Sub-regimental organisation of the 'Lunar phalanx'.

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 02:40:06 +0100 (BST)

Mikko Rintasaari:
> Oh don't get me started. I don't want the roman at all, I just like having
> the Lunar army more manouverable and flexible. I think a nice
> basic manouvering unit of the Red Armo would be a cohort of 70 men. Both
> for heavy infantry and auxia (apologies for the roman terminology). These
> units are of course trained to unite / separate / unite again as needs be.

I assumed you meant a rather larger sub-unit when you said cohort. Yes, I think there are such sub-units (centuries, etc), though what the 'correct doctrine' for their use is is another matter... If you're suggesting this or that type of 'tactical drill' at such a level, I can imagine that, though what said tactics would be is another matter. I can imagine regiments like the Steel Swords having wackier tactics than yer basic stand-in-neat-rows-please long-spear heavy inf, for example. But I think using the components of a regiments strategically independantly would at the least be very unusual, if not outright unheard of.

> > > The place for the greek/macedonian model warfare is the purely solar
> > > cultures.
> >
> > Like for example, Dara Happa...
>
> Indeed. But I think most of the Dara Happan phalanxes aren't acually that
> deep, and are equipped with 1h-spear and shield, not the Sarissa. The Dara
> Happan phalanxes are heavily armored and fearsome though.

That'd make sense to me, with the Pelandan phalanx being the more 'classical' one. (Nevr mind that they're not a 'pure solar culture'. Maybe the Sun Dome Templars are the bastard child of the two in some fashion... I trust Martin will lob up at this point and give us the Definitive Take of DH vs. P. (vs whomever else) phalanxes, assuming the distinctions haven't been cross-fertilised out of existence in the modern day. (Most of the DH ones have been explicitly re-formed in the Lunar era, for example, IIRC.)

> "Don't let those screaming blue men and this thunderstorm un-nerve you
> men. Hold the line."
>
> -..not always so easy.

No, indeed not! What's that Zulu saying about standing at the front of a close-order formation, short spear, brave heart?

The training and doctrine of a phalangist unit will be, in order of descending importance, i) hold the line, ii) hold the line, and iii) hold the line, for the very reason that it's not a natural or easy thing to do. Having too much of a 'back-up plan' would look potentially lukewarm, given this context...

Cheers,
Alex.

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