10-29-2006, 11:08 PM
We are working on a photo essay for the webpage
May favorite tactic against an opponent with a spear, a thrusting spear as oppossed to one that's thrown, is archery. An arrow is simply a longer spear
Another, if he is massed, is to close quickly, faster than he can retreat. Once you can get in under the first rank of tips, say agaist a phalanx, use the scutum to lift the points upwards and then drive forward. From my experience spearmen drop their spears and attempt to draw short weapons further negating the effect of massed spears.
Other gladius techniques..
A thrust of faith.. knowing an opponent is pressed hard against your scutum, you can feel him there and do not actually need to see him... you can stab across the face of your scutum, thrusting the point hard to the left, parellel to the face of the scutum.. you will be stabbing at his shield side, but if he has his shield in high guard his lower target area is exposed, perhaps a thrust towards where his knee should be... a few quick thrusts and you'll make good contact
A slash from a high guard down the slot between your scutum and your shieldmate's .. this can be a slashing tip shot or a full slash
..combined with a thrust.. ouch! Slash down then thrust...
Another interesting technique is to turn the gladius so that your thumb is at the pommel and not the hilt, your palm facing inwards... allows you to stab shoulder high when the press of bodies is too tight for effective lowline thrusts... has the effect of keeping your arm behind the scutum.... your wrist does not have to be torqued in an awkward weak angle for a high line attack as it would be if you raised your elbow and twisted your wrist so that the back of your hand was facing your face..
And remember you do not have to thrust hard.. maybe fast.. and if the press of bodies is tight you only need to push the tip in...
I'm all for targets of opportunity, but only when the opponent is in disarray. Any miles who steps out of line to get a kill endangers everyone.
Don't advance faster than the slowest guy. Line intergrity is essential.
One of the fun things about these techniques is that 3, 4, 5, guys can attack the same opponent at once. .. or in a rolling series of attacks
And miles can help each other out... if I am to the left of Gaius I can say "Gaius high" and an instant after he stabs high I stab out diagonally, low to my right... working together to take out the man pressing against Gaius's scutum.
This comes with experience and fighting with rudis shoulder to shoulder through many hours and months of drill with the same men standing next to you.
You can imagine the miles chattering to each other.. calling shots if you will.. urging each other on... none of this chaotic gutteral shouting you see in movies
Imagine the second or third rank with more experienced milites coaching the rookies in front of them. "Agelastus, high right.." ..many eyes working together...
We've done and do all of these things in SCA war combat with exceptional success.
May favorite tactic against an opponent with a spear, a thrusting spear as oppossed to one that's thrown, is archery. An arrow is simply a longer spear
Another, if he is massed, is to close quickly, faster than he can retreat. Once you can get in under the first rank of tips, say agaist a phalanx, use the scutum to lift the points upwards and then drive forward. From my experience spearmen drop their spears and attempt to draw short weapons further negating the effect of massed spears.
Other gladius techniques..
A thrust of faith.. knowing an opponent is pressed hard against your scutum, you can feel him there and do not actually need to see him... you can stab across the face of your scutum, thrusting the point hard to the left, parellel to the face of the scutum.. you will be stabbing at his shield side, but if he has his shield in high guard his lower target area is exposed, perhaps a thrust towards where his knee should be... a few quick thrusts and you'll make good contact
A slash from a high guard down the slot between your scutum and your shieldmate's .. this can be a slashing tip shot or a full slash
..combined with a thrust.. ouch! Slash down then thrust...
Another interesting technique is to turn the gladius so that your thumb is at the pommel and not the hilt, your palm facing inwards... allows you to stab shoulder high when the press of bodies is too tight for effective lowline thrusts... has the effect of keeping your arm behind the scutum.... your wrist does not have to be torqued in an awkward weak angle for a high line attack as it would be if you raised your elbow and twisted your wrist so that the back of your hand was facing your face..
And remember you do not have to thrust hard.. maybe fast.. and if the press of bodies is tight you only need to push the tip in...
I'm all for targets of opportunity, but only when the opponent is in disarray. Any miles who steps out of line to get a kill endangers everyone.
Don't advance faster than the slowest guy. Line intergrity is essential.
One of the fun things about these techniques is that 3, 4, 5, guys can attack the same opponent at once. .. or in a rolling series of attacks
And miles can help each other out... if I am to the left of Gaius I can say "Gaius high" and an instant after he stabs high I stab out diagonally, low to my right... working together to take out the man pressing against Gaius's scutum.
This comes with experience and fighting with rudis shoulder to shoulder through many hours and months of drill with the same men standing next to you.
You can imagine the miles chattering to each other.. calling shots if you will.. urging each other on... none of this chaotic gutteral shouting you see in movies
Imagine the second or third rank with more experienced milites coaching the rookies in front of them. "Agelastus, high right.." ..many eyes working together...
We've done and do all of these things in SCA war combat with exceptional success.
Hibernicus
LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA
You cannot dig ditches in a toga!
[url:194jujcw]http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org[/url]
A nationwide club with chapters across N America
LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA
You cannot dig ditches in a toga!
[url:194jujcw]http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org[/url]
A nationwide club with chapters across N America
