Roman troops (suggestion question)

[mAIOR]

@fondor: The problem is, that when you get tired you're most likelly to get killed. That's why the cycling is important. to always have fresh men on the front. You'll end up eventually to catch tired troops.The phalanx was not the same. they behaved diferently it was more like in waves...


Cheers...

[antisocialmunky]

You can do it atleast if there's breaks in attacks. The Romans fought through attrition so I would think something like this(multiple waves, general shuffling) would be a necessity for both sides if the battle lasted.. oh say 3 hours?

[Enguerrand de Sarnéac]

I would suppose that this is a bit the normal tactic when fighting close combat in deep lines... Tired warriors would 1) die 2) step back (without provoking an undisciplined rout) and be replaced by more eager warriors... Why would the Romans be different because they have a whistle?
Could be wrong though, as I've never been in a real close combat so I don't have an idea if there's space to step back.
Since RTW is assuming (I think) that two lines can fight, I think this way to improve stamina to represent the second line seems a bit silly to me

[Reno Melitensis]

This was true for the post-Marian legions. It is not clear when or how this system come in use. Normally a Centuria was made of 80 man. Eight Legionnaries would form a conterburia and sleep, eat and fight together. Some where I read that the eight man in front where replaced by the second line behind them to rest them. This systm made the soldiers bond like brothers and fight like one.

Cheers.

[Zaknafien]

Unfortunately unlike "rome" on HBO, it would not happen in the midst of hand-to-hand combat. Battles fought during antiquity were not the chaotic ninja-flips and beheading dual-wielding melees we see in movies. They were fluid, paced encounters, where a part of the line or a few men would be in contact for a few minutes while elsewhere others were resting, or recooping their courage for a fresh attack, etc. The Romans were famed for their mobile reserves and use of fresh troops to re-inforce the battle line by use of the maniple and cohort.

What this means, is that while some troops were fighting, eventually the two sides would back away and rest. a fresh line of roman troops would take up their place to carry on the next thrust, whilst most of the roman enemies would keep the same men on their line to attain personal combat glory.

Battles lasted for hours this way, ebbing and flowing.

[Spoofa]

ah, well one last question for you, why do Hastati tire out so easily if they are younger and more lightly armored then principes?

[Zaknafien]

well for one thing, just because you're younger doesnt mean youre more vigorous. the hastati and principes wore the same equipment, more or less, the term being 'a full panoply' of gear. in EB II this will be more accurately represented. For the first part, If hastati are teenagers, principes are men in their middle twenties to thirties, in the prime of their life and peak of their physical powers, who've fought in battles before probably.