How to fight a pike phalanx without another phalanx? Help!!!

**Titus Marcellus Scato** · 03-22-2010, 13:53

I apply the same basic strategy to all my battles.

Priority 1: Kill enemy cavalry.
Priority 2: Kill enemy missile troops.
Priority 3: Kill enemy heavy infantry.

Isolate the phalangites, then kill them (after you've killed everything else.)

**Macilrille** · 03-22-2010, 13:55

Yeps, notice that this thread deals mostly with online MP battles. But the principle is the same Vs the AI. Probably easier as the opponent has a brain...

**Dutchhoplite** · 03-22-2010, 14:15

But how would you fight a allmost full stack of pikes formed up in a double line and partially hidden by a treeline??

Like this:

ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

I faced (me being the attacking side) them with a KH army army of some pike, hoplites, some light troops and limited cavalry.

**Titus Marcellus Scato** · 03-22-2010, 14:31

As the attacker or as the defender?

As KH, I'd hesitate to attack a full (Macedonian?) stack like that unless I had a full stack myself. 18 units of phalanxes is a lot - that's 4320 men on Huge unit size. Not to be taken lightly by 'little' KH.

As the defender, it's easier - stand on a hill and let them tire themselves out reaching your position before outflanking them.

**Dutchhoplite** · 03-22-2010, 14:55

Well, in units we were about even so i decided to take them on but i did'nt expect to stumble across a Seleucid stack consisting only of pikes :D

**Andy1984** · 03-22-2010, 15:10

As a defender, my Romans seem to be mostly capable to frontally charge and break the Epeirote falanxes. (Leves behind the principes, preferably partially hidden.) Try to aim for a massed route.

Elite phalanx units, and especially defending elite phalanx units, are a different matter however.

**anubis88** · 03-22-2010, 15:58

Heh, the ptolies in my campaing have the abnoxious habit of puting phalanxes in phalanxes if you understand what i'm saying.... They look like one phalanx, but actually there are 2 of them using the same area one would. Those phalanxes are pretty tough to beat :D; i dunno if it would work if the human player applied the same strategy