about testudo

[pcp]

cesare on de bello Gallico reports that the testudo was used also by gauls and by the Belgians tribe, especially during the sieges and the use refers to the fact alesia, livio also says that during the sentino's battle in 295 bc bilge gauls in trouble were compacted at a wall of shields, what do you think?
would be nice able to implement it to gauls!

[captian of sparta]

the testudo was used for sieges so that the enemy arrows couldnt kill them so it was a good tactic but it was rarely used in a field battle

[pcp]

yes i know! but I thought it was used exclusively by the Roman legions, and not from other armies!

[captian of sparta]

it was used only by roman legions but in rs the auxilia can use it but barbarians used a shield wall witch was totaly differnet to the testudo the saxons used it at hatings(shield wall) the phalanx was technically the same as the sheild wall except with spears outwards

[Aristedes]

Phalanx > testudo > shield wall. End.

[Mattzo12]

Problem with phalanx - missiles. Enemy ranged units will obliterate phalanxes

[Aristedes]

Only if they are Javelin/Pila throwing units, but I take those out with my archers, mostly. Arrows don't hurt a phalanx much when attacked from the front.

[Mattzo12]

makes sense. I was using javcav.

[Julianus Flavius]

Javelin cavalry were invented to annialate phalanxes. They were first employed (In greece anyway) to counter slow-moving phalanx formations. To counter the javelin cavalry, heavy cavalry (Not cataphract heavy, but equipped with armour, spear, shield, no barding, etc) was developed. Warfare had become, in short, more tactical.
The Romans came along and decided that something had to be done with Phalanxes to make them effective in sieges. The Testudo formation was developed, and was, as it's name suggests, 'like the tortoise'. Although this is not shown in-game, a testudo was a shieldwall, too, and was used as such, like seen in the teaser trailer from before Rome came out. (Snippets were used for SPQR TW's opening trailer)
It seems only logical that other races would pick up little innovations from each other. So, giving those gaulish heavy infantry fellows (The one the game says were invented to combat romans) testudo would be historical-ish, but, as I have not seen any records of gauls using a testudo in battle I cannot really pass judgement to the historical accuracy of such a formation. It feels right, though, that a dying civilisation would, as a last hope, imitate the 'super-soldiers' of it's enemies in an attempt to drive them off.
pcp, could you please message me with the source you mentioned. I'm curious now!!

[Lord Dakier]

Quite a few units used the Testudo formation, it was not really uncommon to see non Romans do this. Greeks had a similiar version to this well developed before the Romans I believe.

[Julianus Flavius]

That appears logical, as the greeks invented the phanlanx, it seems plausable that they would improve it for siege situations. it's just a shame we can't give hoplites testudo, as spear units when given testudo trigger CTS's. I know from personal experience.

[pcp]

probably who cesare and livio use testudo term to indicate the goulish wall of shields!

[Julianus Flavius]

Yeah, that is likely too. You can jst folow the instructions that i gave you and write 'shieldwall'. BACKUP!! It works for IJ, but it uses Barbarian Invasion, and RS uses Rome. Actually, I seem to remember that SPQR has a shieldwall thing for romans. Basically it tightens the unit up into a small block of soldiers. I just can't remember what it was called!

[pcp]

thanxx! julianos i think that probably someone from the team fix it in RS2!

[pcp]

good! seems easy!

[Gez]

Just a tidbit of information

When the 2nd, 14th, 19th and 20th invaded Britain under Claudius reign, about 100 years after Julius Ceaser, the brits under Caratucus used the testudo formation to break roman formations when they would attack forts that the romans sallied out to mee them by. Especially the heavy infantry. But because the Romans had lived to train hard, the british testudo was obviously not as effective or as protective as the romans, but it still gave the romans something to think about these 'barbarians'!

[pcp]

Just a tidbit of information

When the 2nd, 14th, 19th and 20th invaded Britain under Claudius reign, about 100 years after Julius Ceaser, the brits under Caratucus used the testudo formation to break roman formations when they would attack forts that the romans sallied out to mee them by. Especially the heavy infantry. But because the Romans had lived to train hard, the british testudo was obviously not as effective or as protective as the romans, but it still gave the romans something to think about these 'barbarians'!

i agree with you!

[Gez]

I'm not saying that the barb factions should get testudo tho lol. Cuz by the time any sort of official formation of a testudo would be implimented into the barbarian training, it would have been long after the timeframe of the mod. So i don't think it should be there. Would be nice for playing as though lol.

[Leeham991]

The Roman shield wall would have been a nice feature that was used by most factions with heavy swordsmen. Just lift the first two rows into a single protective shield in front of the unit. Shame coz I don't think RTW can support it.

[Julianus Flavius]

No, but I seem to remember somebody trying to make a fulcrum (Byzantine formation). Not sure if it worked...