Quote Originally Posted by Spino
I use Guard mode all the time for my phalanx units and my victories are still lopsided. I don't see what the problem is. I rarely tell a phalanx unit to actively engage the enemy by clicking on the enemy unit. I usually put them in phalanx mode and tell them to move to a spot beyond the enemy unit.
That is the key. I did the same for quite awhile. The problem came when I routed a unit and tried to alter my attack by clicking on the next target (rather than ordering a "march through." The phalangites often just stood there doing nothing. Of course, if the AI charges you, this is not really a problem either.