Pila range and how?

[Robert Vermaat]

I heard that Comitatus' testing shows that clipping javelins and plumbatae onto the back of the shield makes the shield awkard and difficult to use. Furthermore, most Late Roman shields were dished (usually the oval ones were flat though), so you couldn't clip things onto the back anyways.

The shape of the shield does not matter as long as the object is short enough. For plumbatae there's no problem.
besides, it's not clear how plumbatae 'inside the shield' were used, either everybody had them or they were passed on to the front ranks, to be thrown before battle commenced.