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Tuesday 20 July 2021

28mm Early Imperial Roman Ballista

This will start off my Legionary artillery, a 30mina stone thrower, it will have quite a range on the gaming table in hope of flushing out enemy troops trying ambush my Romans. Mostly manned by ordinary legionary rank and file, the legion did have a small specialist cadre to supervise maintenance and training.

Comprising of a Ballista acquired from 'Warlord Games', I retained the engine but discarded the associated crew for being too diminutive, I replaced them with Some Aventine Miniatures; A legionary and two figures from an auxiliary command pack.

 Based on plasticard base 60mm x 80mm with dirt, grass tufts etc. The crew are in the act of launching a 30 mina stone (33lbs or 15Kg in weight).

 
 





 





The Roman legion had its own artillery, apparently 1 stone throwing engine and 6 light scorpio bolt shooters per cohort. With 10 cohorts in a legion that gives 10 Ballista and 60 scorpios per legion. My 6th edition WRG rules uses a ratio of 1 model to represent 5 engines, so that would give me 2 Ballista models and 12 scorpios per legion.

I'm only going to have 3 cohorts of legionaries, so I'm limiting that to 1 Ballista model representing a 30mina stone thrower as pictured above and 3 scorpios (1 per cohort.) for my army.

Anyhow next on the painting bench will be the 3rd Legionary Cohort, I was thinking of adding a baggage train and encampment, so I'll see if time permits.

All the Best,

Peter.

6 comments:

  1. A marvellous, powerful looking piece! Wow, I had not realised that the Roman legions had so much artillery. When did they start to have so much of it?
    Regards, James

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    Replies
    1. Cheers James, I can only guess when the Romans started using so much artillery. It is suggested that the Late Republican Roman Legions had light boltshooters back as far as 105BC, there is evidence they were used in the Imperial Roman period at Dura Europos Syria, Maiden Castle, Bedriacum 69AD where also legio XVI had a large Ballista which hurled 'massive stones'.

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