How to Test A Scutum

[Nerva]

Ha!, we lost another scutum at the week-end. Same as all the others, split right down the center from top to bottom. When I get home at the week-end I'll post up some pictures of 'retired' scuta, I think you'll find them entertaning.

There's no real point in trying to test a scutum under 'lab' conditions. All of ours were destroyed by battlefield events that would be difficult to simulate properly. Our first was destroyed by a sarissa. Punched a hole right through, it was open season on that scutum after that.

Our second was lost to a two handed heavy axe which broke it's spine right down the middle. Our third to a Norman 'clanky' trying to burst through our shield wall, he just ran at us and impacted at speed. The scutum broke right down the middle.

On the other hand, our flat auxiliary scuta survive much better. Edge damage from axe, falx and sword strikes being the most common damage inflicted. Arrows are all right, they just stick in the scutum, some penatrate through but have lost too much energy to cause us any real injury (Only joking, we use rubber tops to arrows!)