Quote Originally Posted by JMRC
2. If you accept question 1, then which units should be able to make schiltrom? I reckon that only the "barbarian" factions should use them, because roman and hellenistic factions relied on disciplined formations. In this case, I believe that only barbarian units with Discipline "low" or "normal" and Training "untrained" or "trained" should make schiltrom, because the others should be better used in the shieldwall.
Why should the schiltrom only be a formation for undiscipilined troops? As you mentioned it very natural and useful sometimes. Actually Sallust mentions one occassion in the Jugurthine war when Roman soldiers formed a schiltrom like formation when beeing ambushed and encircled.

Bellum Jugurthinum 97:
Neither valor nor armor gave any real security, our men were outnumbered by their enemy and surrounded on every side. At last the Romans [whose knowledge, as a body, of war, was increased by the present mixture of] veterans and recruits, formed in rings, as chance, or the nature of the ground threw them together, and being in this way sheltered and in good order on every side, beat off the enemy's attack.