The problem with elephants..

[Red Harvest]

The phalanx do indeed hurt the elephants. Plain vanilla elephants can charge through a base level phalanx though, but not the larger better types of hoplite. They take casualties doing it (unusual for elephants.) And as I meant to say in my original reply to Oleander, those large phalanx with longer spears can completely halt the elephants and/or kill them immediately, just like he said.

As you say, though, the mobility issue means that it is going to be tough to use phalanx as an effective counter.

[Morindin]

The phalanx do indeed hurt the elephants. Plain vanilla elephants can charge through a base level phalanx though, but not the larger better types of hoplite. They take casualties doing it (unusual for elephants.) And as I meant to say in my original reply to Oleander, those large phalanx with longer spears can completely halt the elephants and/or kill them immediately, just like he said.

As you say, though, the mobility issue means that it is going to be tough to use phalanx as an effective counter.

Which makes perfect sense, after all the Romans after facing Carthagian elephants in sicily got compeltely stomped on, and then avoided fighting them on open ground after that.

Give any cavalry room to manouver, be it Elephants or normal Cavalry, and you have problems.

Another tactic they used was to create lanes in their formations that would hopefully lure the elephants to take the "easiest" route, which worked.
Perhaps Elephants need to be like war dogs, once you set them lose you dont really have any control over them.

[son of spam]

Which makes perfect sense, after all the Romans after facing Carthagian elephants in sicily got compeltely stomped on, and then avoided fighting them on open ground after that.

Give any cavalry room to manouver, be it Elephants or normal Cavalry, and you have problems.

Another tactic they used was to create lanes in their formations that would hopefully lure the elephants to take the "easiest" route, which worked.
Perhaps Elephants need to be like war dogs, once you set them lose you dont really have any control over them.

Good idea, as long as they aren't auto-replenishing also

[Red Harvest]

My elephants usually come back to life after battle...no joke. If I get a couple killed, they often are healed after battle. Man these things are a bargain.

Help me, I've been abusing elephants. I guess I need to join Pachyderms Anonymous.

[Praylak]

Help me, I've been abusing elephants. I guess I need to join Pachyderms Anonymous.

LOL. At one point I had to use the special command to drop my half unt of elephants. They went crazy right at the beginning of a battle, not sure why. So I had to suicide them cause they were heading straight back toward my group. Strangely enough they were all resurrected for the next battle.