Re: Shields

From: Tim Newman <ins_hyacinth_at_...>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 14:29:32 -0000

> >I understood that Roman legions would stand, shield
> >overlapping and pila pointing forwards, to receive
> >charges by cavalry, the theory being that horses are
> >not generally so stupid (all scenes in Braveheart to
> >the contrary) as to run headlong into into a mass that
> >appears solid and pointy. This would not seem to work
> >against the couched 12-foot lance of medieval times.
> >I think that the legion had pretty much deteriorated
> >in training by the time that cataphracts made their
> >first appearances. Is that right? If not, is there
> >any record of them facing off? Assuming that real
> >world cataphractoi had no stirrups, would the result
> >change if they did (since the stirrup is apprently
> >widely known in Glorantha)?
>
> The Romans always had difficulty with enemy cavalry, not
> so much from a frontal charge but that properly deployed
> the cavalry ends up riding round to the flanks and rear
> when even light cavalry can see off heavy infantry. As far
> as I can see the Romans dropped the pila in favour of a
> long spear at about the time they first encountered
> cataphracts (3rd Century AD). Whether it was the cataphracts
> in particular or more generally fighting against armies with
> a high proportion of cavalry I don't know.

The first Roman engagement with cataphracts was against the Seleucid army at Magnesia in 189BC, and the cataphracts broke two legions with a frontal charge. In most later battles the Romans did better, being adaptable enough to change their tactics according to the enemy. Most of the Roman problem was the shallow formations they formed up in, only 4 ranks - most ancient world infantry were in deeper formations of 8+ ranks.
I don't think the length of the spears used had much effect, as there are perfectly good examples of sword or axe armed infantry beating cavalry attacks. It's more a matter of the depth of the formation and the willingness of the infantry to stand. Confident close formation infantry will stop a cavalry simply because the horses won't run into a solid object. It's when the infantry are wavering and gaps appear that they have trouble.

>
> Dragging the subject back to Glorantha it's likely that the
> result of a cavalry/infantry conflict will depend more on the
> steadyness of the two sides than anything else. So a heortling
> fyrd will probably run when threatened by pretty much any heavy
> cavalry whereas a regiment of Sun Domers wouldn't. In the event
> that the infantry stood few cavalry units would actually charge
> into contact. Exceptions probably being Sir Ethelrist's knights
> and some Lunar Guard Cavalry.
>

Rokari and Esrolvuli knights, and Carmanians too might also be exceptions. If any Heortlings have experience at this it's probably the neighbours of the Esrolvuli, who have probably faced heavy cavalry charges more than anyone else.