(Apologies if this has been aready asked/accounted for in the game engine.)

This question is brought on by:
1. A recent tranche of reading goldwothy, holland etc
2. Not having played for an age and forgetting how this worked
3. Thinking about how the mechanics of these weapons working against shorter hand weapons? Why was it so successful for a while.

So the question/idea is, do pike/sarrissa/spear 'walls' work by reducing the effectiveness of the opponents weapon rather than being inherently leathal themselves? The thinking being whilst not a relatively effective weapon one on one, in a massed rank they make the opponents life difficult in just getting close to use their weapon. That is they reduce the effectiveness of the opponents weapon relative to themselves. This would only really apply whilst the longer weapons were ordered and not disordered.

Also, do pikes/spears get the charge bonus of the cavalry attacking from the front? That is if the cavalry unit receveid a +20 charge bonus, the defending ordered spear/lance unit would get the same equivalent bonus.
And to the same extent does a charging infantry's charge bonus get added to the defending spear/pike/sarrissa.

The thinking being the energy of the aggressors movement would work in both directions, good old newton!.