controlling Phalanx

**Alsatia** · 07-16-2009, 12:18

That pisses me off alot. The only way to proplerly keep the formation is to right click and hold, but that leaves the phalangites vulnerble for a few seconds. That's why I now try to avoid them unless sieges or where i'm facing any hellen.

The phalanx was very unweldy, even in ancient times.

**Conqueror** · 07-16-2009, 13:32

Why would you want them to be pushing into the enemy? The purpose of a phalanx (talking about the pikemen here, not hoplitai) is not to kill and it's not to ram into enemy ranks. It is simply to pin them; to keep them engaged frontally so that you can flank them with your mobile infantry and smash your cavalry to their back.

Just keep all your phalangites as a solid line in the center/front of your army and set them on defensive mode. Then use your missile units to provoke the enemy infantry into attacking. Your phalangites shouldn't need to be given any orders, they should be able to stand their ground on their own. So long as you can overcome your enemy on the flanks with your other units, you should have enough time to set up a double envelopement or hammer & anvil.

Here's a quick ASCII diagram showing a basic formation for a well balanced combined arms army:

Code:

P = phalangites
I = infantry
M = missile
S = skirmishers
C = cavalry

         (enemy)

    S       S      S
I I P P P P P P P P I I
C   M       M      M  C

**godsakes** · 07-16-2009, 13:55

Originally Posted by Conqueror

Why would you want them to be pushing into the enemy? The purpose of a phalanx (talking about the pikemen here, not hoplitai) is not to kill and it's not to ram into enemy ranks. It is simply to pin them; to keep them engaged frontally so that you can flank them with your mobile infantry and smash your cavalry to their back.

Just keep all your phalangites as a solid line in the center/front of your army and set them on defensive mode. Then use your missile units to provoke the enemy infantry into attacking. Your phalangites shouldn't need to be given any orders, they should be able to stand their ground on their own. So long as you can overcome your enemy on the flanks with your other units, you should have enough time to set up a double envelopement or hammer & anvil.

Here's a quick ASCII diagram showing a basic formation for a well balanced combined arms army:

Code:

P = phalangites
I = infantry
M = missile
S = skirmishers
C = cavalry

         (enemy)

    S       S      S
I I P P P P P P P P I I
C   M       M      M  C

yes i get that idea, all very well when the enemy engages you head on but if you're engaged at an angle and only part of your wall is doing a job, it's hardly unresonable to try to them for the envelopement (given how few infantry you have in your setup, you'd have to move over phalangites for part of an envelopement.

i can't be the only to have noticed the AI often uses it's phalangites to push your troops, very effective too when it traps more of your infantry into it's killing zone and buckling your lines

also in cities/town when you want to push the enemy into the streets , so there's no opportunity for them flank you.

**Belisarius II** · 07-16-2009, 16:21

I've also encountered the AI using its phalangites as rams. It's a really pain when they break apart a section of my phalanx. I usually get heavy cavalry to smash into the back of these ramming phalanxes.

As for reforming the 'rammed' phalanxes I do the same as Alsatia does, but I haven't tried but I think I heard that instead of holding and moving the cursor you'd be able to hold the shift key.

**fleaza** · 07-17-2009, 12:56

the trick is not to make your phalanx attack but to order them to move behind the enemy. the phalanx will automatically stop and attack the enemy when they encounter them. be careful when using this technique because the rest of the line will keep moving forward, you have to stop them manually. this technique is very useful because you can just order your line to move forward while you manouevre your cavalry and hypapistai/hoplitai.

**Andronikos** · 07-17-2009, 18:49

Seconded, the best way how to attack with a phalanx is not to attack. Just order them to move. Also when two phalanx lines collide in wrong angle, you can move your phalanxes to create a V in which you trap enemy, the flank phalanxes which will face yours from side will die fast, if you charge the entry to the V with cavalry or assault infantry you will wipe out all of them.

**paramedicguyer** · 07-17-2009, 20:21

That is the same tactic I use with say roman or "barbarian" factions. For instance, there really is no way to "attack" phalangites without a similar unit, so instead I just order my legionaries to move into the phalanx, once the legionaries are literally inside the phalanx I then order attack, and that is usually quite effective. Note: this is a really bad idea on very hard, as generally anything will get scewerd by doing that move.