Phalanx Tactical Assistance

[LuciferM]

Hi.

Most of the time when I play RTW my tactics tend to include a lot of abusing the enemy with missiles and then running them over with various heavy infantry units (or just running them over with heavy infantry if I can't get any missiles to use). Thus I'm leaning a lot towards Rome, Bosporus, Sparta and the barbarian factions. I recently tried my hand at playing as Macedon and the Seleucid Empire, and discovered that I completely blow with trying to use the phalanx properly as my instincts tell me to start throwing anything that says [Heavy Infantry] in the name at the bad guy ranks. Do you guys have any tips and tactics that I should know when using the famous phalanx?

[Alavaria]

That's what the successors did. However it doesn't work in game, and didn't in reality either.

The trick is you generally want the enemy to attack you, and when they're on the pikes, you flank with something in the style pioneered by Phillip of Macedon. I like using slingers.

[LoGaL]

you need some non phalanx units to cover the flanks/ stop cavalry charges , then you pin down the enemy line with phalanx and charge from the back with cavalry/ shoot them from the back with missiles

[ur-Lord Tedric]

The most important thing to do with phalanxes (and it works in Rome2 as well) - is often not appreciated by players as they are such aggressive beings.

You don't actually 'fight' with the phalanx. What you do is march them towards and 'through' the enemy (keeping them in Guard mode). Set your formation and then set them to march to a point 'behind' the enemy. When contact happens, however, stop those next to them if the line will end up fragmented.

Their impetus and the 'weight' factors will help push them through the lines. You need additional troops to enable such a break through as well as defend the flanks.

[romanius24]

That method is the best way to use the Phalanx in the game.
If used correctly you end up pinning the enemy while they are advancing(before their charge).