Battle deployment of Marian Cohort

[abou]

I need advice to properly (historically accurate) deploy Marian Cohort battle formation, since I already tried to arrange them in quincunx formation with no success (in fact the result had always disastrous)

BTW is there any reference books/reading materials I should read related with Marian Cohort battle formation and its variant?

Thank's beforehand for any advice you might given

The Marian Legion was deployed in three lines with four cohorts deployed in the first line and three in the 2nd and 3rd line. All three lines would be the same length and so the four cohorts in the first line are deployed deeper than the others. In front of the cohorts were the normal skirmishers and cavalry was on the wings.

Of course, that is just a legion. An army of the Marian era would have several legions and all attached cavalry would be posted to the wings of the entire formation.

[Hooahguy]

The Marian Legion was deployed in three lines with four cohorts deployed in the first line and three in the 2nd and 3rd line. All three lines would be the same length and so the four cohorts in the first line are deployed deeper than the others. In front of the cohorts were the normal skirmishers and cavalry was on the wings.

oops- i guess i was wrong....

[The Stranger]

you portrayed the quincunx formation... it was still used in marian times I think. It's just one tactic the romans used, they didnt used it all the time, and not every general used it. Though indeed it was used less after the marian reforms because marius changed from manipels to cohorts and cohorts were less suited for this formation.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

The quincunx formation usually ends up costing me huge amounts of soldiers, so I tried three straight lines. That was too costly too, sense the enemy can easily flank your short line. I usually fight with two lines, so that I can actually counter the enemy's moves, based on the game's limitations.

[Bootsiuv]

you portrayed the quincunx formation... it was still used in marian times I think. It's just one tactic the romans used, they didnt used it all the time, and not every general used it. Though indeed it was used less after the marian reforms because marius changed from manipels to cohorts and cohorts were less suited for this formation.

So the manipular formation was considered obselete by Marian's time? I've used it with great success well after the Marian reforms. Should I try something new?

[abou]

Well, the quincunx just wasn't used anymore. I can't think of any instance in which it was used after the change in the military. In fact, by imperial times the basic formation was reduced from three lines to two - five cohorts in each line. The first line, however, was longer due to the double-sized first cohort deployed on the far right.

[Bootsiuv]

Well, the quincunx just wasn't used anymore. I can't think of any instance in which it was used after the change in the military. In fact, by imperial times the basic formation was reduced from three lines to two - five cohorts in each line. The first line, however, was longer due to the double-sized first cohort deployed on the far right.

Very interesting. I didn't know that.

Thanks for the insight.

[The_Mark]

You could try this:


Legionary cohorts (doubled) in a loose checkerboard with light auxilia and skirmishers in the gaps; they prevent the enemy from outflanking the foremost cohorts and wears them down. Charge through with the second line when necessary.

The same system works neatly with earlier units as well in the smaller manipular formation, at least against AI.

[paullus]

how narrow are your lines? most of your enemies will come at your at least 8 ranks deep on huge sizes, but with 2 reinforcing lines to back up your first-rankers, you can put the front line 3 or 4 deep, and the rear lines 2 or 3. That'll keep you from getting outflanked by a similarly sized opponent, and I find my troops usually hold up really well, even though the formation seems dangerously thin.

Though I haven't played my Romani LPP campaign since versions got upgraded, I found putting the first rank of Marian legionaries on hold formation allowed them to last a long time against much deeper enemy forces, and allowed me to either reinforce them with similar long second lines to continue wearing down the enemy, or mass a unit from a rear line for a heavy assault at a weak point in the enemy lines, and force a breakthrough.

[varuna]

The Marian Legion was deployed in three lines with four cohorts deployed in the first line and three in the 2nd and 3rd line. All three lines would be the same length and so the four cohorts in the first line are deployed deeper than the others. In front of the cohorts were the normal skirmishers and cavalry was on the wings.

Of course, that is just a legion. An army of the Marian era would have several legions and all attached cavalry would be posted to the wings of the entire formation.

Thank's for your enlightment in the subject I'm going to give it a try. One more thing I need to know is how many ranks is the depth of each cohort since the 2nd and 3rd line would be thiner than the 1st line thus will be more vurnable on the flank.

Thank's beforehand.

[Pius Curus]

I agree with ABOU. In imperial times the legion was deployed in 2 lines, in each line were 5 cohorts and the first cohort on riht was "Thousand cohort".

[The Stranger]

Paullus, when you put your units 4 ranks deep in EB, they'll be pushed back so fast that they'll split in the middle, defenitly when you use the "Stand Ground" button. In the real roman army they may have fought 4-5 ranks deep, but there usually were more than one legion fighting, more auxilia's to back them up and the enemy would'nt push them back so hard but the romans would push THEM back, because they use their shield to push and stab.

@Bootsiuv, you can ofcourse still use the quincunx formation after the marius reforms on EB but they just weren't used anymore in real, like said before. In EB it doesn't matter because you use neither a manipel nor a cohort, you use something in between. So the reforms in EB would only provide you better units but not a different army.

[abou]

Thank's for your enlightment in the subject I'm going to give it a try. One more thing I need to know is how many ranks is the depth of each cohort since the 2nd and 3rd line would be thiner than the 1st line thus will be more vurnable on the flank.

Thank's beforehand.

Can't really say offhand. That's a lot of math actually, depending on what unit size you're playing on. You'll just have to experiment to see what works. Set them in the single line formation and then just click and drag. I wouldn't really worry about flanking though - to flank a formation that is three lines deep... well, you would have to come from behind to do it.

A nice place to stick your general though would be between the second and third line. Hopefully, if you've done it right, he'll be close enough to inspire the men in the front line, but still be out of missile range from javelin attacks.