It was a siege, the AI sallied. Because they had a 5-3 numerical advantage I thought the best strategy was to deploy my phezetharoi in one long phalanx parked straight before the entrance. It did a fine job keeping a huge blob of those botroas (?) at pike point but the gastaete went around it.

Otherwise I do actively skirmish. I use at least 2 units of slingers, toxotai and akontisoi each in a typical army plus 3 or 4 peltasts. Much more entertaining then just using half a stack of pezhetaroi and rolling over the enemy.