Warriors vs Phalanx

[Oldman]

Personally Militia kick ass, none of these namby pamby phalanx?!?!?!

[Dry]

OK, I've made a small test last saturday.
First try:
I researched and built phalanxes instead of archers.
Well, you were right about the horsemen: except the very first horseman attack which left my phalanx half wounded, the proud (NOT veteran) phalanx could stand the attack of up to 3 horsemen with no significant wounds.
BUT:
then came the legion... on the hill.
Phalanx can not move. Charge of the light brigrade: horseman dies with honor (who said legions have only 1 in defense). Legion attack. Phalanx is dead. City is empty. Next turn city: new (expensive) unfortified phalanx is attacked by (veteran?) legion; city is destroyed.
OK, this was not the very first city, but it was one of the 8 firsts and it was after monarchy, but I'm sure that with an archer...

Second try:
Research bronze; build phalanx in Veies (size 2).
Knock-knock, who's there: 2 archers.
Oops, neither phalanx nor warrior can move.
First archer kills phalanx (city is size 1), second kills warrior; city is destroyed. Only 3 cities left... and 2 barb archers (ok-ok, one of them is almost dead) still in the nearby...

I think I'll keep building archers.

[Novi Nomad]

I've also generally gone with Warriors first and Phalanxes later as needed. I screwed up in my latest game though, I was trying to get Magellans for a change of pace (there is a LOT of water on this map it seems) and somehow didn't end up getting Leonardo's. This is the first time I've had that happen. Now I've got a bunch of Warriors, and it is killing me to upgrade my military units. What a huge waste of shields.

[Spider]

In multiplayer games I usually make do with warriors while I strive for monarchy. If forced to take a non-monarchy tech, I choose writing because that heads in the direction of philosophy and monotheism, and I never truly feel comfortable until I have a couple diplomats running around.

It's a gamble. On the one hand, you might lose a city, but on the other hand you might end up capturing barb leaders that would otherwise get away.

[The Mad Viking]

Warriors!

I basically agree with everything Ming said. I build a phalanx for the 2nd OR 3rd unit in some cities.

Archers cost way too much, and you need the warriors for martial law. By the time I get Leos, I have a slew of warriors who become musketeers.