What weapons and strategies did Macedonia use in battle?

Answer 1

The core of the Macedonian army was the revolutionized phalanx that used the sarissa (18 to 20 meters pikes), and a highly trained infantry. The military was positioned in a box formation, making it impossible to attack them from any angle other than frontal position. The soldiers carried light uniforms, making it possible for them to manoeuvre on the field and each soldier was required to place his pike on the shoulder of the man before him, which further increased the defensive stance of the phalanx. Every unit of the phalanx had its own commander, which made communication easier. Each unit of the phalanx consisted of 1540 men, divided into three subdivisions of 512 men. Each division was divided in 32 "dekas", or a line of 10, later 16 warriors.

Aside from the phalanx, the army of Alexander the great also included a unit of hypaspists, or also called shield-bearers. They carried shorter spears, or javelins. The hypaspists were more mobile, and they could move from one side to another with ease. There were three classes of hypaspists, one of which was in charge of guarding the King.

The Cavalry was the single greatest weapon in Alexander's disposal. It was his main strike force and a unit he could always count on. The cavalry was divided into two sections, the companions and the scouts.

The companion section was divided into eight squadrons of 200 men armed with nine-foot lance and with little armor. Alexander always kept a steady supply of horses and reserves, since he knew that his cavalry is the most important unit of the Army. Alexander was always in the front of the battle, and he led the Royal Companion squadron that was always positioned on the right side of the phalanx.

Alexander the Great led from the front of the battle. He believed his presence would strike fear in the opposing army and inspire his own. No matter that he was vulnerable at the position, Alexander was always in the front of the battle.

His units were positioned in a wedge position, which Alexander believes made them harder to crack and impossible for the opposing army to punch a hole in it.

When he was striking, Alexander always struck in the center of the opposing army with his phalanx, trying to strike in an oblique angle. At the same time, he used the cavalry to punch holes in the flanks.

The wedge position of his army allowed Alexander to counter missiles from enemy lines. Since he had the shield bearers in front, they could easily counter the concentration with missiles from the opposing front. The men in the wedge deployed in either trapezoid or triangular formation. The wedge helped Alexander to smash into the enemy line, and maximize the effect of his long-range weapons, such as javelins.

However, probably the biggest strength of the Army of Alexander was its mobility. Alexander was a brilliant mind, great tactician and military specialist. He often made in battle adjustments, but he needed his army to be able to move fast and quickly relocate from one to another position. To enable that movement, Alexander used light armor for his army. Additionally, Alexander always scouted the terrain where the battle could occur, and he tried to maximize the potential and advantages of the terrain.