Problems with Phalanxes

[Korlon]

The computer cheats is the answer to the last part, as for the first...

Well, if a couple of people at the front of the phalanx are using their swords, you can try making them use the pikes by pressing stop or telling them to cease phalanx formation and then form phalanx formation.

[Sarkiss]

yeah, hit backspace they'll reform. do not command an attack it'll screw the formation up.

[duncan.gill]

What do you then do if the enemy charges you obliquely if you can't order your pikes to pivot to face the enemy directly?

[bovi]

Then you rue your poor deployment of troops.

[stupac]

Gotta keep on top of them, always keep those pikes towards the enemy. It can sometimes be a pain considering the AI, at least many times in my experience, will keep trying to flank your phalanxes and it can get old constantly redeploying them. If the enemy is charging my men from the side, sometimes it works to order your phalanx to attack them, they should turn around and present their pikes and advance towards the enemy. Note that you have to give them enough time though, because if the enemy manages to hit them and offset the formation they'll switch to swords. Don't forget to keep more mobile troops like Thureophoroi on your flanks to guard the phalanx. That will should keep them from hitting the phalanx in the sides.

[Digby Tatham Warter]

To prevent the enemy breaking into my pikes(and them switching to sword), in the few situations when the force of the masses can push pikes out of the way, like a city or bridge, I will place a high value(spear is better) melee unit just in front of the pikemen but behind the first 2-3 sarrisa points. Heavy cav/heavy pikes in a city/bridge fight are often the units that can breach the pikewall and cause secondary weapons to come into play, and thus allowing the rest of the enemies units to close in. Another way to defeat this nasty situation is to neatly place one pike block inside another, to double the mass and pointy things, also another pike line(thin will do) behind your front pike formations with it's pike tips just touching their bottems, will do wonders to keep the front formation firmly in place.

Note when placing a unit inside another I usually do it by holding 'space' on the key board, so that I can get one unit to march into the gaps of the other unit for a better fit(they fight better and are less prone to moving out of alignment).

I don't find I have a problem with the AI flanking my pikes. Normally my field armies are 20 units on huge settings. 5-6 are pike units deployed 6-8 deep. 3 elite/strong inf units, plus 2 heavy cav guard each flank. The sheer length of the line usually prevents a problem, unless there are several AI armies at once. If I have say half a stack, I curve my end of line pike blocks backwards.

I also try and keep my pike blocks in line until I am sure the enemy is broken.
One thing for sure pikes need alot of care. The halt button is something I use alot to redress pikes as well as lifting the phalanx formation, re-applying and also pressing halt if I need them to settle quickly.

In some fights if the enemy is just hanging around my Sarrisa points I will lift the pikes for a few secs to draw in the enemy then re-apply it, pressing halt, as this ups the kill rate nicely, and causes very few loses to me(if the timing is right).
In the open field when a pike unit is ordered to attack and isn't fully 'stuck in' I will order the unit to advance to a point behind the enemy and click halt when it has actually closed with the unit it was originally ordered to close with.