Tips on commanding phalanx armies?

**Yossarian** · July 08, 2006, 10:36 PM

I'm playing as the Macedonians and I'm finding myself leaning pretty heavily on any melee infantry mercs I can find and my cavalry, while my pikemen end up doing pretty much nothing because I have no idea how to use them effectively. So...could you guys please give me some help with commanding predominantly phalanx armies?

**Xiaodun** · July 08, 2006, 10:49 PM

Pikes are rather easy to use. Just spread them out in a wide single line (about 5-8 men thick depending on enemy numbers), and flank them with close combat infantry, peltasts and the like, and cavalry. The archers should be in a line just before the phalanx.

When battle commences, just order your army to move somewhere behind the enemy lines, the phalanx will move up, hit the enemy lines, and do good casualties as they have long spears. Meanwhile, your other units should be attempting to flank the enemy army

**Zuwxiv** · July 08, 2006, 11:11 PM

In a city battle, use pikes to keep the enemy at a distance. Keep your men organized so that the phalanx doesn't fall apart, and you can do massive damage to far superior armies.

In the open field, a phalanx isn't going to do that much killing. They are safe from the front, so use them to pin the enemy. Just make a big line with your troops, and try to get the enemy to attack it. Use cavalry and mercenaries on the sides, to protect the flanks. If the enemy attacks your phalanx from the back or sides, you're in trouble.

Once the enemy is fighting the phalanx and your melee infantry on the flanks, use cavalry (or some of the mercenary infantry) to swing around the enemy. Hit them from the sides or from behind (preferably both) as they are fighting your phalanx. Most of them will flee.

It can be hard to get the enemy to engage your phalanx head-on, and you have problems when you send them out individually. If you are attacking the other army, then line your troops up. Then tell them not to attack, but to march nearly toe-to-toe with the enemy. Eventually they will start to fight, and they won't have all fallen apart - they should still be in a line.

Basicly, it's all about flanking the enemy. You can do damage head-on, but what you really want to do is pin the enemy down with the phalanx.

**Erwin Rommel** · July 09, 2006, 02:23 AM

Heres what you do, 1st position them in the corner of the map, you know the very edge when you see the line, position them in a straight line there you can't be outflnk because the enemy can't cross beyond the line, they are force to make a direct assault on your pikes!!!!!

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 09, 2006, 05:08 AM

Move your pikes forward and when they are fighting use your cavalry to flank the enemy.
If you get outflanked use archers or peltasts to flank and save your troops.
In a city cituation use one phalanx to block every road leading to the central plaza then just wait.

**Legionary Jezza** · July 09, 2006, 06:58 AM

In open field have your phalanx formation go into the enwmy and poke them to death lol keep your cavalry on their flanks because if they get attacked on their flanks yout in trouble and inthe city put the phalanx in the centre blocking every way into there and the enemy will just pile up dead infront of your spearman and this will always give you a win but just incase back the spearman up with another phalanxe because sometimes when the enemy puts in a hard charge they can break through and if they do that use your back up phalanx to support your primary phalanx.

**IndianWarElephant** · July 09, 2006, 09:34 PM

Ok , form a box with ur phalanxes , all of them pikes sticking out , keep archers in the middle and a general too to boost morale and fire upon the enemies vollies of arrows . Its pretty effective when the enemy is a large infantry or cavalry army without much skirmishing troops or artillery .
If the enemy has artillery use other tactics mentioned abve !!!

**Legionary Jezza** · July 10, 2006, 12:30 AM

Well actully the box is esy to break if your going against an experianced person or vh AI depending on your dfficulty its up to you h/vh dont use but the rest use it.

**Darth Wong** · July 10, 2006, 12:50 AM

The box is too cheap anyway. Just wait to see if the enemy will attack or hang back. If you have lots of archers and he has a large army, he will usually try to attack you, and he'll take heavy losses on your pikes. Otherwise, you'll have to just run him over with your phalanxes, and rely on lots of heavy cavalry or auxiliary troops to protect your flanks.

**Professor420** · July 10, 2006, 12:57 AM

Alexander taught me alot about using pikes. Spread out your pikes shallow enough that you have a larger line than his, march straight towards the enemy, and send all your cavalry (except your general) around one wing to overwhelm the enemy, while your non-phalanx infantry and your general protect your other wing. I used this 100 or so times during my campaign, and it worked nearly every time. Its alot of micromanaging of your cavalry, making sure they don't get caught by spearmen, and keeping them charging and not getting bogged down in melee. With a long line, it will make it tough for the enemy to flank. And with your long pikes, a frontal attack won't break even the thinnest part of it. If it does, send your general to help out. Your cavalry will be the ones doing the brunt of the work, if they get routed, or the enemy has superior cavalry and you can't roll up a flank of the enemy quickly enough, you're doomed. Get rid of your archers and make sure you have cavalry superiority.

**glorfindel87** · July 10, 2006, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by Professor420

Alexander taught me alot about using pikes. Spread out your pikes shallow enough that you have a larger line than his, march straight towards the enemy, and send all your cavalry (except your general) around one wing to overwhelm the enemy, while your non-phalanx infantry and your general protect your other wing. I used this 100 or so times during my campaign, and it worked nearly every time. Its alot of micromanaging of your cavalry, making sure they don't get caught by spearmen, and keeping them charging and not getting bogged down in melee. With a long line, it will make it tough for the enemy to flank. And with your long pikes, a frontal attack won't break even the thinnest part of it. If it does, send your general to help out. Your cavalry will be the ones doing the brunt of the work, if they get routed, or the enemy has superior cavalry and you can't roll up a flank of the enemy quickly enough, you're doomed. Get rid of your archers and make sure you have cavalry superiority.

Just me, but that is a bad idea. The long line is good, especially if you keep them together and in a line. Relying on your cavalry to win every battle is a bad idea, as is relying on your infantry to win its battle on the flanks, especially as the greeks and Macedoneans have poor, if any melee troops, and you'll be going against troops with heavy infantry. Relying on barbarian mercenaries to beat chosen axemen, chosen swordsmen, and Legionary Cohorts is a poor idea. If you are the Selucids, screw this post, because your cavalry will win every battle, your infantry will win almost every battle, and your pikemen will win almost every battle. But, for those using the Greeks. Use the long line. Try to keep your cavalry alive and fresh, and away from their cavalry unless your pikemen's flanks are threatened. Have archers, and have them all focus on the center of the enemy line. Slowly advance, and IF they manage to envelope your flanks with their infantry, hit their infantry in the rear with your cavalry.

**Professor420** · July 10, 2006, 08:35 PM

As honestly Alexander (which I recently beat on VH/VH in 32 turns) was my first foray into phalanx armies (I generally don't like their lack of mobility and maneuverability), my tactics may be very tailored to the expansion pack (including having a unit of unstoppable Alexander companions), as well as designed for maximum shock with minimal losses (which can sometimes backfire, especially against human opponents). I definately haven't tested my methods with other factions, but next time I boot up RTW for a game or two I'll try it out.
But the idea of the long line is so their chosen swordsmen and legionarries aren't able to attack your flanks, without a long sprint or a risk of being enveloped by pikemen. Obviously you can do little to stop them with your normal infantry, the idea is to get behind their army and start routing them before they do the same to you. And if you cavalry is battling their cavalry for too long, or get held up by spearmen, or are routed themselves, you're screwed. But as long as you come prepared and can overwhelm their cavalry, whats the problem with relying on your cavalry to win the battle? Phalanxes are just so slow and boring for me.

**glorfindel87** · July 10, 2006, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by Professor420

As honestly Alexander (which I recently beat on VH/VH in 32 turns) was my first foray into phalanx armies (I generally don't like their lack of mobility and maneuverability), my tactics may be very tailored to the expansion pack (including having a unit of unstoppable Alexander companions), as well as designed for maximum shock with minimal losses (which can sometimes backfire, especially against human opponents). I definately haven't tested my methods with other factions, but next time I boot up RTW for a game or two I'll try it out.
But the idea of the long line is so their chosen swordsmen and legionarries aren't able to attack your flanks, without a long sprint or a risk of being enveloped by pikemen. Obviously you can do little to stop them with your normal infantry, the idea is to get behind their army and start routing them before they do the same to you. And if you cavalry is battling their cavalry for too long, or get held up by spearmen, or are routed themselves, you're screwed. But as long as you come prepared and can overwhelm their cavalry, whats the problem with relying on your cavalry to win the battle? Phalanxes are just so slow and boring for me.

As I said, long lines are good, just play your other troops back, that way you aren't left with just pikemen vs cavalry and melee infantry.

**Legionary Jezza** · July 11, 2006, 01:10 AM

Well the box isn't affective against roman soldiers such as urbans.

**Darth Wong** · July 11, 2006, 09:28 AM

Rather than use a box, refuse both flanks if you're on defense (meaning that you swing a portion of your line back 30 or 45 degrees). That allows you to shelter cavalry and missile troops behind your line with reasonable protection against flanking because you have short interior lines of travel and can quickly strike any troops which attempt to flank (it also helps to keep some infantry in reserve behind the line for this purpose). It also allows you to quickly reconfigure your troops into a straight line for an advance if necessary, by swinging both refused flanks back out.

**Legionary Jezza** · July 11, 2006, 09:40 AM

If your attacking you could try an attacking buffalo formation which is my own. here is how it goes.

Dont have them in phalanx charge the enemy head on and with the "horns" close in around the enemy and activate phalanx on all units you will kill them wil ease.

**Holger Danske** · July 11, 2006, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Hitman Blood Money

If your attacking you could try an attacking buffalo formation which is my own. here is how it goes.

Dont have them in phalanx charge the enemy head on and with the "horns" close in around the enemy and activate phalanx on all units you will kill them wil ease.

That formation would get butched, if the oppent have brains.. A phalanx should always be one long line of pikes. Your flanking is done by cavalry and light infantry/skirmishers. A long like of pikemen only has one downside.. its flanks.. lone units, such as your formation surgets, are dead men. And the "horn" formation will only work, if your enemy has inferior numbers, and next to no cavalry.

Might work againt the crappy AI.. But I would love to some one pull this off in a multiplayer game.

In short.
Keep your phalanx in one long/deep line, and use your cavalry / light infantry to win the battle.

**Darth Wong** · July 11, 2006, 11:21 AM

Indeed. If someone has such a numerical advantage that he can actually use this "buffalo formation" (which necessarily requires that your own line is much wider than the enemy's line), then victory is virtually assured unless you're completely incompetent or your troops are of absolutely horrendous quality. It doesn't seem like much of a strategy to me. The refused-flank defensive formation, on the other hand, is useful when you are outnumbered; any strategy can work when you outnumber the enemy.

**glorfindel87** · July 11, 2006, 09:05 PM

The only problem with refused flank, box, and other complex strategies is that usually, at least for me, they just sit and wait, making those tactics annoyingly worthless.

**Darth Wong** · July 12, 2006, 01:55 AM

Originally Posted by glorfindel87

The only problem with refused flank, box, and other complex strategies is that usually, at least for me, they just sit and wait, making those tactics annoyingly worthless.

They sit and wait when the odds are even or in your favour. If they have a significant tactical advantage, they will generally attack. And really, what fun is a battle in RTW against the computer if he doesn't enjoy a significant advantage in numbers?

Also keep in mind that the AI likes to line up its formation before attacking, so 90% of the enemy army will often be standing still for quite a while as the last stragglers get into position, before they attack. So even if they're going to attack, it might look like they're just standing there for a while. If anybody on the other side is still moving, be patient.