i played Maks 2 times by now, first time i went east to Arabia before my saved games got corrupted and i never got the reformed phalanx. in my curent active game i got them around 220-210 BC. by that time i was already in Mesopotamia. generaly i role-play my factions and i never expand beyond what my objectives are unless the AI gives me no choice. even then i prefer punitive raids instead of conquest. just take the enemy border cities, enslave them or slaughter them and then live them undefended. they will most likely rebel to eleutheroi and you will get yourself a dumping zone.

to conserve my menpower in the early stages i rely on alied troops and mercenaries that compose 2/3 of my stacks or more. try to capure mainland Greece as soon as possible and don't maintain a standing fleet. then expand to Thrace and Iliria as soon as possible as this is where you will have your best assult troups recruited. untill i get to Asia Minor i rely on Cretan archers for long range skirmishes. in Asia you will get Caucasian and Syrian archers.

i noticed that phalanx brakeups ocur mostly when the phalanx is ordered to attack (even then it is a rare event). i rarely use the phalanx to attact actively. i usually deploy the phalanx in 2 elongated blocks composed by 2 units or one longer one composed of 4, depending on how much flexibilty i need and who i am fighting against. braking the phalanx line in 2 will give you ability to sweep left or right after a portion of the enemy line beggins to rout. on each end of the blocks i put some suport units, depending on what's available. theurporoi for the outer flanks and hoplites of some sort for the center "axis". i keep a reserve second line on the flanks and center of whatever assult infantry is available. cavalry in the rearto prevent flanking and to flank if oportunity arises. skirmish or light cavalry on the left and lancers and heavies on the right. slingers and archers in the front to begin the engagement and on the flanks once the engagement begins.

the regular pezhetaeroi are far cheeper then their armoured cousins and only slightly less effective. i use reformed phalanx only because they look so pretty. i group my infantry contigent in 1- 3 groups and only order move commands. when the phalanx front reaches enemy lines or the enemy charges them i punch stop curent orders and let them do their work. it 's the best way to avoid formation brake-ups. i micromenage only flanking and brake-through manoevres. if you split the phalanx with hoplites or spearmen in betwean you can experiment with different tactis like driving a wedge or denying the center or flank, just always be sure to have reliable unit garding the phalanx's sides.

i hope you find this useful