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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steverooo" data-source="post: 1304515" data-attributes="member: 9410">Bubble-bursting Roman Tactics...The primary weapons of the Roman Empire were not Gladii, they were spears!  A Roman soldier carried ONE Gladius, two or three spears (I forget the Roman name), and six of their long, soft-iron-shafted throwing spears (again, I can't recall the Roman name, right at the moment).  This was in addition to their armor, tower shield, perhaps a dagger, a knife (eating implement and tool, more than weapon), pack, gear, and food...Roman soldiers were loaded down. The Lorica Hamatta was basically chainmail, and the Lorica Segmentatta was basically a breastplate, in 3.5e terms.  That, plus eight or nine spears, a shortsword, maybe a dagger, a knife, and a pack full of gear was a lot to carry!Hence the Roman law that any Roman soldier could compel a Jew to carry his pack for one mile.  The Jews hated this so much that they had one mile from their homes marked off, so that they knew exactly where to stop...  Hence Christ's saying "If a man compel you to go a mile with him, go twain".Anyway, when Roman soldiers entered battle, they formed up into their shield-wall, and advanced.  Both sides threw their long, soft-iron-shafted spears at each other, until they were out.  If these hit, the soldier usually was hors de combat.  Even if they hit his shield, the head went through, and the soft iron shaft bent, making it nearly impossible to remove, until after the battle.By the time the opposing sides were close enough that the order to charge was given, a soldier could have several of these long, bent throwing spears stuck in his tower, making it unwieldy.  He then had the choice of abandoning it (and being less well defended than his opponents), or hanging onto it and being encumbered by all of the spear shafts sticking out...  Also, note that the iron shafts could not simply be hacked off, either!  They had to be turned and pulled loose (basically impossible, in melee).So when the throwing spears were exhausted, or the order to charge came, the Roman soldiers switched to their main battle spears, with the typical wooden shafts, and charged in with spear (and, if they still had it, shield).  At this point, contact was made at a distance, and the melee began.During melee, the shafts of spears penetrating shields were grasped, and the shields pulled down, with the shield arm, while the right hand drew the gladius (which was always worn on the right side) in an overhand grip, with the tip of the blade pointing DOWN.  It was then used as an oversized dagger, to thrust downward, over the tops of the opponents' shields.This is the little-known secret of the Gladius...  It was less a shortsword, and more a long dagger!  It was more a piercing weapon for close-in work, while the spears were the major weapons.This is not what Hollywood likes to show you, in the movies, I know, but this is the way that the Romans usually fought.  Throwing spears, first, followed by charges with a spear long enough to have reach, followed by mop-up with the Gladius.The only change I would make with the Gladius is to make it a Slashing/Piercing weapon.  The damage is fine, as is.</blockquote>

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