Short Pike or Long Pike?

[Renco]

When you give a unit phalanxe, it seems you can also give it long pikes or short pikes. Could someone please explain what the differences are, or if their are any other choices. All input is appreciated.

I'm also sorry if this is a modding question, but it seems more like general stuff to me.

[_TubbZ_]

In general long pikes have less armour and are actually proper pikeman units. Whereas the short ones seem to be hoplites rather than pikemen. So it depends on what you want to mimmick in historical sence.

Also short pikes always have smaller units and better armour than pikemen do when it comes to vanilla rome...

[Prince_of_Macedon]

Short Pikes (i.e. Sacred Band Spearmen, Armoured Hoplites) are far superior to Long Pikes (i.e. Royal Pikemen, Silver Shield Pikemen, Bronze Shields, etc).

[Korlon]

Short pikes have spears that are 3-4 meters long. Long pikes have sarissas that are around 6 meters long. Anything else such as armor values are just what the game makes of it and is not affected by short pike/long pike values. In a head-on match with units of equal strength, the longer pikes will win just because they can actually hit their opponents from a longer distance.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Different for different situations. Because the long pikes have longer spears, they are even harder to maneuver than the small pikes.

[Prince_of_Macedon]

Short pikes have spears that are 3-4 meters long. Long pikes have sarissas that are around 6 meters long. Anything else such as armor values are just what the game makes of it and is not affected by short pike/long pike values. In a head-on match with units of equal strength, the longer pikes will win just because they can actually hit their opponents from a longer distance.

In R:TW (vanilla), the shorter pike units (like Armoured Hoplites and Sacred Band spearmen) will absolutely destroy any of the longer pike units. Having a longer pike means nothing for the cream of the crop units unless they're fighting against crap units like Hoplites, Militia Hoplites, etc.

[HeroSK]

Agree with Prince. Hoplite units are more powerful then pikes and it is possible to break pikemen line with hoplites. Also, I think pikemen advantage lies in numbers not in longler spears.

[QRS]

I find that whichever unit is attacking will always lose. Pikemen will lose to defending hoplites and vice versa.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

QRS, I see a lot of posts by you, and I know this is what new forumers usually do to get their post count up, but please don't restart threads that have been dead for months like this one.

[Praetorian Quintus]

Well , what if he doesn't know that. I mean if he is in fact lazy enough not to look up the subject( no offense mind you) then why not post? If it has been posted before someone give him a link.

[Scutarii]

He's done the same in at least two other threads. Obviously looking for post count....

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Yes like I said. I never thought it was that much of a bother to take a look at the date of the last post...

[Praetorian Quintus]

I see your point now about his post, sorry bout that, I thought you were talking about the original poster until I saw QRS

[General Decius]

Like Already said the norm is (Longer pikes=bigger numbers/less armour)(Shorter=Less numbers better armour) Longer Pikes < Shorter Pikes

[Lord Thesaurian]

short pikes r hoplites, longs are pikes. pikemen have less armor but have longer spears, holites have more armor but shorter spears. its a matter of preference in my opinion.

[aznflea]

im curious as to whether it is the mechanics behind the long pike that makes it weak or just the lack of armor.