The Bastarnae are a particularly ferocious tribe from the northern Balkans who rejoice in man-to-man combat. In phalanx formation these men can advance in a disciplined mass and ‘push’ against an enemy line, often breaking through in the process as few enemies will stand in the face of so many spear points coming towards them! Indeed, from the front a phalanx can be almost invulnerable. It is popular because the first five ranks can present their pikes to the enemy creating a mobile forest of sharpened metal, while those further back hold them at a 45 degree angle to deflect enemy arrows. This is the weapon that Alexander’s armies used, and it has remained popular in all the Successor states that sprang up in his collapsed empire, even though most of the men recruited to fight as pikemen are neither Macedonian nor Greek by descent. They are armed with an enormously long pike, or sarissa, often 4-5m in length. Phalanx pikemen, or phalangites, are well-drilled infantry who fight best as solid mass of men. Historically, this is one of the few weapons that made the Romans change their standardised armour, as they added reinforcing bars to legionary helmets after encountering falxmen. The damage from any blow is done with a pulling motion, meaning that any blow that lands will hack off a limb or decapitate a foe at the least. It is a frightening weapon: a curved scythe-like blade on the end of a long handle that is sharpened on the inner curve of the blade. A falx can cut a man in two lengthways in the hands of a skilled user.
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They wear no armour, partly as a sign of their bravery and partly because it would interfere with the free swinging of their falxes. They are superior, but somewhat ill-disciplined warriors who are willing to charge into a fight without orders. Falxmenįalxmen are used to carve a path into enemy formations. However, they can still hold off an enemy for a substantial amount of time, particularly a mounted enemy. As their name may suggest, militia hoplites are drawn from civilian ranks in times of great need, and therefore cannot be expected to be either skilled or disciplined fighters. They almost always fought in phalanxes, presenting an impenetrable wall of iron to their foes. Hoplites formed the core of the Greek armies for centuries, with their long spears that stretched out more than a dozen feet in front of them. These archers are at their best in wooded country, where their superior stalking skills learned on the hunt can be put to use. Their choice of missile is matched to the nature of the target. Their bows have a short range, but each warrior carries a good selection of hunting and war arrows, designed to cause massive bleeding and pierce armour respectively. Any archers caught in the open by cavalry will be in trouble unless they can withdraw to more favourable ground or behind a shield wall of friendly warriors. The members of the warband are lightly armed and equipped, relying more on speed as a protection from foes. ArchersĪrcher warbands are used to harass and break up enemy formations, so that other warriors can then get in amongst their enemies. They are fairly useless in melee combat, and should not be subjected to it. They can also be useful for acting as a distraction to the enemy, to lure them into an ambush, or to create a diversion by attacking some target. These skirmishers are restricted to peppering the enemy with long-range javelins before the actual battle commences. The peltasts were the original Thracian warriors. Peasants should be used as an absolute last resort, or in cases where funds are extremely short. They are cheap to train, however, and their one advantage is an ability to hide well. Poorly armed and with little military experience, their morale and discipline are both understandably low. The last option of any desperate army (except perhaps slaves or convicts), peasants are good for increasing your numbers…and not much else.