Some questions about Fulcum, for you, Viri Clarissimi atque Artifices Supremi.
Some time ago, after being totally defeated by the Sassanids, in a battle that I consider the best and the most historicaly accurate I ever fought in the entire TW games, in which my poor Legio Palatina and Auxilia Palatina were reduced by missile fire to half their strength before coming into conctat with the enemy, I thought: There must be a way for the Romans to reach the enemy without suffering such heavy casualties by missile fire!?!
Now, reading an italian book about Roman Army with a good documentation (G.Cascarino-"L'Esercito Romano-armamento e organizzazione"- ed. il Cerchio), I found the answer: the Fulcum!
Until then, I considered the Fulcum like the Cuneus, a Roman version of the germanic Attack Column or Boar's Head formation (good description in S.MacDowall Osprey books).
The author, quoting Ammianus, Arrianus, Cassius Dione and the Strategikon, describe the Fulcum or Foulkon like an attack formation with a remarkable defensive quality.
In the Fulcum the first line advance with overlapped shields, like in the Shieldwall, the second line advance with the Shield high over head, protecting the heads of the milites in the front line and the rear ranks, which advance in closed formation but do not carry the shields overhead.
In practice only the first 2 lines perform a defensive role.
An useful formation which unite the defensive quality of the Shieldwall and the Testudo with the more offensive Cuneus/Boar's Head/Attack Column.
What do you think? Do you have better informations? I'm very interested in your opinions.
Second question: Is possible to transfer such a formation in game? Do we need a new animation, a mix between Shieldwall and Testudo? Can we use only Shieldwall maybe with a bonus against missile fire, more speed and little more spaced ranks?
Final note for wargamers, here is the link to the site of colonel Macdowall in which you can find "Comitatus" the best set of rules for wargaming Late Romans, Merovingians, Dark Ages, truly great rules, free PDF download:
http://legio-wargames.com/#/comitatus/4537030456