Phalanxes -- What's the point?

[Vilhjalmr]

I've recently be playing a few battles as the Germanii (instead of my usual favourite, the Britons) and a certain troop type has confused me a bit. I'm talking about the spear warband, of course. They can do that phalanx formation thing, but I'm not very good with it.

So can someone please

- tell me about the advantages of using the formation over turning it off

and

- give me some tips about how to use it properly?

Thanks.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Ok, a phalanx is mostly a defensive weapon more than an offensive one, so the key is to use it defensively. The advantages of a spear warband in phalanx, is that it keeps the enemy further away than with phalanx off. However, since it is one of the weakest types of phalanxes, it's not really Germania's best troops.

As to how to use it well... Well the trouble with all phalanxes is that once they are outflanked, then they are useless, so the first point is to never let you phalank get outflanked, by posting your best troops on the flanks.
If you outnumber the enemy, or are fighting some type of siege battle, try to trap the enemy in the city square with two units of phalanxes coming from either side. Squashed in between two rows of spears, the enemy should die relatively quickly.
Lastly, you could use the Alexander tactic, which was to keep the enemy troops engaged with your spearmen, outflank the enemy with your cavalry, and then hit them in the rear, and they will usually lose pretty quick as long as they don't have anti cavalry bonuses.

Hope that helps!

[Yojimbo]

my post will not show up right

he phalanx is one of the deadliest formation in rtw.

The formation works by having the first few ranks lower their pikes to from a wall of them to stab approaching enemies the next ranks put their at a 45 degree angel to help block arows and the rear ranks keep theirs vertical out of the way.

The idea is to have the spear wall facing the enemy at all times. Anyone approaching the phalanx from the front will take huge casualties, tho if the enemy close close enough the unit will switch to their daggers. You need to use several units in a line with phalanx to make a wall of spears and have the enemy attack you they will run onto the spears and be slaughtered its also extremely deadly vs cavalry if you catch them on the front of the formation. Make sure you turn if off if you need to men to move quickly as they cant run while in phalanx formation. use phalanx to block wall breaches and gates and watch the enemy die in droves against them any narrow area is a great place for a phalanx as the enemy is focused onto their spear points.

The problems with phalanx is that its very slow and that if they are flanked its much harder to win. If the unit is flanked take them off phalanx click to attack the flanking enemy then when the troops turn around put them on phalanx again will make them lower the pikes slaughter the nearest troops and giving them some breathing room to get back in formation.

When you order a phalanx to attack they will usually raise their pikes while Turning so you want to make sure your moving them straight at the enemy and its usually good idea to halt them right in front of the enemy so they brace themselves before the melee and let the enemy charge you. If you have cavalry once the melee starts send your cav around to the enemies rear and charge into the engaged units rear this is almost always an insta-rout.

Phalanx units take skill and experience to use but once you master them there is nothing deadlier. forget about Germaninas other troops once you learn how to use the phalanx you can massacre armies with 2 or 3 or more times your numbers.

there are also different length spears for different phalanx the best being levy pikes that the greeks/selucids have they can aim five ranks of pikes forward and can keep an enemy far away.

[Vilhjalmr]

Thanks guys. Out of curiosity, are there any spear troops that have shorter spears that are not used in the phalanx formation? What about in Barbarian Invasion?

[Yojimbo]

Thanks guys. Out of curiosity, are there any spear troops that have shorter spears that are not used in the phalanx formation? What about in Barbarian Invasion?

check my edited psot i fianly got it sorted.

Spear warbands besidees germainas don't use phalanx and there's quite a few normal spear uses like triaii and in bi there's the garrison troops of the romans i cant remember the name. Carthage has libyan spearmen rome has auxliuia

[Red_Praetoria]

Yes there are many different units that use shorter spears not used in a phalanx. I dont know about the Germans but off the top of my head...Gaulic Warbands, Roman Triarri, Roman auxilia, some Carthaginian spearmen, and many more..Just look in the unit description it will tell you wether the unit can perform a phalanx or not.

In Barbarian Invasion you have Roman Palatina, Roman limintai (sp), steppe spearman,levy spearmen, ect ect just look in the units description.

[Prince_of_Macedon]

Moving to Battle Planning.

[Jackster]

Some spearmen in BI have Schiltrom and Shield Wall. Which are both pretty good too. Shield Wall owns bride battles, as long as you kill the units that are swimming.

[Winter]

There is one and only one way I have seen to effectively use phalanx troops on the offensive. You'll need about four or five units stretched into a long line, about the same size or a bit longer than you think your opponents will be.

Make sure your men are prefectly square with the enemy, then hit CTRL and right click somewhere behind the enemy lines. Doing this while in the phalanx formation will cause your troops to walk into the enemy formation and begin attacking with their spears. This basically pins the enemy units in place, and makes it very easy to use Alexandrian Hammer and Anvil tactics (i.e. flanking/attacking from the rear with cavalry or fast infantry.) This almost always results in a quick and efficient rout.

It takes some practice, but once you get the hand of it, you'll be unstoppable.

[Lord Romanus III]

Not too much else i can say here but, the phalanx should be your best friend when playing as a Phalanx nation. Germania really isn't one but, you should definitely build your armies around them. For early armies I reccomend using 2 General's Bodyguards, 10 Spear Warbands, 4 Axemen, and 4 Peltasts. This is a great early army and should be great for field battles. Use your axemen on the flanks and the peltasts to skirmish/harass your enemies.

[Magno]

phalanx make for the best setlement defence and making a geometric formation makes you unbeatable on the field.

[Legio]

Just not weak phalanxes like militia hops.
Mercenary hops and armored hops are the only kind I use. When playing as Greeks I just bide my time until I can train thses, and then blitz with them!

[RollingWave]

german phalanx are not very useful if only because they're too low on armor. they'll die like lies to missiles.

on the other hand heavy units with Phalanx (Hoplites or Sacred Bands for example) are scary as well.

as other have pointed out, Phalanx end up being more useful in city wars. have them in the alley and it's virtually unbeatable. I've had one Spartan Hoplite group annihilate 500 man by themself in a seige assault!

on the field you need to have enough of them. at the very least 2-3 and idealy 5-6. idealy you want non- Phalanx troops on their flanks. most will do . cavalry and strong swordsman would be more ideal though.

basically just use them as the center of your battle formation. only swordman that are MUCH more heavily armored than your phalanx stand a real chance up front (say.. Urban Cohort of doooom). the AI is usually retarded and just run their troops against the pikes anyway. but against real oppenets this forces them to either engage them with phalanx themself or avoid your center.

[TuuSaR]

Sometimes its better not to have all german spears in same line but to mix them with other units. Army is like a toolbox, idea is to have right tool in every situation when needed without a delay.

Also rookie mistake might be to make too thin spear lines, they really need to be thick.

[Legio]

Yes, skirmishers or axemen on the flanks will work wonders for teh German spear warbands.
Not to mention howling naked fanatics and berserkers.

[Nevski]

I think german spear warband is one their best units, simply because its a phalanx. Although its a defensive unit, if you will come close to enemy he will have no option but to attack your phalanx head on which, as we all know, is suicide.
One german spear warband can kill two britons/gauls warband. Its such a huge advantage for Germania at the beginnig of the game, with some screeching ladies behind them and cavalry on flanks this is what you can do with that:

[TheTrueGreek]

dang, ive never had that good of a day, but i must say the comp must have been taking a few too many of its meds or you camped, no offence but its not believable that you routed that army without losing a single man

[Entropy Judge]

Perfectly believable - defensive bridge battle with Spears on your side, backed up by Screeching Women, with other Fear units (Berserkers/Warhounds) nearby as well, with Fire Arrow Chosen Archers firing into the unshielded side.

[Legio]

Even when the German spear warband is faced by Principes and Triarii it slaughters them all.
My German Campaign Army Early
General
8 Spear Warbands

Late
6 Spear Warbands
1 Berserkers
2 Chosen Archers