From what I can gather by looking a several different sets of rules this group pretty much makes up a legion. I understand scaling and all that but it looks wrong. I don't think in terms of movement/combat/game elements. I think in terms of true organisation and how can I recreate it. But to me this looks much too small to be called a Legion.
I think I should double it (at least).
My plan is to eventually make a simple Consular Army - 2 Roman Legions and two Auxiliary Legions. I'd like to use Spanish and Italiotes in this role.
Also, I'm not sure about the individual units. I'm thinking that each one should be made up of 4 bases. And just to contradict myself; two bases making a little square looks good to me but - as I said - Too small & dinky. Come to think of it 2 bases makes a century and 4 would make a maniple - That makes sense.
Anyway, here's my start but all told... This army confuses me!
All figures are 15mm Xyston.
Velites
Hastati
Principes
Triarii and Legate
Very nice Romans! I wish I had a solution, I pretty much did the same as you by using various rulesets to base an army on. One of the issues is that we know a bit more about the smaller Roman unit interactions (and try to represent them) in contrast to their enemies who seemingly appear more homogenous (which may well be the case).
ReplyDeleteI have beem playing a few solo Lost Battles games but this does not follow the triarii, princepes and hastati breakdown. Instead the total amount of legionaries are arbitrarily broken down into units. This allows comparative Roman and enemy units.
However when I set them up I tried to represent the triple line. This never effected the game directly because the game is quite abstract based on a very broad grid.
Hi Tony,
DeleteI usually play Greeks or Hellenics so it's all a matter of lining everything up in a big phalanx and trying to keep it together. These guys look like they're going to be more of a challenge.
Yes an interesting challange and a challenge to represent them in gaming terms! Republican Romans try to grind down their opponents with their tough legionaries who quite often suffered from poor or outnumbered heavy cavalry supporting the flanks. They have to win the infantry battle before losing the cavalry one.
DeletePoor or unimaginative generals ploughing legionaries in could also be a hindrance. Scipio Africanus'well drilled legionaries gave the Romans more flexibilty.
They struggled against the Macedonian phalanx but savvy Romans leaders took unengaged troops around their flanks to defeat the phalanx. Also their allies can compensate weaknesses such as the Attalid cavalry did at Magnesia.
Good luck!
The treatment of the Polybian Legion by most ancient rules is bizarre. Because we know a little more about it than other armies, it is usually bound by contraints and restrictions that are applied to no other army in a period covering 4000 years of history. The most flexible basing is the DBx element with 4 figures to a base (2 for velites). Most rules require you to have a consistent proportion of Hastati, Princepes, Triarii and Velites, but equally are silent on what actually constitutes a "Legion". I think as long as you build up equal numbers of Hastati and Princepes, half as many Triarii and half as many again velites, you'll be set for most rules. Happy to discuss further.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr G,
DeleteI've had some good advice via facebook and a bit of a think. What my plan is, is to re-base some of these before I get too committed. I'm going remove a figure from the end of each base to make a unit of 4 bases but 12 figures. They'll cover the same 80mm x 40mm area but they'll look smaller and more compact. When deployed side by side they'll look like there's a gap between the maniples. I'll do this to the hastati, principes. The triarii I'll do differently. With the figures I have on hand I can increase the legion size by 3 times. That will suit me better aesthetically.
Looks great!
ReplyDeleteHi Michal. Thanks.
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