[craziii]

right click just little bit beyond the unit you wish to attack, the phalanx will move and attack as necessary. when it has move enough, stop order, and watch how fast the sarissa kill the units from behind or the side.

[Xurr]

I have them attack, then as soon as their spears touch the enemy I give them a halt order. They will stop reform and start chewing away at the enemy.