awesome undefeatable!

I use this tactic very often when I'm outnumbered or the enemy has another army of reinforcements.

This tactic really works well against factions with no archers. They are left with no option but to attack you.

Keep in mind, tactic won't work so well if you're fighting predominating archer army or are the attacker. I find this tactic works well mostly defending

I think it would be a good idea to have some archers or the like inside the phalanx formation. Sometimes the AI needs some "encouragement" to attack the front of a phalanx.

This formation is also a little dangerous if your enemy has a large amount of onagers...

But overall it's a very good strat, i use a strat very similar to this.

cretan archers make best, i use them like this so often

It works with non phalanx troops, too.
Perhaps you should gather all these threads into the 'war doctrine'- threads like these that focus on a certain aspect of the game, such as how to use a phalanx. Obviusly, we'd have to make these threads, put as many strats in for each aspect as possible...
May I also submit the 'sponge line'-
Set up in a line. Let the enemy come towards you.
When an enemy unit hits one unit of the line, march the units that are free that are next to it forward a step, then charge into the flank. Obviusly, you'll have to variate this if you have enemies attacking more than one unit side by side in the line. Take each unit one at a time. I'll do teh pics, one day, too.

I prefer doing an octagonal formation of pure phalanxes.

but it is vulnerable to enemy missiles because of the exposed backs of the rear flanks. even so, they only cause relatively few casualties.

the octagonal formation can never be defeated w/o enemy missiles.

ccsantos :: Thanx bud! Ya, the archer thing. Let me produce something for you guys.

As I said before, advice and ideas are always welcome. I like to create these, and they dont take that long to do, so I can make them to suit your ideas.

I'm a Beaver :: One sec...

EOJ :: One day my friend, one day. I fear my version of a strat guide would be like 100 pages long...

Here we go. As requested.

Unde

I mostly use the last formation. I have one question though, how deep should the defensive line be?
I always use a 3-men-deep defensive line/unit to allow a wider defensive line.

And oh, how the hell do you ATTACK with phalanx? I can't lure the enemy to attack me even with archers. They'll give it a shot 2-3 times but then they'll just stop trying...

This would not work with multi-player. With multiplayer, phlanxes either need to be a huge thin line(which doesn't work as they crush a portion of it) or a circle. The circle is what I usually do. You just put all missile in it. THe prob is art and enemy missiles. THey'll crush you. Therefore the head on most effective unit in the game is utterly worthless in multiplayer do to its inflexibility. Unde has good tactics for single player though.

[This message has been edited by TotalWarFanatic (edited 05-23-2006 @ 08:30 PM).]

Well I think those archers are maybe harder to use than it may seem. 6 units of heavy cavalry is pretty troubling, although you can have elephants/camels/chariots which pretty much solve it.

But yes, archers (if high on numbers) are big problem.

And I think that by "field battle" was ment no onagers.

...i'm positive I've typed something like this up around this site...

anyway it works very well...

You can also "swing" your flanks phalanx around on a 180 degree when the fight is going your way - i don't know how to illustrate this but I'm sure UNDE knows what I'm talking about.

Yes- the double envelope. Use it often to finish battles.

DonRaphael :: To answer your question, I would keep your Hoplite lines at least 3 man deep. Personally, I always keep them at least 4 man deep. Thiner lines break faster, so thicker is better.

Heres an example of a 4 man line.

And here is an example of 5 man lines.

Enjoy.

Yeah, if you've got huge unit settings, 5 man deep is good. Large? 4. Medium? 3. Small? 2. That's what I do at least.

^Pretty much. It also depends on the current battle situation. I've gone like 10 man deep before.

This one is 8.

[This message has been edited by Undefeatable (edited 05-24-2006 @ 11:59 AM).]

unde,

just make an orb phalanx formation :P multiple armies attacking you just can't break 'em

[added]

what also works well is setting up this kind of formation near a tree line...hide the cavalry or quick moving infantry to ambush the enemy from behind while they engage the phalanx. "horseshoe" shape is what I'll poorly call it :P

[This message has been edited by ccsantos (edited 05-24-2006 @ 02:12 PM).]

Further to TotalwarFanatic's post about putting phalanx units in a circle. When I play as Greece and have access to armoured hoplites I often use the circle method and it works really well against most enemies.

The tactic I use against armies that have several archer or peltast units is slightly different, however. For instance if I have an army made up of nine units of armoured hoplites I use six units to create a hexagon but put the three units furthest away from the enemy to face the same direction as those at the front. I then place the spare three units in the middle of the hexagon so that the whole army is facing forward.

When the approaching enemy archers begin to fire this formation greatly reduces the casualties. If some units go around the sides to attack the back of the formation then I move the inward facing units slightly towards the enemy so they are now pointing their spears in the right direction. You will still get casualties but hopefully they are less than they would otherwise be.

The three units in the centre are used to reinforce any potential breaches and if the enemy AI stops and does not attack as they sometimes do after they have used all their arrows or javelins I move one of the centre units out to attack the nearest enemy unit and then back into the circle. The AI usually then attacks with it's whole army which will then usually rout.

This might be an obvious tactic to use but I hope someone finds it useful.

ccsantos and Jokus Maximus :: Both of what you guys are talking about are completely different Tactics all together. And worry not, for I have plans for what you both mentioned. Coming soon...

Oh, and if anyone wants to see how NOT to do a phalanx circle, go to battle pic thread 3 and my last entery.

The key to pahalnx's with me is too have units on the sideto guard them. One reaosn why I love RTR so much is that Thracian infintry often do this extremely well.

My favourite thing though, is phalanx to phalanx fighting, very funny, but lots of micro managing.

I've been toying with the perception of not thinking of Phalanxes as "lines" but as rope.

Why? - because you can't bend a line around corners.

The "ROPE" philosophy makes you think outside the square (pardon the pun) and you learn to instead of having a straight line of phalanx - its uneven and curvy - thus meaning that there is no visible weak spot.

It also means you can hide your flanks when they swing around to flank the enemy.

It may sound strange - but it is extremely effective - look at the great wall of China.

Although this strat is aimed at victory with least casualties, it only works if your enemy is playing by your rules, such as the dumbass AI. Once the enemy forces you to respond, such as using scorpions or Pharaoh's bowmen(Carthage and the Greeks are mostly targeted), then this whole thing will break.

In any case, phalanx warfare takes too long to resolve, one reason I hate phalangites. Why take twenty minutes to finish an enemy when you can do it in ten? However, phalangits do give solid impressions(they are after all, impressions, nothing more) and sense of security so I can't blame people who pick em.

[This message has been edited by el_bandito (edited 05-24-2006 @ 09:33 PM).]

i find that most of the time i'm defending and i arrange my phalanxes into a tactically sound formation(orb,half circle), the AI comes at me from a completely different direction that i expected. i try to adjust but it takes so long...

i usually set my phalanx up into a basic line formation. The AI never attack with much coordination, they usually send in one or two units. so they send in one unit that charges a unit of my phalanx, i then order the two adjacent units to attack the attacking unit, and the units to the left/right of those units i order to advance up the line a bit.
___ ___
\_/
so its something like this, the unit trapped routs within seconds, dont chase them but arrange the line again. this works better if you have 7+ units of phalanx and even better if you have cavalry to close the 'lid on the pot' and trap the unit completely, making them rout even faster, giving your units more time to re-arrange.

obviously this only works against the AI, unless you're against a complete retard in multiplayer.

[This message has been edited by Sefiroth (edited 05-25-2006 @ 08:50 AM).]

el_bandito :: Every formation has its weak points. And all formations can break. Im sorry, but you dont give this tactic enough credit, for it works great. Most of the time, the enemy has its standard army's. Which in most cases, is generally the same. One thing you must take into account, is that some times battles require micromanaging. So, if you should run into a problem, as you suggested, then you would need to maneuover your troops a bit. All in all though man, it works great, say, 80% of the time, or more.

Unde

I tryed this against the AI in a custom battle and it works superb. Very good job unde.