Off course there are no(!!!) archer armies, who can defeat Phalanx boxes, simply because one unit of archers in EB hasnt enought arrows to kill one units of phalangitai. Further many phalanx boxes also have archers in there middle, but still its not neccesary. The two things, that easily break Phalangitai are:
Heavy infantry exploiting the klick behind the unit trick. They just storm into the phalanx destroying it in melee. Still its nearly useless against agyraspidai and difficult agains eastern levy phalangitai...(Axes) . The other thing is to just bring your own phalangitai and just use them in overwhelming numbers on one side.

My favourite method is:
1.Shoot less protected phalangitai with archers or slingers in the back,
2.exhaust the enemy elite phalangitai with hoplite just standing in front of the enemy pikes. (They wont take too much casualties and the phalangitai will tire)
3. Atack with heavy infantry or medium infantry with AP weapons. The phalangitai wont kill too much, when they are exhausted.
If you dont wannt to exploit the klick behind trick you will need phalangitai by yourself or gesatae in the corners.
In MP Battles Generals have no stars so exhausted phalangitai with casualties might rout against gesatae. In the single player a 10Star AI General building a box would be impossible to beat. Luckily there is no such thing with the KI. ^^

EDIT:
4-5 Arrow throwers might just panik your enemy enough to force him to atack, but than off course you might loose the battle because you have significant less money for real troops.

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