"Organise a spear-wall and bowmen to defend the builders… I want a proper Tilean hedgehog by Myrmidia’s brass bits and I want it now! Bors! Commandeer some wagons from the palace walls! They’ll work well enough to begin ferrying survivors to safety!"
Leopold's Leopard Company in phalanx formation
The Phalanx also known as Tilean hedgehog in military jargon, is a special formation used by light and heavy infantry who fight with long-ranged pikes.[1][2]
History[]
Imperial records state that this formation was first developed and used with spectacular results by the savage tribe of the Jutones, before the time of Sigmar. The word derives from the jutona word for implacable. In that era, most tribes fought in war bands, where the warrior's attitude on the battlefield was one of individualism and personal honor. This resulted in great feats of bravery, but it did not lend itself to building a strong and cohesive fighting force.[1]
That the Jutons were the first to use the phalanx may be due in part to the fact that their lands were mostly open plains. The formation needed open, uninterrupted terrain to function, and the dense forests and mountainous areas inhabited by most of the other tribes were unsuitable.[1]
The phalanx is a closed formation. The Jutons were armed with a spear or pike (up to three meters long), a large shield and helmet. The Jutones trained hard and practiced marching in this formation until their leader judged they were on a standard to give them a name. This fostered great pride in each phalanx, and ensured that each man knew his comrades and fought hard to defend them.[1]
In combat, the front line (usually made up of the best warriors available) block with their shields and lower their pikes. Those behind would do the same, placing their weapons on the shoulders of the men in front to form a fence bristling with spearheads. Their success depended entirely on maintaining formation as they marched into combat. Upon meeting the enemy, the phalanx would advance, hoping to break them and hold them at bay with their long weapons. Phalanxes are particularly effective against cavalry.[1]
The phalanx proved to be almost indestructible, and the Jutons were able to defend their lands for many years against all enemies thanks to it. However, this formation had it's weaknesses. The phalanx is a frontal assault formation, slow moving and not easy to maneuver. The Jutons placed units of swordsmen and skirmishers to protect their flanks but with limited success. Phalanxes are also vulnerable to rapidly moving missile troops, as the tight ranks are easy targets.[1]
As enemies exploited these weaknesses, the phalanx was discontinued, but it was not completely extinguished. It's legacy can still be seen on the shield wall and the square of spades. However, the most important aspect of the war that the Jutones' phalanx demonstrated was the idea of cooperative fighting. By effectively replacing the idea of personal heroism on the battlefield and replacing it with closed formations, where men fought together, the Jutonese warlords showed the way to a new way of warfare, a way that still serves the Empire today.[1]
Another account states that were the mercenaries of the Border Princes the first to make extensive use of the Phalanx formation, perfecting the use of the pike invented by the Remans.[2]
This was several hundred years ago, at a time when heavily-armoured cavalry were the most powerful and respected part of any army's force, and the undisputed rulers of any battlefield. After the mercenaries showed that a square of pikemen could not only withstand a charge by a full force of mounted knights, but could actually break it, the shape of the Empire's armies and the face of its wars were changed forever.[2]
Trivia[]
The phalanx mimic the real-world Macedonian Phalanx formation.