Quote Originally Posted by Quillan
As far as I can tell, all phalanx units on a wall are forced into using their secondary weapon, which generally sucks. The only phalanx unit I have seen stand up well on a wall is spartan hoplites. Apparently it applies to the attackers as well as the defender.
Actually, that's probably quite realistic. Think about it: your hoplite/pikeman struggles up one of three flimsy little ladders, all spaced about 20 feet apart, with his 12 foot long sharp pointy stick. Having thus gained the wall you then expect him to somehow form a phalanx, on a narrow battlement, while surrounded by enemy soldiers, with his nearest buddy a good twenty feet away, and also facing down a horde of angry defenders... Just ain't going to work.

And the same applies of you've got hoplites or pikemen defending a wall. They do start out using the pointy stick, but as soon as a bunch of heavily armoured swordsmen crash into their midst, that pointy stick is about as useful as a large turnip. The reason Spartan hoplites do so much better of course, is that they're mean tough b*****d's.