Question on pikes.

[Cambion]

Hi,

I am starting a campaign with a successor-faction. My question is how to use pikes correctly in DEI?

Every time I give an attack, charge or shift-advance command pikes immidiately expose their flanks and suffer flanking attacks no matter how tight I keep them to one another. So do I just advance to the enemy, let him charge and defend with my pikes until he is tired and attack then? Historically speaking pikes were an offensive force, except maybe against other pikes, but they mowed through persian infantry for example.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Oh and I looked at all those YouTube Videos. Sorry to say: Really not helpful.

[KAM 2150]

Just leave them in place and they send them forward when enemy is very tired/exhausted. It takes some time for theam, but overal pikes will be the most brutal if kept in place and intact from the flanks.

[GourmetGorilla]

I like to put my pikes in a normal line, not stretched thin or anything. Next, I use the arrow keys to space them out evenly like a Roman Simplex Acies. I put them in phalanx when the enemy closes, and attack units that approach head on. Now, the enemy line will not attack completely head-on. They will have some units moving perpendicularly, or diagonally. Naturally, most of these units will not get to your line as quickly as the ones running straight at you, so don't attack these with pikes, but rather attack the ones that approach first straight-on. The only opportunities to flank should be small gaps, not large enough for an entire enemy unit to slip through. The few that do will be no match for your reserves, so use those wisely. That's about it for pike offense. If you want, I could make a couple screenshots of what this looks like in action.

[Cambion]

Thanks for the help, but I think I have it under control. The pikes in the center get flanked no matter what I do, even standing still, doesnt seem to bother them much so. The other thing is that they actually need some time to get organized. Have to go into phalanx mode earlier and stop moving sooner. Pretty realistic actually.