Celtic Swordsmen

[Glaurung]

What has really surprised me playing celtic factions is the ability of heavy infantry like Bataroas to lauch a javelin before charge.
I thought it was a prerogative of heavy roman infantry like hastati, pricipes and late legionaries to throw the "pilum" before engaging enemies with the short sword "gladium".
I know that EB is a well historically sharp mod so I'm sure there are actual evidences of this, I ask if someone can help me finding them.
Thanks.

[Fluvius Camillus]

Well I think these are just javelins they carry to each fight.

[A Very Super Market]

Well, the Romans themselves were influenced by the Gauls at some point in their early history.

[Watchman]

Those days just about everybody and their dog regarded it as an excellent idea to toss a javelin or two at the enemy ranks before engaging. Why not, the things were cheap and easy to use. The practice persisted in Europe *at least* until the early Medieval times, and much longer in a limited form as well as elsewhere.

[Sarcasm]

Those days just about everybody and their dog regarded it as an excellent idea to toss a javelin or two at the enemy ranks before engaging. Why not, the things were cheap and easy to use. The practice persisted in Europe *at least* until the early Medieval times, and much longer in a limited form as well as elsewhere.

On Europeans, Portuguese soldiers, at least, were still carrying javelins into their North African fortresses, at the very least up to the 1580's, that I know of. In this particular example, a soldier from Mazagão (modern El Jadida) that was armed with an arquebus, a sword, a dagger, an "adarga" (leather, Moorish-like shield), a spear and 2 javelins - helping him carry all this, a slave or servant. The weapon reappears during the Peninsular war in the hands of militias and guerrillas, along with older equipment, like pikes - some no doubt home-made.

Other people, like Indians and Moroccans and Mauritanians were still using them well into the 1700's.

[Cyclops]

On Europeans, Portuguese soldiers, at least, were still carrying javelins into their North African fortresses, at the very least up to the 1580's, that I know of. In this particular example, a soldier from Mazagão (modern El Jadida) that was armed with an arquebus, a sword, a dagger, an "adarga" (leather, Moorish-like shield), a spear and 2 javelins - helping him carry all this, a slave or servant. The weapon reappears during the Peninsular war in the hands of militias and guerrillas, along with older equipment, like pikes - some no doubt home-made.

Other people, like Indians and Moroccans and Mauritanians were still using them well into the 1700's.

Sarcasm, you seem to know a lot particularly about the Iberian/Lussotannan bits of EB (IIRC you're one of the faction honchos?). Is there any credible link between the soliferum and the development of the metal hafted pilum? I'm just speculating in a most ignorant and uniformed way but it has caught my imagination.

Is it possible the soliferum bent on impact like a pilum? Were they both usable h-t-h as well as ranged? The Romans often adapted their enemies ideas into their own way of fighting so i wouldn't be surprised at all if there was Iberian inspiration in their pilum.

[satalexton]

*grins*

[Macilrille]

The Romans themselves got their Pilum from the Samnites. Romans were expert at adopting and adapting enemy tactics etc.

What the Pilae were though, was extraordinary lethal. The Romans also perfected volleys, which I am not certain others did, at least not barbarians, it takes a bit of discipline to use volleys.

[Aemilius Paulus]

The Romans themselves got their Pilum from the Samnites. Romans were expert at adopting and adapting enemy tactics etc.

Actually the pilum was derived from the Etruscans, but the history is quite hazy. In the beginning, the pilum was not much different from a normal throwing spear, as it was Marius who was the one who made it unique and at the same time iconic.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What has really surprised me playing celtic factions is the ability of heavy infantry like Bataroas to lauch a javelin before charge.
I thought it was a prerogative of heavy roman infantry like hastati, pricipes and late legionaries to throw the "pilum" before engaging enemies with the short sword "gladium".
I know that EB is a well historically sharp mod so I'm sure there are actual evidences of this, I ask if someone can help me finding them.
Thanks.

Just so you know, the correct term is "Gladius" plural "Gladii"

[Glaurung]

Just so you know, the correct term is "Gladius" plural "Gladii"

thanks for the correction herr professor