"Caesarian Romans - warlord games" Topic

Hello everybody,

just wondering what period the Caesarian Romans from Warlord games can be used from.

I.e 100BC to 50AD etc

Kind regards,
Jacob

I use similar models right up to 9 AD, the date of the battle of Teutoberg Forest. It is likely that due to the loss of so much equipment at that battle that the switch over to lorica segmentata became more apparent as so much new armour needed to be produced for the legions.

I should add that it is perfectly reasonable to use them in the date ranges you suggest. Nobody really knows when or if the legions stopped wearing lorica hamata altogether. Also, some would trim the plumes from the helmets for the latter part of that period.

The legions never stopped using hamata. In theory, you can use the Caesarian minis right up through the 4th century by exchanging the shield.

There is also some question of just how extensive the use of segmentata was, with some suggestion that it was more prevalent in the eastern parts due to the wider use of archers, especially horse archers.

I mix units of traditional Caesarian republican legionaries with those wearing segmentata and rectangular shields right up through the end of the 1st century AD. I do this to represent the slow transition from one style to the other, etc.

The main differences between Caesarian Romans and early Imperial legions are the shield and the helm: the later legions had a fully rectangular shield and a Gallic helm, whereas the Caesarians have the rounded-rectangular scutum and montefortino helm. The lorica segmentata was used by the Imperial army but, as mentioned, it is likely that they also never stopped using the lorica hamata. You could continue using Caesarian miniatures for several decades into the Imperial period, as mentioned, but if you plan to game principally in the Imperial period you would want at minimum to make some head swaps and alter the shields: you'd be better off just getting the Early Imperial boxed set.

Before about 100 BC the legion composition was different, but kit was very similar for many of the troops. You could certainly use the Warlord Caesarian Romans as hastati or principes. The main visible difference is in the helm, where the plume would often have been different: if you trim that off, all is well. Pre-Marian troops also wore greaves more commonly but that isn't a game-changer.

However, due to the legion composition you would also want to acquire velites and triarii the parts for which aren't available in the Warlord set. If you want to game principally in the pre-Marian era I would recommend the Victrix Legions of the Republic box sets as they contain all the necessary troop types, as well as being cheaper than the Warlord models.

Great thread, thanks Gents!