How do you fight a phalanx?

You should be able to shred through the Hoplites and start doing some real damage on Phalanx. Be sure to hit the Hoplites behind their shields to do extra damage to them. Once Phalanx has no Hoplites protecting him, he is vulnerable. Run up and attack to finish the job and defeat your first real demon.

How did Pike squares fight?

While stationary, the staff of each pike could be butted against the ground, giving it resistance against attack. Squares could be joined together to form a battle line. If surrounded, pikes could still be pointed in all directions.

How did pike formations fight?

These three elements formed a mutually supportive combination of tactical roles: the arquebusiers harried the enemy line, the pikemen protected the arquebusiers from enemy cavalry charges, and the men-at-arms, typically armed with swords and javelins, fought off enemy pikemen when two opposing squares made contact.

How did legions fight?

Roman soldiers were trained to fight well and to defend themselves. If the enemy shot arrows at them they would use their shields to surround their bodies and protect themselves. This formation was know as ‘the turtle’. They fought with short swords, daggers for stabbing and a long spear for throwing.

How do you beat pikes?

1. Pikes in phalanx are slow.
2. Always go for the flank, never the centre of his lines.
3. Get your cav behind his lines.
4. Bait him with both cav and skirmish.
5. Never engage the front of a pike unit unless its out of phalanx.

How to defeat a phalanx in a battle?

Against a phalanx, which would have some very light skirmishers with slings and javelins, and perhaps some archers, what would easily transpire would be concentrated light field artillery would disrupt the formations from a distance while the cavalry ran down the skirmishers or sent them fleeing to the phalanx.

How would a modern pike formation compare to a phalanx?

A pike formation is lacking the 16ft Sarrisas in the Macedonian phalanx. Bronze faced Hoplons and fighting in a Formatiom denser then any Swiss pike ever. the phalanx would honestly steamroll a square Swiss Pike formation.

What was the pike square/shield wall’s weakness?

While a full discussion of the battle itself is outside the purview of this answer (and is available at the link), the battle demonstrated the pike square/shield wall’s major weakness: They were almost impossible to maneuver. A phalanx is oriented forward and can advance only forward.

What is a pike square formation?

As anything in warfare, pike squares or pike formation was conceived and deployed to counter a very specific threat: Namely the cavalry charge. A disciplined body of troops in a shield wall with spears, and later a pike square, can take and repel a cavalry charge. The problem is, a pike wall is only good against a cavalry charge.