Phalangite melee effectiveness

[Dath1]

How effective are phalangite units in regular melee, without forming the phalanx? Are they just as effective as their attack value suggests, or do they take some hidden nerf when fighting with just swords?

[odyseusz79]

1. You can test it yourself. Disable phalanx and ALT-RClick on an enemy unit. Your phalangites will attack using their secondary weapon.

2. You can look it up in the files. The unit's in-game info sheet tells you nothing about the phalangites' sword stats - you only see the stats for one melee weapon - in this case the phalangite spear. RTW also uses the "lethality" stat for weapons, and the in-game info sheet tells you nothing about the lethality of either the spear or the sword.

3. Other people may know more, but my guess is that it's the phalanx formation that gives a bonus, rather than its lack being somehow "nerfed." So, an out-of-formation phalanx unit forced to fight with their swords will probably just perform as well as a sword infantry unit. Then again, since it IS a phalanx, maybe the unit is heavier, so it can push better etc. All things you can look up in the files.

[Crymson]

Phalanx pikemen currently have inflated defense and shield stats, making them far more effective in out-of-formation melee than they should be. When playing 2.5, I have always reduced those stats to realistic levels; pikemen, being lightly armored, wearing a puny shield, and carrying a puny sword, would get massacred in such a fight against other heavy infantry.

[Darth Bane1]

Oh bad idea... Phalanx units should get not out of the phalanx. This is horrible. Against good infantry, they don't have a chance. I saw it everytime I fought enemy phalanxes or mine in some situations nearly broke... Half of the formation gets destroyed and there you have a massacre.

[Searry]

Always avoid fighting Phalanxes head on and destroy them with missiles from the flanks, or the rear if you're lucky. The AI almost never manages to build a proper army which could support these formations.