Historically Accurate Legions for all time Periods

[gran_guitarra]

Yes, you misunderstood. Sorry, that really wasn't very clear.

Anyway,

What I meant was that there should only be as many skirmishers as hastati OR principes. Therefore, if there are 3 hastati there should be three principes and three skirmishers.

And the allies were never part of the Legion itself. The clearest example was the consular Legions, which were two Legions in one. The two Roman Legions would be deployed in the center of the formation, whereas the allies would be deployed in two bodies of roughly equivalent size to the Legions themselves on the wings.


Actually reconstructing the Legions themselves is not so hard, but reconstructing the allied formations can be a bad time for you, since recruitable allies are so had to find in the game.

[Zaknafien]

Well no, the socii are not techincally part of the levy (legion). But Italic socii are deployed with and attatched to the legion itself, be it a Praetorian or Consular legion. The Italic allies fought in much the same manner as the Roman citizen soldiers as well, especially in our period, so you can represent them with additional hastati and principes or triarii if you so choose.

[gran_guitarra]

Well that's what I meant to represent, a Legion's strength and composition on paper. In reality very few Legions actually had those numbers exactly like that, especially with Auxiliaries and Allied infantry.

However, pure Legions are basically that, though if you want to suplement their strength that is quite all right, and in fact something I do myself if the enemy has a butload more troops than I do even with a "full" Legion.

[econ21]

I've gone back to EB and am using the starting EB Roman stacks as pre-Camillan legions (ie one of each basic Roman unit type), but add one principes and one hastati to bulk them out. That comes to a half stack and has roughly historical proportions (2H:2P:1T). It fights in quite a "Roman way" - relying on heavy infantry with limited light infantry (one slinger, one levee). It has perhaps too much cavalry (general + equites) but equites casualties are so high, it tends not to be overbalancing in practice.

For Italian allies, I follow Qwerty's recommendation to assume the Roman units also represent them. In RTR, I'd use the Italian allied units, but in EB, comparable units (samnites, extraordinarii etc) seem better than the Romans and don't seem to fit as neatly into my concept of a legion.

I might double the legion up for a Consular army. The half stack legion gets battered quite easily - e.g. just taking the rebel settlement north of Arretium (2 gestatae. ) I am not sure what to do about mercs yet; I am trying to avoid them but am sure that will weaken as casualties mount far afield.

One thing I've noticed in EB, is that generals tend to get conditioned to either be good fighters or good governors quickly. I'd like to see something like Marcus Camillus's Roman leadership traits (a mini-mod for RTR), that allow generals to switch between military and civic careers, and also makes rank related to age (experience).

[Sarkiss]

for Polibian and onwards legions, i would recommend Candilarius' guide to a 'right' consular armies compositions.
along with Quitus' guide on becming a true Roman.

[CNM]

Hi Sarkis
I still quite new here, and haven't learned to find my way around. Would it be possible for you to add a link to the 2 guides you mention?

for Polibian and onwards legions, i would recommend Candilarius' guide to a 'right' consular armies compositions.
along with Quitus' guide on becming a true Roman.

[Warmaster Horus]

Unless I'm much mistaken, aren't those guides for Rome Total Realism?