Using the Human Wall on a Stone one

[th3freakie]

Phalanx - are they usefull in defending a sieged city?

I can easely see how to use them in wood walls, and in the gates of a stone one (ho... the beutifull boiling oil) but what about on the walls themselfs, agaist towers and ladders? Will the pikes turn to the side, or will they just point forward to the air?

[Es Arkajae]

They fight with swords, no room for phalanxes mate.

If you're up against serious opposition (i.e. they're likely to take the walls), then you're probably better off deploying your phalanxes in the streets leading to the city square.

Engage them in street fighting and use your phalanx formations there, in the enclosed spaces they'll slaughter the enemy. Just make sure that they're far enough away from the wall that the tower arrows can't shhot at you once the enemy has captured them.

[MoROmeTe]

Yup, no phalanxes on walls. They are way better in the streets. Just deploy your archers on the wals, if you have them and let them rain arrows on the enemy, not forgetting to take them off the walls and to the town square when the enemy gets his ladders/towers at the walls or when he is about to breach the gate. Create a good defensive position somewhere near the town center or square, whatever the name, by putting the pahalnxes one behind the other. Take you cavalry, should you have any, and prepare to circle the enemy that's bogged down fighting you phalanxes and attack from behind. Watch out for towers shooting at your cavalry. That's how I play defensive...

[Khorak]

Unless your phalanx happens to be a bunch of Spartans. In which case you'll be wishing you could see the looks on the faces of the poor bastards who reach the top of the ladder, and see all these Spartans standing there grinning waiting for them.

[MoROmeTe]

I'd still rather have them on the streets. They're much more effective there. On the walls they are bound to get overrun by the sheer numbers that the enemy can put on the wall.

[Khorak]

I'd still rather have them on the streets. They're much more effective there. On the walls they are bound to get overrun by the sheer numbers that the enemy can put on the wall.

Uh, no, not really. If you set an enemy battering ram on fire and force them to come through Spartans on a wall, they might as well go right the hell home. You can't overrun an enemy on a wall simply due to the tiny front your men can bring to bear, not to mention the horrific slaughter as limited numbers of guys are arriving...in the middle of really angry Spartans. You're only going to 'overrun' Spartan hoplites on a wall with ridiculously overwhelming numbers non-stop, (and you'll only get anywhere after the Spartans are exhausted....and they're still tough even then) or by bringing large numbers of Urban Cohorts along to trash them instead.

It would essentially be engaging Spartans entirely on their terms at what they do best; murdering anyone stupid enough to actually get into a fight with them. You'll either throw away untold hundreds of men trying to sweep Spartans off the walls and claim the gate (then likely lose the fight with the timer as the defenders tarry you through the streets), or having to still lose large numbers of ultra elite soldiers to the piecemeal meatgrinder.

*shudder* The thought of trying to get Spartans off a wall is scary.

[lars573]

I'd still rather have them on the streets. They're much more effective there. On the walls they are bound to get overrun by the sheer numbers that the enemy can put on the wall.

Spoken like someone who has never had to do it. As Parthia I had to face down a Seleucid attempt to take back Hatra. They had phalanganites greek cav peltasts and a general. Actually they had 4 unit of phalanx pikemen each with a siege weapon. In this case 1 siege tower 2 ladders and a ram. My garrison was my Parthian usual of archers eastern meat shields hillmen and some HA. The archers flamed out the siege tower and the ram and the hillmen destroyed the ladder bearing pikemen. Killed every last one with about 20 casualties between them.

Ah hillmen the Parthian generals best friend in a siege. Good on walls, fast as all hell. Can take it to chariots no problem. The only thing they can't do is pass a brothel, horny bastards .

[Attalus]

Unless your phalanx happens to be a bunch of Spartans. In which case you'll be wishing you could see the looks on the faces of the poor bastards who reach the top of the ladder, and see all these Spartans standing there grinning waiting for them.

LOL

Would they be grinning though? Not very disciplined...grinning!

A couple of Ballista at cross-roads make for good ambushes also!

[Nelson]

Phalanx - are they usefull in defending a sieged city?

I can easely see how to use them in wood walls, and in the gates of a stone one (ho... the beutifull boiling oil) but what about on the walls themselfs, agaist towers and ladders? Will the pikes turn to the side, or will they just point forward to the air?

When I have sent Seleucid militia hoplites unto a wall, their pikes became short spears of the sort triarii and eastern infantry use.

[Arrowhead]

*shudder* The thought of trying to get Spartans off a wall is scary.

It's easy! Foresters, cretens, chosen archers, archer aux...