Gladius thrust?

[Bhuark]

I'd have to disagree with those tactics in a tight formation, Jereon ( with the exception of the last ). Fighting close as the miles did, you wouldn't not want to raise your arm too high ( if you even could with your neighbor's shield pressing into you ) to thrust downward as that would possibly put you off balance and expose your arm. Diddo with the face-bash. Both of these sword-swinging types of motions don't really fit in well with close-formation tactics. Neither with the gladius' general characteristics. I think an upward thrust would be possible, but for the most part, I would think low-thrusts would be the course for the day. Abdominal wounds are atrociously incapacitating and painful. Shreiking foes holding their ( soft and full of vsual-cue blood to pour out ) would have made a) an easy target that b) demoralizes the guy behind the screamer. If the thrust went low, as it would be more likely in a press, then it could hit the genitals or legs, both of which, again, are pretty much instantly debilatating wounds. That good ole femoral artery could get punched, and then its just a matter of time, really seconds, before the light-headedness would set in. I'd imagine one's short, rapid thrusts were mainly done with more of a "feel" then an actual view, as one would want to be ducking as much as possible behind the scutum. Not to mention, as real foes are bashing into the line, one could never know when one's neighbor's shield was going to bonk them sideways, perhaps blocking any thrust attempts for a second or two. Hunkered down behind a scutum, I just don't think that any broad swings or "over the top" thrusts/bashings would be the blow-de-jour for a Roman in combat. I'm sure it happened, but I think those moves would hinder a formation rather than help it.