Римская экспедиция (The Last Roman) Army

Legio I Claudia Pia Fidelis

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A very expensive but very professional force, this demicohort will stand up to all but the best led of barbarian and traitorous bands.

The core of the force are the legionary skutatoi, who make up the professional Roman infantry. They are in turn supplemented by the mercenary, barbarian fœdorati. In battle, the fœdorati are in the front lines since they have a reputation for disloyalty (not being Romans afterall and being loyal only to coin) and since they are of cheaper quality than their Roman counter parts. They also guard the archers from being attacked as they launch their volleys overhead, this job may be given to the spears if the enemy has significant cavalry forces. When the fœdorati are exhausted, they are to retreat behind the regular skutatoi and rest up.

Spears are to act as guards on the flanks of the Roman battle lines and are only to positioned at the front as neeeded to act as a counter measure to cavalry. The remainder are to act as the first line of reserves to their sword bearing brethren. As regular reserves they may also play the infantry part of the manoeuvre element in battle alongside the elite antesignani and the heavy cavalry.

The heavy cavalry, consisting of cataphracts and tagmata, act first and foremost as a powerful counter to other cavalry and secondly to be the hammer to the infantry’s anvil. Manoeuvring around the enemy order of battle and hitting them from the rear as to cause chaos in their ranks and as much devastation as possible. These heavy cavalry also have two centuries of hippotoxotai as a lighter element capable of quick response time.

Last and least are the leves, who are truly the first in battle though they have little staying power. Armed only with their javelins, they are skirmishers who bait the enemy to battle by harassing their skirmishers and softening their main lines. They are to retreat to the rear for the duration of the battle after they have exhausted their ammunition.

This force would’ve been largely recruited from the Imperial heartlands of Thracia, Asia Minor, and Macedonia. Unlike many western Armies before the fall of 476, these men are mostly Romans and of a markedly higher quality in terms of soldiering and loyalty to the emperor, his exarchs, and Rome herself. Though they would’ve been greatly outnumbered by the barbarians they faced, their superior discipline and equipment would win them many battles so long as they followed a competent commander.