The Roman Pilum Was Unmatched as a Ranged Weapon

Humans are so crafty when it comes to killing each other

Everybody’s got a plan till somebody throws a pilum at their chest armor.

The this soft iron shaft was also an innovation. It was intentionally made to bend easily, which rendered the pilum useless by an enemy that could retrieve one from a shield or fallen comrade. And after the battle, the spent pila could be gathered up and easily repaired by removing the bent shaft via the innovative pin system and replacing it with a new one. The old ones could then be reforged into new pila heads. Roman industrialization of warfare was one of the main forces driving their conquest of the explored world.

In Caesar's book, he described that the Barbarian legions would overlap their shields in a defensive line, and his legions would throw their pilums at the site of overlap, pinning the shields together and forcing their enemies to drop them.

“I can’t pull it out, so i just have to abandon it.” best relationship advice i’ve ever heard.

This will get nerfed during the next patch.

When you consider the many of Rome’s enemies had only a shield for armor, yes, it is very effective. Arrows get stuck on the shield, but it’s still usable. The pilum effective renders the man defenseless.

Typical range for the first volley was just 20 meters, with the second thrown immediately - possibly at point blank range of under 7 meters (20ft). The first volley would have struck randomly and caused an immediate slowing of the enemy charge as men would be trying to get around those whose shields were tent staked or other wise being tossed down, causing a tripping situation. Those rushing forward from behind would be jammed against others ahead. Then the second volley would begin landing among the tightened mass, causing lots of casualties and further breaking the momentum of the charge. With the enemy charge hopefully blunted, the Romans would draw swords from spitting distance and move forward, possibly at a walk because we have very few records of EXACTLY what a Roman charge looked like. My study tells me that the centurions would have been able to call out what kind of terminal advance was to be exercised. Roman centurions were flexible and able men, like todays NCO's. If the enemy was within 10feet, no charge might be indicated - just a quick few steps in good order, and then contact. Other situations where the Romans were the attacker, might call for a quick run up to pilum range, volleys, then a quick walk to contact. Running into terminal contact was something it seems the Romans avoided. It would have caused deviations in the formations which was the MAIN METHOD of victory the Romans possessed. It wasn't manpower. Typically the Romans were out numbered considerably. It was disciplined ranks and reliance upon the guy next to you that won battles. ONce they were in contact with a hopefully confused and struggling enemy, the gladius was the perfect sword for the job. There would have been no room to swing a longer sword or ax. Jabbing and stabbing with a short, thick weapon was a well thought out and proven tactic.

The only thing that stops a bad guy with a shield is a good guy with a pilum!

1:53 the words every Man fears.

“Unlike Saxons or Danes, the Romans were clever” -Brother Pyrlig

The guy who does the narration for this also voices caesar in fallout:NV

Multiply this by thousands of legionnaires. Disrupt a charge, neutralize shields, cause casualties and obstacles for the following ranks of attackers. Then move in with the disciplines shield wall and the buzzsaw of the gladius. No wonder this worked well on tribal fighting units.

Germanic tribes Charge at the Roman lines The Roman Legionaries: Y E E T

The Romans had a long history of learning from their defeats and coming back with the enemies weapons and tactics refined.

The pilum, also known as the "yeet and delete"

“Unmatched ranged weapon” until some steppe boy on a horse with a bow shows up.

This would be the most annoying weapon to ever go against

0:23 I love to watch the passion of this man. His face as he talks, his eyes light up, his body is full of energy. This man is truly into his passion. And he gets up like a young boy, not an old man. Remarkable. I want to find such a passion in my life.

Mike Loades is the ultimate medieval history geek, he actually jumped out of a running horse wearing full plate armor, just to prove that mobility wasn't an issue for that type of armor!