Mounted slingers

[James the Red]

I was wondering if there horse mounted slingers were ever used in EBs time-frame (or any time-frame for that matter)?

[Mediolanicus]

It seems unlikely that there would ever have been pure slingers on horseback. When you can only afford a sling and a dagger for gear, you can't afford a horse.

It is possible that some people in heavier armed units also carried a sling as a small ranged weapon. But firing a sling on horseback would be impossible when riding, so the horse would have been stationary.

Conclusion:
- "mounted slingers" as a unit are highly unlikely.
- the limitations of the engine are of such nature that adding a second back-up weapon or making slings only work when the horse is stationary, are impossible.

[Odenathus]

Indeed, heavier armoured horsemen like cataphracts or clibanarii did use slings as a sideweapon to soften enemy ranks, just as they did with bows, before charging in according to a military book I read some time ago on Byzantine and Sassanid warfar. Admittedly it's a bit after the EB timeline, but cause cataphracts were used in the timeframe it's not impossible that they used similar equipment to their later counterparts.

So I'd say that on a theoretical base it could be included, but I have no idea on the practical side.

Odenath

[Brapbrapbap]

Slings are kinda too strong as they are right now, mounting them on a horse would make an extremelly hilarious overpowered unit.

[Bonapartist]

Hell, every soldier on the battlefield should of been trained in the use of their highly lethal, 6 oz leather strip. I imagine it's quite a difficult skill to acquire but the amount of flexibility to be had would be great.