Breaking open the front of a phalanx

[Gabicho]

The "V" tactic sounds theoretically possible. But don't forget that in a real battle, if you have a sword, a shield, and your commander orders you to use "the "V" infiltration assault tactic", while 6 spears are pointed at you (god forbid they also have slingers and javalineers in the back rows)... chances are, unless you were a spartan, an elite profiessional legionnaire, a fanatic, a berserker, or had a death wish, you would play deaf and keep doing whatever it was you were doing prior to recieving that order (standing just out of range of the pikes, most likely). In real battles you really die, and that's why these kind of "daredevil" tactics were rarely tried.

It's just like the "gun disarming" techniques of nowadays. They can work? Sure. Would two soldiers jump out of cover, run towards the enemy's defenses (pillboxes, trenches, whatever) covering each other while being outgunned in a 12:2 ratio, and dodging bullets - so when they reach the enemy lines, use their gun disarming techniques on 6 enemies each, causing the 2,500-strong enemy brigade's formation to completely collapse? Well, it IS possible. But not even remotely likely. I think they (and their commanders) would use common sense, hold their positions, and wait for the artillery (archers) to break the morale and formation of the enemy, and for the tanks (cavalry) or elite troops to smash the flanks and rear of the enemy instead.
I'm exaggerating, of course, but wanted to make my point