javelins too weak?

[WinsingtonIII]

Well, phalangites wore linen cuirasses, bronze helmets and greaves, and carried shields. They were packed in tight ranks, so that they were protected not only by their personal equipment but also by the shields of the men next to them, the bodies of their comrades and that forrest of pikes. As javelin isn't the most accurate weapon you can find, it would be hard to hit those vulnerable parts from a sensible distance, so we shouldn't be suprised if Akontistai can't kill too many of them from the front.

I understand that these factors would combine to make the phalanx a resistant formation to missile fire, but it should not be nigh-invincible to missiles. Also, remember that if a javelin hit a shield, it would likely render it useless, forcing the user to discard it. As for accuracy, a tightly packed mass of men makes a pretty easy target, although the chance that they would hit a vulnerable area was unlikely. Even so, I think the ratio should be better than 2 kills for every 100 javelins thrown. Does that not seem just a little bit ridiculous to you? Remember that kills in EB also represent those who are injured too badly to continue fighting but may recover after the battle. So, essentially, we are getting 2 casualties for every 100 javelins thrown. Whether you find that believable or not is up to you.

Anyways, as I said before, I don't really care whether this gets changed, as there are plenty of better ways to kill phalanxes, but I think it overestimates the resilience of the phalanx formation to missiles. Let's be honest, this was not the equivalent of the testudo formation.