Quote Originally Posted by Ludens View Post
I doubt the enemy would be so obliging as to wait while the pikemen were reassembling their sarrisa after the charge. So any charging pikeman would have to fight with a normal spear during combat. In which case, why didn't they simply front the phalanx with hoplites, who have a spear and a proper shield as well?
I'm sure I read somewhere that the promachoi/front rank might be armed in the hoplite fashion. Can't for the life of me remember where I saw it, though.