If you are seven wide you can as you have an equal number of character models to rank and file models in the front rank. One catpain on a Demigryph, a priest and a wizard. I generally deploy my spear units seven wide.
I generally do this with halberds but I wonder, given how much of the front row is tied up with characters, if the extra 7 attacks from the spears is better than the +1 str from the halberds. Like normally my halberds only do 4 attacks when 7 wide compared to 11 from spears.
11 attacks = 5.5 hits = 2.75 wounds before armour against Ws3 T3. If the opponent has 6+ armour this goes down to 2.3.
4 attacks = 2 hits = 1.33 wounds before armour against WS3 T3.
In theory the spears should do 1 wound or so more than the halberdiers in this formation against Ws3 T3 opponents. Maybe I need some spearmen with halberdier detachments.
If I have a melee detachement I bring them as 10-12 halberdiers and stick with spearmen in the main unit. Quite often the Captain in the Spearman unit is also the BSB and then I have a Warrior Priest there as well. It is a pretty good anvil unit with some teeth as well.
I could see myself using Halberdiers in a different type of army, where I have two blocks of 23-24 Veteran halberds who also are Drilled. Then a Captain and/or a priest on foot to keep them cheap. These would be used more mobile and offensive together with probably more cavalry and some missile support but likely not many detachments.
Main Halberd blocks need a very different tactical style of play than if you have spears... but I have not experimented with that as I like infantry in the Empre to be more defensive than offensive.
