Quote Originally Posted by Maion Maroneios View Post
The pikes getting into the "town square region" will incite the defenders, who will soon attack you. Once they're locked into position, you can use the remaining men of your "bait unit" to attack them from behind.

Hints: Use the "enveloping phalanx" technique. This means ordering one phalanx unit on to another, making the formation even denser and difficult to break than with a single pike fence. Also, use missile troops when the defendes are engaging your pikemen. They will cause massive casualties firing in their backs.

Maion
Same here. Except that I do not have the bait unit. I too noticed the need for quick phalanx-forming and all I do is order my phalangites to assemble just our side the square, ever careful to not let an stray inside it, as that is an instant when the AI troops will charge. So I let the pikes take their time and form up properly, and whenever I am ready, I simply order them to form a phalanx, and the pikes, which will fall into the town square, will incite the enemy to charge. I always set my phalanxes one on top of another, to lower the chances of the enemy, especially cavalry, heavily-armoured elites, officers, and 2-hp units of getting through.

HOWEVER, this will not work for barbarian towns. The town square there is raised, and performing the same trick will give the enemy a huge height advantage on the steep pedestal, with your pikes pointing up. As a result, due to height advantage, the enemy units will always get through and further decimate you with their height bonus. The most epic failures come with barbarian AP units, the worst of which will cut down even the experienced and weapon-upgraded Pezhetairoi.

There is a solution to this though, and it is very simple. Barbarian settlements are spaced out and with no narrow streets, and thus you will have space for a missile unit behind the phalanx. Since barbarian units are normally lighter-armoured than all of their civilised counterparts, the missiles will cause casualties and the enemy will immediately charge.