How to stop the Phalanx

The Phalanx is one of the greatest ancient infantry military formations in History. The Greek or even the perfect 256-man Macedonian Phalanx from Alexander the Great. But how do you stop it? Perhaps ask the Roman Empire

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Menu 1 - Super Smash Bros. Melee
Imperia (Total War_ Rome II OST)

00:00 How to Defeat a Phalanx
00:16 Phalanx VS Legion

#phalanx #history #memes #military #ancient #legion #romanempire #rome #greek

[lasecte]

I love how ancient sources always go "oh yeah, it was like 50 of us against 1 billion of them" and then the modern estimates is "10000 vs 10000, roughly"

[ryanzhang]

so you're telling me that me and the boys with extra long sticks AREN'T invulnerable?? heresy I tell you

[Hakabas]

An intercontinental ballistic Gnome with a nuclear warhead would also make quick work of that phalanx.

[victorvaquer]

"How do I stop **insert infantry formation**" the answer is always any form of Artillery

[michalj]

how to stop phalanx
step one: have Catapult
step two: use Catapult

[GetStormed]

The reality is so much more complex. The Phalanx was a super flexible unit, with skirmishers and scouts.
In most of the Roman wars, the Phalanx nearly systematically won 1v1 against the Legion as an organisational unit. But, where the legion had centuries of reforms and also failures, the Phalanx was deeply linked with the Greek/Macedonian political and social system. Alexander has been dead for centuries yet it remained untouched all that time.

When the roman did defeat the macedonians, their allies (like the Pergonians) or better use of professional manoeuvre made the difference. just throwing stuff didn't throw a wrench in their plans, otherwise the Persians would have crushed Alexander lol

[francesco]

It's not a coincidence that the most effective user of the phalanx was Alexander and he basically was the only one in greece that actually used cavalry a lot.

[CarloHistory]

Macedonian phalanx was never meant to be a stand alone unit.

It was just the anvil to the hammer (cavalry) supplemented with light infantry and Hypaspists.

[justsomejerseydevilwithint]

"105 Millimeter cannon, Fire."

[Ammiad]

A wise man once said:
"Use gun, and if that dont work? Use more gun"

[dislikebutton]

The best part is the phalanx kinda came back in a way during the pre modern period ~1500-1700s because it was discovered how effective pikemen where in combination with firearms, lines of pikemen were deployed to protect musket infantry from cavalry and were very effective. Granted they didnt have shields or heavy armor usually so they weren't exactly phalanx perse, but the long pikes in formation do resemble the macedonian sarissa phalanx.

[ashina]

Romans : "We defeated the Clumsy Phalanx, this tactic will become outdated"
Medieval Scots: "okay but what if, 360 Phalanx?"
Medieval Swiss: "that's cringe, OFFENSIVE PHALANX"
Early Modern Swedes: "Those Muskets are no match for our pikes!" *Proceeds to break the formation of their musket armed enemies and win with pikes*

[Lord_Pilaf]

"How do you even stop a Roman legion?"

"Laughs in Parthian cavalry"

[northernalpine]

_"How do you stop this"_


A bottle, Cloth, some flammable alcohol and a lighter.

[WAAAAAAGH]

0:50 you gotta love it when you see things like Sillyfius Guyfricanus there with his horn in the front lines, just doing his best to toot and keep the morale of the boiz up.

[michaelterrencefernandezli]

as a total war player who uses Pike infantry, do not under any circumstances tell them to attack a unit without supervision.

[Duke_of_Lorraine]

To be fair, Philip and Alexander's phalanxes were reasonably well balanced with pikes "only" 5-6m long. In the following centuries, as they mainly fought other phalanges, they got heavier with longer pikes. Turning them into the one-trick-pony that the Romans crushed

[johnpaulcross]

Who would win?
One of the most intimidating military formations in history or…
One shooty boy?

[BlueShellshock]

Alexander: "You can't break our phalanx."
Enemy: "We'll just use our cavalry to flank you from the side and- WTF!?"
Alexander: "We also have cavalry."

[lawrencedarmawan]

How the persians stoped it: sending light infantry to brawl against heavy infantry