How best to use phalanx

[FOR GONDOR]

what is the best way to ustalize the pikemen in this game, Ive tested them in custom battles, but they don't seem to hold back the enemy, and pike vs pike just pushes the units into each other. and Phalanx units are they supposed to be offensive or defense as in real life they were offense

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

I think you're best off placing your Hoplites and Phalanx in guard mode and leaving them that way. This encourages them to stay closely knit together without breaking the formation.

M2TW pikemen used to be pretty good. I dunno how EB2 has re-modelled them, since I've yet to use them or encounter them on the field.

[Wulfburk]

I use two phalangitai units in my armies. They are meant to advance near the enemy and then await their charge. They then pin down succesfully a good number of enemy units, usually four or even more of the enemy, which allows flanking manouvers by my other troops.

And yeah, use guard mode, and dont right click in the enemy, as in dont give an attack order for the phalangitai. Halt them before the enemy charges, and leave them be in the fighting. THey will hold their ground then.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Yes, historically every phalanx army had some sort of hammer & anvil deployment, whether with cavalry or sword troops. Historical landsknecht pikemen always had lots of arquebusiers and swordsmen with them, to serve as a hammer. While the historical Hellenistic phalanx had thureophoroi, Celtic mercenaries, and lots and lots of cavalry.

[LusitanianWolf]

I prefer more mobile and versatile units but when I do use phalangitai units (usually pandotapoi or misthophoroi) they do their job pretty well. I do use them like a moving wall of pikes, keep all your pike units grouped together and moving as a single unit in the direction of the enemy. Like Wulfburk said don't order them to attack, just walk them into where you want them to stand or even behind the enemy line so they push the enemy. Just be careful not to break formation, to keep their flanks protected and to have a "hammer" ready to finish off your foe!

Still, news are that phalangitai units will have improved mass in EB2.35 so they might be more powerful in future versions of the mod.

[LusitanianWolf]

PS: just don't do like I did in a previous Pontic campaign and start chasing hayastan's armies through their own mountain with phalangite based armies. XD

[tentaku]

M2TW pikemen used to be pretty good. I dunno how EB2 has re-modelled them, since I've yet to use them or encounter them on the field.

I agree haha. The Scots Royal Pikemen from M2TW was so deadly and satisfying to watch if you disabled their secondary weapon. EB2 Phalanx definitely looks much better and more like a phalanx, but fighting mechanism wise is much weaker compared to the M2TW pikemen.

[BailianSteel]

Phalangitai also eat projectiles pretty well. If you're going up against a force that's heavy on ranged forces (not necessarily skirmishers, they could be Celts or Romans,) you could advance your phalangitai to soak up their projectiles and engage them or scatter them, sparing a lot of pain for your vulnerable, vulnerable swordsmen.