Here's the situation. In straight phalanx on phalanx duels, my troops always seem to get minced. Their flanks are covered, they're not being attacked from the rear or anything like that. But it seems against almost any AI phalanx, they get massacred.

Two recent examples, in both cases I have Kleruchoi phalangites with 1 chevron and upgraded weapons and armour (Att: 19, Def: 23). Against the Qarthadastim, they met Elite African Pikemen in the centre of the field. Granted these guys are much better armoured and better fighters. But I would have thought on guard mode and phalanx mode, my phalangites would be able to endure for a while. By the end of the battle, there were less than a fifth of them left. Although they'd also taken a frontal charge from the enemy general (but isn't that one of the things a phalanx should be good against?).

Second one was in a city against two depleted Ptolemaic Pezhetairoi (who had two points of defense higher, that was the only difference). They had a slight advantage in numbers (I think in total about 60 men more). But once again my phalangites seemed to get annihilated, but theirs lasted for ages, even after the rest of the besiegers got round the other side of them and surrounded them.

I normally leave them with the frontage and depth they are defaulted to, put them on guard and phalanx mode, and just leave them alone. Should I be doing something different?