Sure thing, but let’s not romanticise it. The Spartan phalanx was a tight, almost unbreakable line of hoplites, each shield‑armed and speared forward. They could hold a wall of bronze for a few minutes, but they were heavily burdened by armor and spears, which made their speed and manoeuvrability limited. Their weapons had a short reach, and they were most effective in static, open terrain. Modern squads, on the other hand, have rifles with range up to several kilometers, machine guns that can lay down a suppressive fire, and the ability to move in multiple formations—pinned down, flanking, or spread out for cover. They also have communication gear, night vision, and can coordinate with air support. Their firepower is so far ahead that even if a phalanx could close to within a few metres, the squad would have already suppressed them with long‑range fire. If you put them face to face in a flat, open area, the Spartan line could keep their front for a short while, but they would soon be overwhelmed by a modern squad’s volume of fire. If the Spartans had a way to close the distance quickly—say a coordinated charge—there might be a brief window where they could bite the back of the squad’s formation, but the modern soldiers would likely pull back to a defensible position and resume firing. So, in a straight‑up matchup, the modern squad wins by firepower and flexibility. The phalanx’s tight cohesion still has its aesthetic charm, but it doesn’t hold up against the technology and tactics we have today.

Okay, let’s get practical. You need a distraction that forces the Spartans to split their focus. Use the terrain: pick a hill or a ditch so the phalanx has to move in a tighter line to avoid it. While they’re bending to the terrain, have a small squad flank from the side, opening a gap. Then fire a burst of suppressive fire through the gap to give your main squad time to slide into the space. The Spartans will likely react by breaking to fill the hole, letting the rest of your squad rush in. It’s risky, but it forces them to abandon their tight line before you get a full volley.

Sounds thrilling, but let’s not forget the Spartans’ discipline. They’ll hold until the gap is too big, then regroup. We’ll need precise timing on the suppressive fire and a secondary screen to cover the flank. I’ll draw up the vector—just let me know the exact terrain and squad composition so we can fine‑tune the push. Once we have that, we can test the choke point and see how fast the line will actually break.

Got the layout. With a 30‑meter ditch and a 25‑meter ridge, the Spartans will have to bend their line to avoid the ditch and then climb the ridge, which will create that natural choke. I’d time a suppressive burst from the two machine guns at the edge of the ditch, then push the light‑rifle squad forward as the Spartans split to fill the gap. The snipers will pin the rear of the phalanx while the medics stay close for any wounded. If the ditch is filled with enough depth, the hoplites will hesitate to cross, giving us that split. We’ll need to sync the drone intel to shift fire as soon as the gap opens. That’s the crack point. Let's fire the plan.