Post by dpd on Feb 11, 2023 0:58:18 GMT
A while back in another thread, the discussion got side lined discussing how well hypaspists work in the game as blade units.
Which makes sense if you just slightly redefine what a blade is.
Spears and pikes can both be categorized as foot armed with heavy weapons fighting in close formations.
But there is no physical way the hypaspists could have kept up with the hard charging Companion cavalry while remaining in close formation.
And hypaspists are too heavy to be classified as auxilia.
It takes elbow room to fence with a sword or swing an axe - or run along side the companion cavalry.
In fact, the Roman legions would give an order making every other file step forward a pace, in effect giving each front line soldier 6 feet of frontage instead of a densely packed 3 feet (see the Roman Army Page by Gary Brueggeman if it is still available).
So why not alter the definition of a blades to be "foot armed with heavy weapons' in an open formation"?
Granted, the hypaspists were primarily armed with spears, but also used swords. Likewise, the legions were primarily armed with swords but also used spears (throwing pila, or thrusting lancea in the late empire).
The hypaspists would then be analogous to a Roman cohort.
Thoughts or comments?
Which makes sense if you just slightly redefine what a blade is.
Spears and pikes can both be categorized as foot armed with heavy weapons fighting in close formations.
But there is no physical way the hypaspists could have kept up with the hard charging Companion cavalry while remaining in close formation.
And hypaspists are too heavy to be classified as auxilia.
It takes elbow room to fence with a sword or swing an axe - or run along side the companion cavalry.
In fact, the Roman legions would give an order making every other file step forward a pace, in effect giving each front line soldier 6 feet of frontage instead of a densely packed 3 feet (see the Roman Army Page by Gary Brueggeman if it is still available).
So why not alter the definition of a blades to be "foot armed with heavy weapons' in an open formation"?
Granted, the hypaspists were primarily armed with spears, but also used swords. Likewise, the legions were primarily armed with swords but also used spears (throwing pila, or thrusting lancea in the late empire).
The hypaspists would then be analogous to a Roman cohort.
Thoughts or comments?
