Most dominant infantry in Europe

[antisocialmunky]

IRL your war elephant gets stuck in a gate and in the chaos that ensues, you get roof tiled in the head and decapitated by some peasants.

[fomalhaut]

truly a tragic ending for such a fascinating character. his bust serves as my avatar in many forums

[Ksifos]

moonburn - While you have to do some SERIOUS micro, your opponent would simply line up and watch you doing a parade :-P

Even in forests Pikemen perform well and if they maintain high morale then you are in BIG trouble.They just don't break.You say you can breach the phalanx line? Man you are going to loose a LOT in order to do that - depending on the depth of the phalanx you may even cause your unit to route!

The vulnerability of phalanx is when you hit it from the flanks, usually they turn towards you, but simultaneously shoot javelins, arrows, stones on their BACK.This is the only scenario where they count significant casualties and drop morale FAST.With jugundai I doubt you can stand a direct fight long enough to neutralize the phalanx.
And if talking for PvP remember there is no pause to do your funky micro-management. ;-)

PS - nice to see there are some Starcraft vets in the forums ;-)

[fomalhaut]

and that's just deuteroi, professional pikemen or elite pikemen just don't break! i had multiple late parni charges straight to the back of silver shields many times, but they stood strong. i had to send some indian elephants to finally rout them.

you often have to kill them down to the very last man

[Drag0nUL]

and that's just deuteroi, professional pikemen or elite pikemen just don't break! i had multiple late parni charges straight to the back of silver shields many times, but they stood strong. i had to send some indian elephants to finally rout them.

you often have to kill them down to the very last man

Not to mention that, if you can't outflank them, silver shields and other elite pikemen are almost impossible to beat back with non-phalanx units.
I've had silver shields hold bridges and city streets against impossible odds. Most impressive feat was having a 2 bronze chevron silver shields unit holding a bridge practically by itself (only other units that scored kills in that battle were 2 units of toxotai) vs. a whole roman fullstack and losing under 10 men (on huge).

[vollorix]

It only applies to BI. but a heavily aromured unit in "shield_wall" formation can push through any kind of phalangitai, though with quite a causalities ( guard mod "on" ). First i thought, hey, that seems like an exploit against the poor AI, but then i saw the Romans breaking my phalanx line ( playing Epirotes, most of my phalangitai were the Deuteroi levies, though ). It´s kind of scarry to see the Roman units reforming on the battlefield, and arranging all their heavy infantry in shield_wall formation ( those manouvers somehow remembered me on that scene from the old "Spartacus" movie during the last battle ).

[fomalhaut]

that's pretty dang cool actually, reminds me of heraclaeum or something

[Ksifos]

It´s kind of scarry to see the Roman units reforming on the battlefield, and arranging all their heavy infantry in shield_wall formation ( those manouvers somehow remembered me on that scene from the old "Spartacus" movie during the last battle ).

Romani scarry? Not at all in EB :-P
In my game (and in most as I read in other posts) they get destroyed.I am willing to try and see why they get so easily PWNED by Carthage and Spain.

I started a game with the Britons (VH/VH) but I got crushed early rounds.All towns had such big armies giving a 2:1 odds in favor of the AI.Tried a siege with all I had (London left empty :-P) Rebels sent help immediately - great, lol.I might try this save again, to find the solution but from what I saw Britons must lack in units.At least their spear throwers/chariot generals suck badly.

[A_Dane]

Not to mention that, if you can't outflank them, silver shields and other elite pikemen are almost impossible to beat back with non-phalanx units.
I've had silver shields hold bridges and city streets against impossible odds. Most impressive feat was having a 2 bronze chevron silver shields unit holding a bridge practically by itself (only other units that scored kills in that battle were 2 units of toxotai) vs. a whole roman fullstack and losing under 10 men (on huge).

All Phalangite units are like that tbh. I remember when i first started playing on H/H I faced off with a medium phalanx (on huge, so 242 men or something). Pinned it down with some armenian spears, and charged 152 bodyguards, down hill, into their rear.
they they lost like 50 units, turned their spears around and began slaughtering my FM's -.-. After that I simply hunt down their general, kill him, and bum-rush their units, even elites flee when the general dies and they get outflanked by axemen..
Phalangites, any sort of them actually, are without a doubt amongst my favourite units, as they're bugged, being able to do a 360 degree turn and all :)

[fomalhaut]

the lack of an elite phalanx is what keeps me wary of Bactria... i have to have an elite phalanx. Silver Shields, Brazen Shields, Agema, Chaoma, Hanupim Alupim, all my favorite units. i usually only have one, and that's after a regular phalanx has turned into a silver chevron