I now understand why only a few greek hoplites have the shield wall (elite hoplites and spartans). I didn't get this before and so I decided to give it to all of my hoplites, and now they are tremendously unbalanced against the macedonian phalanxes. What happens is if you put the hoplites on guard mode and on shield wall, as soon as the end of the sarissas get to them, they start inching foreward. It looks like suicide at first but then I realized that my hoplites had only lost 2 people by the time they had pushed through all five rows of spears. What followed was basically a slaughter, because the pezhetairoi are worthless in close combat (as they should be). I have heard before that the romans (I think) had used something similar to this, where the front line would push apart the spear tips with their shields so the men behind could rush in, but if I doubt that it was really this effective. I'm just curious as to what other people's thoughts are on this and if there is a way I can keep my men with shield wall, but not make them uber against phalanxes.