Formation of phalanx

**Svean** · 01-25-2005, 09:53

I wonder if formation of phalanx is correct in the game. I found some pictures describing this formation:

That's greek phalanx unit marching

And that's the same unit in battle formation

During battles phalanx were concetrating and 4 ranks from back were moving between front 4 ranks. So they weren't able to run.
And in RTW nothing like this happends. When phalanx formation is off they just carry their spears pointed at the skys (like during Guagamela battle in "Alexander" movie

).
Is there any historician who can tell how did the phalanx look like??

And there is a link to page where I have found it (it's in Polish

):
http://zolnierze.konieczka.net/

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 01-26-2005, 04:06

Greeks used more of a shield wall, they also thrusted overhand while holding a shield in the other hand, quite odd to think of thrusting overhand. The Macedonians used a much longer pike and thrusted underhand with both hand wwhile having a buckler strapoped to their arm.

**Khorak** · 01-26-2005, 11:16

Was that damn buckler even worth it? Look at it this way, whatever it is, just got past a dozen spears to reach you. Still confident about that buckler? :D

**Kraxis** · 01-26-2005, 14:34

As long as those pikes are, when they are leveled they are not the best protection against arrows and javelins. So the first ranks needed some added protection. Not much but it all helps.
Further, the buckler was not as small as the Levy Pikemen's shield, it was in fact around 60cm in diameter, which is not large but certainly not too small either. So I don't know if I would call it a buckler.
The phalangites were not always used as pikemen, but also as swordsmen and javelineers when the terrain was not for big blocks of pikes. In such cases a shield would be a serious help.
Lastly the shield was strapped to the forearm but it also had a strap up and around the shoulder and neck (just like a shoulderbag), making certain the shield kept facing outwards as well as helping the left arm keeping the pike leveled. Without the strap the pike would become quite heavy for the left arm after a while, but with it a lot of the weight was transferred to the back and neck.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 01-26-2005, 18:12

I had heard about the neck strap but did not understand it completely, thanks for explaining it better.
Any shield is almost always better than no shield and if the buckler was well made and did not break it would be a very valuable tool against other pikes, generally coming from one direction, smaller area to protect. Besides with the longer pike it would be hard to have a full shield.

**Khorak** · 01-27-2005, 03:27

Originally Posted by Kraxis

As long as those pikes are, when they are leveled they are not the best protection against arrows and javelins. So the first ranks needed some added protection. Not much but it all helps.
Further, the buckler was not as small as the Levy Pikemen's shield, it was in fact around 60cm in diameter, which is not large but certainly not too small either. So I don't know if I would call it a buckler.
The phalangites were not always used as pikemen, but also as swordsmen and javelineers when the terrain was not for big blocks of pikes. In such cases a shield would be a serious help.
Lastly the shield was strapped to the forearm but it also had a strap up and around the shoulder and neck (just like a shoulderbag), making certain the shield kept facing outwards as well as helping the left arm keeping the pike leveled. Without the strap the pike would become quite heavy for the left arm after a while, but with it a lot of the weight was transferred to the back and neck.

The RTW one does look a lot more weedy than 60cm....a 60cm one should easily be as long as the forearm of any man with it, and obviously extend in all directions quite significantly. I'll have to go look again now, because I reember the RTW ones being smaller than the length of a mans forearm and quite easily qualifying for the term 'buckler'.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 01-27-2005, 04:08

I think i would call just about any relatively small shield that straps to your arm, leaving your hand free a buckler. Is there any formal definition?

**Kraxis** · 01-27-2005, 04:22

Well the point about this shield is that not only did it have a neckstrap (glad I could help with that one) but it had a similar lining of rope as the aspis. So in a closer melee it could be gripped with the left hand and much more maneuverable.
I can't remember perfectly how the shield was carried on the arm, but it seems like it was carried like the aspis, with a central armhold (sort of 'put-your-arm-through' thing) where you would have your elbow. Thus the hand would extend beyond the edge and be able to grip the pike.
While the aspis had the problem that it would extent a lot of its protective area to the left, the small Illyrian shield would in fact be dead center on the body (you would have to cross the left arm across the body to be able to grip the pike), so you would gain the most from it.

The shields in RTW are indeed tiny, at least in the case of the Levies. The Phlanx Pikemen seem to have more acceptable shield, as do the Silver and Bronze Shields. But I have not done any serious investigation into it.