How effective was the Pilum?

[keiskander]

What i experience the pilum is that its more of making the enemy distracted before the clash. As it said it had ability to penetrate heavier armor at close range or stuck in shields. But if it is so leathal im not all convinced about. I stick to my distraction theory which follows by the heavy roman infantry clash that followed after the throw was more affective and decisive.

[Julius Augustus]

If the Pilum stuck onto your shield, you would almost certainly die very quickly in a close combat scrum, especially as most of the people with their shields destroyed would have been in the first couple ranks.
I know that Pila are effective against armored units from the rear, but they should be from the front, also. Plus, against a humble unit of lugoae, a Pila volley will kill 10 guys if you are lucky, while regular javelins from gaeroas will kill many more. All the mentioned effects of the Pilum would have caused many initial casualties, as well as weakening the enemy in the melée.

@gamerdude-I may post a mini mod with this and some other stuff.

[Apázlinemjó]

I was curious, so began a few test with Post Marians and Gaeroas against the poor Lugoae.

First try, Gaeroas

First volley of javelins:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Second volley of javelins:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Second try, Gaeroas

First volley of javelins:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Second volley of javelins:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

First try, Cohors Reformata

First volley of pilums:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Secondy volley of pilums:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Second try, Cohors Reformata

First volley of pilums:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Secondy volley of pilums:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Romans killed 50% less men with javelins than Gaeroas. Interesting.

[retep219]

Perhaps the test would be fairer to the Romans if you were fighting a unit with more armour. The pila have a large advantage of being AP, but that counts for nothing against Lugoae. You should instead match the Cohors Reformata and Gaeoras against an armoured late-game infantry unit, instead of the Lugoae with are, anyways, not a unit that Post-Marian Romans should really be fighting. Too low-level...

[Apázlinemjó]

Perhaps the test would be fairer to the Romans if you were fighting a unit with more armour. The pila have a large advantage of being AP, but that counts for nothing against Lugoae. You should instead match the Cohors Reformata and Gaeoras against an armoured late-game infantry unit, instead of the Lugoae with are, anyways, not a unit that Post-Marian Romans should really be fighting. Too low-level...

Ohh true, forgot that. Although it still suprises me that the Romans did so poorly against low tier units with javelins. The damage difference between their "missile" weapon is only 1 damage...

[The General]

Ohh true, forgot that. Although it still suprises me that the Romans did so poorly against low tier units with javelins. The damage difference between their "missile" weapon is only 1 damage...

Doesn't the missile attack value affect the accuracy of the missiles, rather than the deadliness (which is governed by the lethality value)...

[Apázlinemjó]

Doesn't the missile attack value affect the accuracy of the missiles, rather than the deadliness (which is governed by the lethality value)...

Then it's funny that the Gaeroas have more accuracy. W/e, I didn't check their stats in the EDU, yet.

[DaciaJC]

Doesn't the missile attack value affect the accuracy of the missiles, rather than the deadliness (which is governed by the lethality value)...

All missiles have a lethality of 1, I believe.

[Aper]

Perhaps the test would be fairer to the Romans if you were fighting a unit with more armour. The pila have a large advantage of being AP, but that counts for nothing against Lugoae.

That's exactly the problem. AFAIK, Pila were designed to pierce shields, not armors, so they should be very effective against shielded unarmored units rather than being armor-killers. My proposal is to raise heavily the attack, at least to the value of solifera (7-8) or more, and eventually get rid of the AP attribute, maybe imbalancing with the new values.

[Julius Augustus]

This is because the legionaries have 1/3 less attack than the gaeroas, and as the lugoae have no armor to speak of, the AP bonus has no effect. Raising the Pila attack rating to 6 would fix this problem. The Pila would be effective against unarmored troops too.