Phalanx at Sparte?

[Fredlex]

Hi, I'm new in the forum even if I'm playing Europa Barbarorum since the 0.8 release...

I will only post this question about the Greek Hoplites: why haven't they got the Phalanx mode?

Especially the Spartans ones...

Is there an historical font for you didn't insert this mode, or something else?

Because there's a friend of mine (with a degree in Classical History at Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna) that once he saw the Spartans without the phalanx, he was really surprised...in negative of course...

Is he right? Or he's just got hold of the wrong end of the stick?

Thank you so much!

Fred

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

It's the wrong type of phalanx. Isn't this in the FAQ?

Anyway, the Hoplite class of soldier fought in a close order formation with shields locked and spears used overarm. The closest approximation in RTW is a tight formation with Guard Mode on, which is what we did. Unfortunately we don't use the BI.exe which has the Shieldwall formation in it.

[Ludens]

Don't stare yourself blind on the word "phalanx". Greek hoplites fought in a phalanx formation, but they still were mobile and flexible, something R:TW's "phalanx formation" does not allow. So the EB team decided to give phalanx formation only to the Macedonian phalangites.

[General Appo]

The phalanx used by for example the Spartans was very different from the one used by say Alexanders the Greats Makedonian phalangitai.
The word phalanx itself (in military terms) only really indicates a close order formation that uses spears to that attempts to create a wall of spears and men, fighting as one unit. The word has been used on as differenting people as the Spartans of Leonidas, the phalangitai of Phillipos II and the shieldwall like formation used by some Germanian people.

I don´t know what your impression of the phalanx is, but if you expect the Spartans to use long spears and small shields like Phillipos phalangitai, you are mistaken.
However, I agree that EB´s hoplites don´t really fight in a Greek phalanx formation, often spliting up instead of fighting as one.
Fanatics phalanx mod does much to improve this: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=94341

[Fredlex]

Thank you so much for your answers...

I know that Lacaedamons used Dorian Spear and not Sarissas...

I only wanted to know if it was possible to enable something similar to a phalanx mode for the Spartan Hoplites...

Surely not the phalanx of Alexander ;)

[Tellos Athenaios]

You'll find that to put on guard mode, pretty much does just that...

[Maion Maroneios]

Or play with BI and give them the ''shieldwall'' formation.

Maion

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Though "shieldwall" gives hardcoded bonuses, so simply giving a unit that ability will unbalance the EB statting and make the unit more powerful than the team intends.

[TWFanatic]

Or giving them "short_pike."

[chenkai11]

Or this http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=188651

[paullus]

The Spartans did eventually use, according to most interpretations, the pelte and sarissa. Those and other Hellenic phalangitai are available in-game as a single phalangitai unit for the KH after the Marian reforms.

[Maion Maroneios]

Though "shieldwall" gives hardcoded bonuses, so simply giving a unit that ability will unbalance the EB statting and make the unit more powerful than the team intends.

Actually, I've found that units with the shieldwall ability aren't that much stronger than normal. They just hold their lines better and can withstand a few more hits (as would be logical) than an unorganised bunch of soldiers. I'm sorry, but I'm kind of tired hearing the same thing about the shielwall formation all the time.

Maion

[mcantu]

AFAIK, there are no attack bonuses for shieldwall...only ones for defense

[Maion Maroneios]

That would make much sense, if you ask me. For the reasons I stated, that is.

Maion