New Unit: Scutatio

utahjazz7

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Joined
Dec 17, 2001
Messages
2,068
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Toledo, Ohio
Here you go. This was made at the request of Xen, as a Dark Age Roman defensive unit. I should also point out that the unit's name was suggested by Kryten. Enjoy.







Download.
 
:goodjob: Utah.

Just when we get close to a full set of flavour units, Firaxis go and release an XP with 7 more Tribes!
 
Lovely! :goodjob:
Absolutely perfect for an early Middle Age Roman & Byzantine Pikeman replacement.

I hope you don't mind if I post a little bit of history about this unit, which could possibly be used as a civiliopeadia entry :- :)

"The Late Roman army of the 4th and 5th centuries was quite different in both appearence and organisation to that of Caesar's time. The old Legionaries were reduced from 6,000 men to become smaller 1,000 man units, had abanoned the famous 'lora segmenta' iron armour, the square 'scutum' shield, their heavy 'pilum' javelins, and even began to wear Germanic style trousers instead of bare legs. By the 6th century, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the heavy infantry of the remaining Eastern or Byzantine Empire were the Scutatoi. Armed with long spears and round shields, they also carried light missile weapons called 'Martiobarbuli', which were a sort of large heavy dart, twelve of which were carried strapped to the backs of their shields. These defensive type weapons reflected the new role of infantry, which was simply to hold their position on the battlefield and give the main troops of the army, the cavalry, a solid formation that they could rally behind. Although some Byzantine armies consisted entirely of mounted troops, Scutatoi remained in use right up to the end of the Byzantine Empire, and finally disappered when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century."
 
Looks Great! Looks like I'll have a new "flavor" unit for the Romans.
 
Excellent... It seems to blend very well with the original Legion :)
 
YES! *crying of joy*
 
To be honest, I think this unit is better used as a hypothetical Roman Pikeman (circa 1400AD) - 4th or 5th century legionaires, as suggested by Kryten, wore leggings, chainmail armour and a more conical helmet (with no crest).
 
another superb unit utah :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob:

@Zulu-not all legionaries are as you describe- by then there was alot of differnce in just what kind of equipment you might mind in any paticuler formation, bu tover all, the following helmet was most in use-



and seems to have been in use for centuries after words as well...
 
neat-o, I like him too, I didnt even see him when I was going through thats sites pics...
 
well then, trhat setteks it dosent it :D

(also, could you give me a link to where you got that pic?)
 
as a note, the 450 AD legionary looks more like a centurion...
 
Oh I don't know.
There were always minor differences between contemporary units, depending upon how long they had been on campagin, and how long it's been since they last received fresh new uniforms....especially in the chaotic days of the 5th & 6th centuries.
And had the Western half of the Roman Empire not fallen, then it is quite probable that they would have evolved much like the Eastern or Byzantine half did.

I think that utahjazz7's figure looks quite all right:- :)
 

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