jomni wrote:Kaede11 wrote:Still there are some posts out there stating quite the opposite: Phalanxes are too weak when attacked frontally. I'm still deciding what to think, but maybe they are. I get that shock infantry are going to be better on the impact phase, but I don't know if I'll ever be convinced about watching hastati erasing phalanx units because they disrupt the enemy when they charge.
I think this should be reajusted in some manner.
Why not? A rain of javelins can disrupt them beyond pike range?
Maybe, but as far as I know the phalanx was never defeated by charging frontally. The main weakness of the formation was being prone to flanking and also their lack of flexibility which doomed them if they could not fight in optimal terrain.
Also, this does not only apply to roman units. Every shock infantry is a major danger for phalanx pikemen. They will win if the charge is resisted, but if they get disrupted things can get rough pretty quickly. I am not sure if that portrays how frontal battles against a phalanx would work out.
JaM2013 wrote:jomni: it was actually not that common to do so.. while being hit by a pilum is not something you would take lightly, Pike formations were deep so even if you manage to kill several guys, there were still pikes projected your way.. not sure if there is any better way how to model the pikes though.. they were not wall of death as many think, but at the other side they were capable to keep enemy at bay for quite some time if not outflanked.
Sure, they were not a wall of death, but I am sure they were a force to be reckoned with. At least when attacked frontally... maybe shock infantry should get less POA when attacking phalanx frontally... or Phalanx could get a bonus agains Shock infantry when they have allies on their flanks to simulate the inability of the enemy to flank them.