phalanx maneuvering

**Djurre** · 10-10-2006, 15:17

When i want to attack a town square with my phalanx units. i find it impossible to make good use of them. all they do is twist and turn, en get charged when they brake formation. its so frustrating. is there a solution?

**Avicenna** · 10-10-2006, 15:46

Only walk forwards...

Also, rain arrows on them. Preferrably fire arrows. That way you should be able to walk through the gate undisturbed.

**NeoSpartan** · 10-10-2006, 15:50

Well phalanxes take a lot of MICROmanagment. Plus the AI in the townsquare will charge at you once your units crosses the flag, and will usually charge your weakest units.

For some reason phalanx units when in TIGHT don't automatically form a phalanx, instead they "re-organise again" (moving & twisting in the same spot). To avoid this, make sure the soldiers have had enough time to get in thier respective positions, then tell ur phalanx unit to form a phalanx BEFORE walking past the flags, that way they get any "re-organisation" done BEFORE walking past the flags. Once u see that they don't "re-organise", THEN send them past the flags. (The second u do the AI will charge you)

**Djurre** · 10-10-2006, 16:02

i tried positioning the phalanx wide behand the flags, but when they cross as a phalanx, they suddely ad ranks making the unit smaler, and thus getting flanked by the enemy generals cavalry. crappy little phalanx units....

edit: and EB just crashed after taking a roman city.

**NeoSpartan** · 10-10-2006, 16:13

Originally Posted by Djurre

i tried positioning the phalanx wide behand the flags, but when they cross as a phalanx, they suddely ad ranks making the unit smaler, and thus getting flanked by the enemy generals cavalry. crappy little phalanx units....

edit: and EB just crashed after taking a roman city.

Don't just click "Attack" on the enemy unit, instead, POSITION your phalanx in the formation you want them to be. Once they walk past the flags in phalax formation, and stop moving (the AI is now charging at u), press "HOLD" so that all units bring down thier pikes/spears. (sometimes, they hold them up for some reason)

OR just walk past the flags in normal, then stop soon after and press "Phalanx Formation".

Oh and your PC crashing, after taking the Roman City, it happens its a bug in .74v. (I encountered when attacking Rome). If it keeps happening, just siege the City and wait for the AI to send an Army to relieve the City. Once the battle starts, make sure not 1 of the garrison soldiers that come out to fight lives.

**Tuuvi** · 10-13-2006, 04:05

Yea, Phalanxes kinda suck for siege battles. What I do is turn phalanx off and have them charge at the enemy barbarian style. Probably not the best tactic, but it works for me.

**Pelopidas** · 10-13-2006, 15:41

It depends...in street fights, phalanx in very dense formation can make wonders.
They can also guard a door or the flag.

Personnaly, my other units are only there for opening the gates, once this is done, the phalanx finish the job, and they make this quite well, in street fights, the ennemy can't outflank you or win via number.

**pezhetairoi** · 10-13-2006, 16:52

I usually use phalanxes in conjunction with missile units, preferably ones with some hope of actually killing an enemy unit. Taking my play as the Romani for example, I always position my triarii just off the square, across a narrow street, or diagonally across a cross-junction, in phalanx mode. Important thing is for there to be a good field of fire from the streets onto the square. Then I bring up my accensii (they are silver/gold chevroned so they have good killing power) just behind the triarii, and pelt the townsquare unit with slingshots. They will automatically come up and hit your phalanx. This is the part where I unleash the cavalry that I've kept in reserve out of sight on the other side of the townsquare from the triarii, so that they can charge straight into the rear of the square garrison, crossing and occupying the square at the same time so that the charge will a) push the enemy off the square, where the moment he routs, you have the victory and can end the battle, or b) at least make sure he can't return fully on the square after breaking off contact with your phalanx. That's the last thing you want him to do, since your phalanx is supposed to keep him occupied, failing which your cavalry will get chased.

This works for most battles, but in some city configurations there is no clear field of fire, so you will have to accept some losses.

**NeoSpartan** · 10-13-2006, 18:08

Originally Posted by pezhetairoi

I usually use phalanxes in conjunction with missile units, preferably ones with some hope of actually killing an enemy unit. Taking my play as the Romani for example, I always position my triarii just off the square, across a narrow street, or diagonally across a cross-junction, in phalanx mode. Important thing is for there to be a good field of fire from the streets onto the square. Then I bring up my accensii (they are silver/gold chevroned so they have good killing power) just behind the triarii, and pelt the townsquare unit with slingshots. They will automatically come up and hit your phalanx. This is the part where I unleash the cavalry that I've kept in reserve out of sight on the other side of the townsquare from the triarii, so that they can charge straight into the rear of the square garrison, crossing and occupying the square at the same time so that the charge will a) push the enemy off the square, where the moment he routs, you have the victory and can end the battle, or b) at least make sure he can't return fully off the square after breaking off contact with your phalanx. That's the last thing you want him to do, since your phalanx is supposed to keep him occupied, failing which your cavalry will get chased.

This works for most battles, but in some city configurations there is no clear field of fire, so you will have to accept some losses.

Hum... I will definitely give this a try on my next siege, sounds like a great idea.

**pezhetairoi** · 10-14-2006, 02:43

Beware, though, tempting the enemy unit requires you be able to kill at least one of the members of the units to lure him off the square. Therefore you will need missile units with killing power. Archers are therefore out of the question unless you're dealing with low-armour troops, or you have a lot of them (like the 7 units I clustered around the town square playing as Baktria once). Showering him with ineffectual missiles is just a waste of ammo and time, you might as well charge onto the square and fight to the death. Depending on the quality of the captain/general, he may charge you with his first loss, or he may just keep repositioning himself on the square until such time he feels he's lost too many and must attack.