phalanx spear angles

**Hooahguy** · 11-19-2007, 19:16

I’ve always wondered this- in RTW the phalanxes have their spears in 0, 45, and 90 degree angles. In EB, its just 90 and 0, IIRC. Why is this? A friend of mine and I were arguing over this a few days ago. He said EB was wrong- the spears are in 3 angles, to stop cavalry better, but I said EB was right. Whos right? Even though I think EB is right, it doesn’t really make sense….
Heres a picture to help show wat i mean-

**Folgore** · 11-19-2007, 19:59

They look the same to me:

RTW:
http://www.g-unleashed.com/files/34_...anx_screen.jpg

EB:
https://img116.imageshack.us/img116/...1battlely1.jpg

The first four lines are at 0 degrees to the ground, the 5th line at about 30 degrees, the 6th line at 60 degrees and the rest at 80 degrees.

**Redmeth** · 11-19-2007, 20:03

I don't think EB changed the phalanx animations, so...

**Admetos** · 11-19-2007, 20:11

I always thought they were the same...

**Stone and Blood** · 11-19-2007, 20:15

Well... anyway, betwen the two pictures that hoahguy14 presented, the right one is the RTW's. After the guy in the front dies, the man before him decreases his spear angle to 0 and moves to the first line, so its easyer to move from 20 to 0 than from 90 to 0 degrees. And the 20 degrees spear's angle helps to defeat cavalry, and sometimes to defend some arrow or spear that would be thrown by the enemies ( i know it's hard to hapen, but its not impossible). So it's better the phalanx use 0, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 degrees than just, 0 and 90.

**cmacq** · 11-19-2007, 20:19

good god....

now its pikey angles
cant we get less about bloody, gyppo-tossers?

**The General** · 11-19-2007, 21:22

Oh god.

I had just forgotten how ugly the RTW vanilla models were. So simple, unrealistic... And, well, ugly.

And, on-topic... I'd reckon one good reason would be fending off cavalry. If presented in with the spears(/sarissae) in multiple angles, the phalanx resembles a bush or thicket of spears, and the horses won't charge into it.

**Moros** · 11-20-2007, 17:56

Originally Posted by Redmeth

I don't think EB changed the phalanx animations, so...

In rtw the phalanx units carried their sarissa's with only one hand, they used their other to hold the shield. While EB's units hold the sarissa's in two hands and have a larger shield strapped on their arms.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 11-20-2007, 18:30

Yeah EB definitely doesn't use Vanilla animations for the pikes. AFAIK it's Alin's we use; anywho: both EB and Vanilla hold at ~0; ~45; ~90 (walking) which is correct.

(The ~45 modus lets the back rows enjoy some kind of "awning like" screen ... against arrows and other nasty things usually flying around on battle fields... )