THE BYZANTINE LEGION!

[emperornovaroma]

Well everybody, i'm doing an Byzantine aar. I did something in my campaign which i called the Legion Reformation to bring back the legions. Since it has tactical formations, i feel it can also benefit the people in Battle Planning.

THE MOMENT YOU"VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

THE LEGION REFORMATION-Part 1

In the year 1154, the Nova Roma Empire had expanded to much of its former territories. The Emperor Alexios was 63 years old, but was still the great awe-inspiring man that had bested Istvan The Lord of Royal Knights of Hungary, Conqueror of the Giants of Hell in mortal combat. It was his valor and daughter that brought the Great Istvan to serve the Empire.

Alexios was old, but he knew that enemies were everywhere. Poland was rising in strength everyday, The Teutonic Order was expanding in the far north, too far to manage. However Alexios although seeing these threats felt that something somewhere was stiring and would come to sweep away his hard worked for empire. .....

May 5th, 1154
It had been many years since he was defeated by Papal Forces at the Battle of Rome and how he took revenge on the city of Rome. Alexios regretted doing such a horrible act on such a fair city, but he had rebuilt better and restored it to its former glory, the glory of an empire. Alexios was now an old man and he saw that his son was a corrupt fool. He did not follow in his father's footsteps of godliness.
Although Prince John was a corrupt fool, he was a powerful commander still who would be sure to continue to Empire and with the Royal Champion Istvan by his side, Alexios felt that when he died that the empire would be left in safe hands. Still, Alexios wanted to cement the future of his empire and glancing at the statues of Ancient Rome, knew what would. The Roman Legion was the greatest fighting force that ever lived and Alexios would reborn it.

Alexios met with his greatest advisors when he heard the great news that his son Andronicus had conquered the last remants of Hungary.


Alexios was proud of his son and continued on to his work. He looked over the resources of the empire and what it could muster. He saw that the empire had too many troops in the well-protected interior of the empire and that many of the border armies were ill-adapted at responding to different threats. He knew that if Nova Roma was to survive, his new legions would have to be created quickly.

Alexios was a genius, for only geniuses could create should an efficent system of military defense and mobilization. Few men could create such an invicible set of military tactics and stragety for his legions. He ordered his scribes to write out all his work out and was tired. Alexios went to his royal palace and had everything that an emperor could want, but he was weary. His weariness was no regular mortal weariness, but one of a great god among men. Alexios had single-handly reversed the course of Byzantine decline. He deserved rest.

As he got into his bed, a heavenly voice spoke to him. "Alexios, Emperor of Rome. Your great piety, honor and dedication to God has not been unseen. Your empire is a testement to your will. I tell you Alexios, tonight you shall die." Alexios spoke back to this heavenly voice and said " And what of my Empire, what will be of it?" The reply was soft and yet powerful, "I can not tell you now, but when you enter the gates of heaven, you will know. What I will show you now however is what would have happened without you." All of a sudden Alexios was stricken by visions of horror. He saw the Empire overrun by Venetians and and huge empires with supreme power. Then he saw his beloved city of Nova Roma, which when he renamed transformed the empire. Nova Roma was the only remainder of what was once. He saw the common people being slaughtered and he cried.


Then he was back in his bed-chamber and he thanked God that he was allowed to have saved the Empire. Then he died in peace.

[emperornovaroma]

Second And Last Part

With the death of the great Emperor Alexios, who in future generations would be viewed as the greatest Emperor Nova Roma had, his son ascended the throne......



Emperor John the Corrupt was what people would entitle him. Unlike his father and his younger brothers, he was no chivarlous man. Instead he was a man of few virtues. His rule would not be as long as his father's and his death not peaceful. However he was not a weak man. No, far from it. He was a mighty ruler and great commander. He was a lover of battle and would die in it.....,but thats a story to be told later. Now the story of the great rebirth of Rome's great legion must be finished.

THE LEGION REFORMATION- PART 2
Upon hearing the news of his father's death, John laughed. His great laughter stunned all spectators around him. When one's father dies, you would think one would be sad. John was not. John had always thought that his father was Emperor for too long and that he deserved the throne and the riches behind it.. John was rushed to Nova Roma where he was crowned the new Emperor of Nova Roma. However since his father was in the second capital of Rome, the imperial crown was not in Nova Roma. John was impatient and greedy. He would not wait for his crown to arrive and ordered a new better crown to be made. With the purest gold and the shinest gems, John had a crown unrivaled since King David. On the steps of the Imperial Palace he cried, " God himself couldn't have a better crown!" Just then a foul wind coming from someone's arse knocked him down 60 steps of stairs. Emperor John would be in the hospital for a year.

Due to disablement of the Emperor, the imperial family held a meeting. They had to decide who would manage the empire in place of John. The vote was unanimous towards Istvan. As the greatest general of the empire and the other brothers of the Emperor too young to lead an entire empire, it was obvious Istvan was best-suited to do the job. The Imperial Title known as the Consul was brought back and Istvan was given it. Consul Istvan asked the Governor of Rome for Emperor Alexios' government works and was given it. He was informed by the royal advisors that the late emperor had planned a legion reformation. Consul Istvan thought to himself, " New legions, remarkable! Alexios was a genius! His plans and legion military tactics are amazing." Consul Istvan declared that the legion reformation would be intiated at once! There was decree to all army training centers for them to start the legion reformation. The empire's greatest defence would be born and they would need it........

The Legion
The Nova Roma Legion is flexible and hardy. It is able to adapt to different situations and opponents. It is based on the organization of the Centuria. Unit types are standardized as components of the army in groups of Centuria. If a unit type is used in a legion then it will have 2 Centuria or more. The only exception to this rule are the Legionaries who are the most important part in the legion. They will always be in a legion and will always have 5 Centuria. Legionary Centuria will never have less than 5 Centuria, unless when the situation demands it. The standard legion consists of:

However 2 Centuria can be switched with other 2 Centuria that are better suited to doing the task the legion is setting out to do. For example, if the legion is sieging a settlement with walls, the field artillery will be replaced with heavier siege equipment or if against a heavy cavalry based army, the Varangian Guard will be replaced with Byzantine Legionary Spearmen. This allows the legion to adapt to different armies and troop types. Only 2 Centuria can be traded unless again the situation demands it.

The Emperor Alexios made 3 standard formations for his legions. Of course he made many more for different situations, but this are the main ones and are usually enough against the barbarians called AI. They are the regular battle formation, regular defense formation, and the moving fortress attack formation.


An overview of the Regular Battle Formation. The Cavalry are on the flanks and the legionaries hold the core, while the Legionary Spearmen hold the infantry flanks.


A flank of the Regular Battle Formation.
The Horse Archers are in front of the Heavy Cavalry.


The Center of the Regular Battle Formation. The Archers are in the front, and the Legionaries form an wall of steel as the main center.


The Regular Defensive Formation. The archers are behind the center of legionaries and protected, while bordered by Varangurian Guard.Spearmen protect the flanks, with horse archer behind them to fire add to the missile defense system. The heavy cavalry are hidden and strike only when the time is right.


The Moving Fortress Attack Formation. Wider and bringing the full power of the legion's attack force at bay.


The Spearmen are replaced the Varangurian Guard and the Horse Archers are at the far flanks, while the Heavy Cavalry are on the same column as the infantry. The formation requires the legion to move slowly, even the Heavy Cavalry(but when the time charge comes it'll be fast) but the infantry machine will grind through any oppostion (literally).

The Men of The Legion
The Men of The Legion can only be Nova Roma citzens under the Citzen Decree of Emperor Alexios. They are given however standarized equipment and equal training throughout the empire. Their lives are hard and toiling, but they are the ones that built the empire.

LEGIONARIES:



BYZANTINE LEGIONARY SPEARMEN:



LEGION ARCHERS


LEGION FIELD ARTILLERY:


LEGION CAVALRY ARCHERS:


LEGION HEAVY CAVALRY:



THE LEGION"S FOWARD ATTACKERS- VARANGIAN GUARD:


All men deserve praise. They are the best soldiers to have walked the Earth. However even among the best, there are the best. This is the same with the legions. Not all legions are created equally and for The Roman Guard, it would be an understatement.........

WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!

[Nole4694]

I HATE IT AND YOUR AAR SUCKS TOO!!!!



nah though is this like a mod or tactics, cause it looks like the only thig you changed was tyhe units names. Still its unique and interesting.. only if i had a byzentine campain. (I let my aar pass away peacfully)

[ComnenusTheOne]

how did u change the unit names?

[Nole4694]

You have to edit some file in the mtw folder of coarse! duh

[ComnenusTheOne]

You have to edit some file in the mtw folder of coarse! duh

U can edit city names from in game tho.

[SGD2C]

That's at good formation. When i play as the Byzantines, i use a formation close to yours. I add more spearmen and add foot archers. so the front line is always spears with the reg infantry behind.

[emperornovaroma]

SGD2C, which formation? There are 3. And do you have modded spearmen or regular because regular suck. Anyway to simplify my thinking for people to see, i divide unit types into foot archers, field artillery, siege artillery, heavy cavalry, frontline infantry, light crap infantry, spearmen,assault infantry, missile cavalry and light cavalry. In a byzantine army against any regular faction army, your most important unit types are frontline infantry( swordsmen like byz infantry or in my game the legionaries), missile cavalry and heavy cavalry. Since vanillia byz have horrid spearmen, you really aren't going to use them as much. Missile Cavalry gives you the mobility and missile power to dismantle infantry and some cavalry. Heavy Cavalry is used to charge weak infantry and other cavalry. The frontline infantry is what wins. If you can use effeciently to destroy the enemy infantry, you win. Spearmen have little purpose then to die in the byzantine army if its vaillia of course. If I have to deal with a charging enemy then i would have 2 extra centuria.

Nole i did more than change the names, i modded their abilities in battle to be more organized+effecient and the byzantine spearmen can do......THE SHIELD WALL!