The Invincible Chalkaspides

**Tyrfingr** · 06-30-2008, 11:32

Being playing as Pontos the last few weeks and I have noticed an odd, but welcomed, feature of the pontic elite phalanx Chalkaspides, they are nearly invincible! Fighting hordes of Seleukid argyraspides and thorakitai agematos basilikou has never been this easy!

Yesterday I was caught on flat landm outnumbered 2:1, having only a family member and 8 units of chalkaspides against an AS army consisting mainly of heavy cavalry, elite phalanxes and elite thorakitais. I deployed my chalkaspides in a perfect octagon, placing my FM inside, put the phalanxes on guard mode and waited.

The enemy cavalry tried to flank me (how do you flank an octagon?) and soon charged into the phalanxes guarding the back. Needless to say, they soon routed. Meanwhile the enemy phalanxes and thorakitais made contact with my front but couldn't breach through it. As the battle turned into a stalemate, I dissolved the octagon and used my units from the flanks and rear to skewer the locked down enemy. When the captain (attached to the routing cavalry) had left the battlefield, the enemy lost their will to fight and began to rout. Using my family mamber to chase the routing units, the enemy had lost 1500+ units with the routing cavalry as the only survivors, while I had only lost a total of 45 men.

The battle resulted in an heroic victory (unfortunaly with the traditional post-battle CTD) but the pattern is repeating to me in every battle I use chalkaspides, they are tough as hell!

**gosam** · 06-30-2008, 13:32

Well, they have roughly the same stats as argyraspides and chaonion agema, so it's probably the way you use them that makes them invincible.

**pezhetairoi** · 06-30-2008, 14:27

More like, it's the fact that you're using them in a defensive formation. But there are numerous ways to smash that formation in EB, the easiest method being to gang archers and/or slingers on you, shooting over your line and hitting the backs of those on the other end, or into the flank of those perpendicular to the line of approach. Or one could sacrifice a high-morale elite unit to push in between your phalanxes and into your square to wedge open your phalanx. As long as I focus my attack on the boundary of units and punch my way through there with spearmen and my family member nearby, I can break you, and possibly your family member too, though it will be bloody.

That, and the enemy was using a traditionally defensive formation in attack. Incidentally, that was the problem with the Successor states' tactics. So nope, it's not that your Chalkaspides are invincible. Just try attacking with them and you will realise the same thing you could take advantage of with the enemy will apply painfully so to you. Of course you will win, but you'll still lose men.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 06-30-2008, 15:57

Originally Posted by gosam

Well, they have roughly the same stats as argyraspides and chaonion agema, so it's probably the way you use them that makes them invincible.

Exactly, on numerous occasions... I felt the same way the OP does with Bronze about the Silver shields.

**konny** · 06-30-2008, 17:49

Originally Posted by Jaertecken

Being playing as Pontos the last few weeks and I have noticed an odd, but welcomed, feature of the pontic elite phalanx Chalkaspides, they are nearly invincible! Fighting hordes of Seleukid argyraspides and thorakitai agematos basilikou has never been this easy!

Fighting Pontos very much the last years of my Mak campaign I must say that there is nothing special with Chalkaspides. They kill my Deuteroi without much problems, but do only win with severe casualties against Klerouchi or Pezhetairoi. Against Argyraspidai it is always a close run thing where a few arrows or even a mislead unit of Hippakontistai can tip the balance.

In return I must say that I too have no problems against the Seleucid Argyraspides or His Syrian Majesty Own Masked SM-Brigade with my Pezhees. It is just a matter of higher ground and propper flank support.