LEGIONARY SLINGERS & Rules to Use Them

 

This is the first of likely three Legionary slinger sets I'll be adapting from the Warlord Miniatures range. After re-reading my sources and thinking about ways to augment by near completed legion I gratefully opted for the sling variants provided for. I am basing them in loose formation pairs with an option for either four or six figure detached units capable of stepping forward and screening the parent cohort. More on the rules for that later.

With a bit of cutting and filing, I've made some shield holders to represent them fighting as pairs akin to archers with pavise holders. Legionaries of this period trained and were equipped with slings as an ancillary weapon. I imagine they would need their equipment not far from them at all times so I have them with partners holding shields ready to screen them from incoming missiles as well as one having planted his shield for a static defence and another who simply dropped his to the side.

HAIL CAESAR Rules

Roman Legionary slinger-skirmishers are loosely provided for within the SUB-UNIT rule which only details the requirement of any unit to remain within one move distance from the parent body.

After discussing options with my good mate Grant, I am proposing the purchase of optional special rules capabilities per cohort labelled SUB-UNIT Skirmish (1) and SUB-UNIT Skirmish (2) - one being more expensive than the other. It may prove unlikely that a points costed army could afford to have more than a very few cohorts with this ability.

SUB-UNIT Skirmish (1) would be the capability to detach a 'Tiny' unit of four (4) slingers (Stamina 1-2). Apart from the ability to deliver sustained missile fire forward of the cohort up to 12", they would provide a screen to incoming non-artillery fire (artillery would clear the skirmishers or penetrate through to the main body). As skirmishers, they are -1 to hit and have the added armour bonuses in that they are still heavy infantry (5+)

SUB-UNIT Skirmish (2) would operate the same except they field as 'Small' units of six (6) (Stamina 3). Both types should have a long range Combat Value of no more than 2, like their dedicated skirmishing counterparts.

I would drop the morale save to 5+ from the normal 4+ becasue they are not in close formation and would not enjoy collateral cover from the shield formations.

Operating as a SUB-UNIT, once Stamina reaches SHAKEN they must test like any other unit and if they fail, they retreat back into the parent body (cohort) never to skirmish again that battle AND the loss of stamina is then transferred to the main body.

A LEADER may attempt to rally-off Stamina points from the Skirmishers like any other unit.

Whilst Legionary Skirmishers have no front like all other skirmishers, they will likely always have a comparably limited field of fire, being unable to shoot to their rear, behind their parent cohort.

In deciding whether to invest in a Legionary Slinger capability I'd be considering their Morale Save advantages over other skirmishers and I'd be recognizing their deployment limitations. Furthermore, dedicated skirmishing units have options for MARKSMAN (for Cretans and Balerics) which Legionaries would or should not.

I deliberately did not paint a cohort numeral on the shields of these slingers so I can use them for any of my XI legio cohorts. As figure numbers and removal is not a feature of the HAIL CAESAR rules, I will just place these figures if/when they
deploy and once they have been reduced, I'll simply remove them. There should be no need to have them on the table before of after their period of activity and I don't need them loitering to the rear of their cohort or anything like that.