The Phalanx was an offensive tool as well, but most of its power came from the formation, not simply having a longer "pointed stick," though that helped. In muscle powered combat, it is difficult to get your attack past the shields of an enemy formation, but one proven way to attack them was to literally push the other side backwards. By having so many spears so close, a phalanx is better suited to pushing an enemy back and pushing their formation apart. The phalanx is slow, however, and is likely not to be the arm of decision if faster strike elements are present.

Spear wall v spear wall resulted in few casualties during the combat itself, but if a formation broke from the weight of the push, then that formation was at such a disadvantage that they would often run, thus exposing the flanks of other formations and begetting chain reactions. Most casualties in any "civilized" muscle-era battle were perpetrated upon the fleeing or done by protected missile troops against an opponent with no ability to return fire.

Rome never did manage to regularly defeat a phalanx opponent in the open field, but the flexibility of the manipular formation and the use of missile weapons by almost all of the infantry that could render the primary defensive tool (shield) of the hoplite moot allowed them split seams and cause casualties more effectively than any spear opponent.