Shop All*Hail Caesar – Aegean States: Macedonians: Phalangites Plastic Set – Miniature Marvels: Airplane Models & Painted Dice

Few sights in the ancient world would have matched the thrill of the advance to contact of the Alexandrian or Macedonian phalanx. Thousands of well-armoured and superbly trained professional soldiers advancing at least eight men deep, often more slowly and methodically keeping apace with their fellow phalangites. As they neared the enemy they would use their shields to protect themselves from arrows or sling shots.

With a given command the mighty pikes they carried, the famed sarissa, came down to present an impenetrable forest f wicked spear points mounted on sturdy wooden shafts of up to eighteen feet in length.

The men gave Phillip II, and later his son Alexander, great victories as to face this moving wall of death invited defeat. Matching them with your own phalanx of sarissa and trying to disrupt the enemy or hit them in the vulnerable flank or rear was one of the only options to those facing the might of the Macedonian army.

They marched across Asia, even fighting elephants in India and climbing the peaks of what is now Afghanistan, building cities behind them, a fitting tribute to perhaps the greatest and earliest trained fighting force.

This set contains 40 multi-part Macedonian Phalangites plus shield decals.