Question with phalanx units

**HotFrosty** · April 09, 2011, 03:15 PM

Hi, this is my first post ever on the twcenter forums, but I had been lurking around for quite a while.

Anyway, I have a question about the phalanx units. It seems that whenever I attack with a hoplite or other "phalanx" unit they simply pull out their swords and fight with them, effectively defeating the whole purpose of having the spears. I'm wondering if something is wrong or if this is supposed to happen. Any help would help.

**dragoon47** · April 09, 2011, 03:17 PM

they need to be in phalanx formation. you need to not alt-click or try alt-clicking to make sure they have their spears out.

**Dramatic Cat** · April 09, 2011, 03:20 PM

uhhh

Are your units in phalanx formation? If not well.. its umm... a bit obvious that they wont attack with their sarissae.

**HotFrosty** · April 09, 2011, 03:25 PM

How do you ensure that they are in phalanx formation? The pike units seem to work fine but with the spear units they charge into battle with swords. The AI also seems to use swords when handling hoplite units.

**dragoon47** · April 09, 2011, 03:29 PM

try alt-clicking...

**Dramatic Cat** · April 09, 2011, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by HotFrosty

How do you ensure that they are in phalanx formation? The pike units seem to work fine but with the spear units they charge into battle with swords. The AI also seems to use swords when handling hoplite units.

You can put put pikemen on phalanx using 'F'

Wait.

Spear units are spear units

And pikemen are pikemen. Only pikemen can form phalanx. And they fight with their sarissae until the enemy is right next to them.

Spear units dont form phalanx, and i dont know on what depends them using their spears or their swords.

**HotFrosty** · April 09, 2011, 03:34 PM

The way the battles work out is usually that the hoplites charge in with swords and after about 10 seconds pull out spears and fight, but the men in front still use swords. I'm play rsII on a completely clean install of RTW 1.5

**dragoon47** · April 09, 2011, 03:50 PM

Try alt-right clicking...

It's the only way they change to swords. They are more inclined to pull out spears if they are in a close formation. right-clicking makes them use their spears, if it doesn't, alt-right click, it's that simple.

**Chris Death** · April 09, 2011, 04:25 PM

If you want to use a phalanx for attacking simply put them in phalanx mode turn off guard mode
and right click behind the enemy unit you want to attack.

Off course no need to send them all over the place in phalanx mode - just turn on phalanx a few
meters before they hit the enemy unit.

~S~ CD

**Chris Death** · April 09, 2011, 04:45 PM

Well in the first post it says:

whenever I attack with a hoplite or other "phalanx" unit they simply pull out their swords

.

So the phalanx units were definitely mentioned there besides that most hoplites (if not all) aren't phalanx units in RS2 if i remember
correctly (dunno anymore didn't play it for a while now).

~S~ CD

**Pe Ell** · April 10, 2011, 01:19 PM

Yes, hoplites aren't phalanx units, nor do they have the phalanx ability. Normally what happens is that they use swords against infantry units, and spears against cavalry. This is because swords are better in close combat while spear give an advantage against mounted. If you want to force your hoplites to use the other weapon in a certain situation you need to use the alt-key and attack, similair as when you switch archers or other ranged units between using their ranged weapon and their close combat weapon. This is also quite helpful for when your heavy (or non-missile) cavalry is engaged in melee to make them use their close combat weapon, swords or clubs or whatever it is.

**DarthLazy** · April 11, 2011, 01:10 PM

You cant do anything. Alt Right click makes them chrage and fight with swords. If you attack normally, front ranks fight with swords, back with spears

**Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze** · April 11, 2011, 01:13 PM

God, not this again (not referring to the thread, of course, but to the discussion of the word "phalanx")
Pe Ell uses the term correctly; you guys just understand him wrongly.
Phalanx = any tight-packed infantry formation, mostly with spears
Hoplite Phalanx = any tight-packed Greek infantry formation with spears
Sarrissa Phalanx = Macedonian loosely packed formation with 6 meter-long spears

Clear now?

**Ferdiad** · April 12, 2011, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze

God, not this again (not referring to the thread, of course, but to the discussion of the word "phalanx")
Pe Ell uses the term correctly; you guys just understand him wrongly.
Phalanx = any tight-packed infantry formation, mostly with spears
Hoplite Phalanx = any tight-packed Greek infantry formation with spears
Sarrissa Phalanx = Macedonian loosely packed formation with 6 meter-long spears

Clear now?

Yes.Although its much clearer if people fefine what phalanx they're referring to.

**Pe Ell** · April 13, 2011, 08:08 AM

Bulletproof got it right, they are of course all phalanxes. Define what type of phalanx is something I will think about for the future. I was trying to help clear things up and instead I seem to have made it messier.

My apologies.

**Chris Death** · April 13, 2011, 10:39 AM

Nah no need to since when talking about RTW and phalanx it is definitely clear
what is the talk about when it comes to functionality of such phalanxes imho.

~S~ CD

**Ferdiad** · April 13, 2011, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Chris Death

Nah no need to since when talking about RTW and phalanx it is definitely clear
what is the talk about when it comes to functionality of such phalanxes imho.

~S~ CD

With vanilla sure, with mods that have realistic hoplies you should probaly mention what type of phalanx it is or use it in context that leaves no doubt like if your talking about a clearly hoplite unit.

**Chris Death** · April 13, 2011, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Ferdiad

With vanilla sure, with mods that have realistic hoplies you should probaly mention what type of phalanx it is or use it in context that leaves no doubt like if your talking about a clearly hoplite unit.

I cannot agree on that - we all know what is meant when one is talking about phalanx formation in RTW.
Be it in vanilla or in a mod; it's those spear units which can be turned into phalanx mode by the
'f' button or by clicking onto the special ability button.

Everything else is being a "smart south end of a person who is looking to the north".

~S~ CD

**Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze** · April 14, 2011, 12:36 PM

I cannot agree on that - we all know what is meant when one is talking about phalanx formation in RTW.
Be it in vanilla or in a mod; it's those spear units which can be turned into phalanx mode by the
'f' button or by clicking onto the special ability button.

Disagreed - when I speak about a "phalanx" in RTW, especially in mods, I can (and will) also use it to refer to regular (Greek) spearmen.