"Skirmishers for EIR?" Topic

I'm putting the finishing touches on my Warlord early Imperial romans. So this leads me to thinking what else I would want to add. I'd like a unit of light javelins like the velites. Would the Agema plastic velites be suitable or are there other options out there? Thanks.

Might be a little anachronistic. Maybe some slingers?

Velites would be rather outdated. Maybe some symmachiarii (the barbarian looking guys on the left)

I agree, the EIR used Auxillia for most of the jobs traditionally done by 'Psiloi'. They are known to have used light infantry though, in an ad hoc way, occasionally.

Right about the auxillia although most auxillia were essentially medium infantry.

I use slingers and archers – plus every now and then I use a unit of barbarian light infantry as allies/mercenaries

probably locally hired/allied locals. From an Imperial commander of 2AD (Arrian:
"On the left flank the Allies from Lesser Armenia and the light armed from Trapezus and the Rhizian javelinmen should be arrayed holding the highest part of the flank.Deployed to their front must be the two hundred Apulians and a hundred of the Cyrenaicans, in order that the heavy armed are a bulwark for the javelineers, they can hurl their javelins overhead from the high ground".

I know the velites are out of date but I was wanting javelins and they are what I found. No real reason just liked that idea. Had considered slingers but like javelins better. So what did a Rhizian javelin man look like?

Basic composition of the army so far is 3 units of legionaries, 1 of praetorians, 2 of auxiliary spears, 1 of archers and 2 of cavalry. Would like some light cavalry with javelins too but I'm waiting for the new ones from Victrix.

On Trajan's column, there is a man armed only with a bag of rocks. it seems it is a starter positions in the army.

Depends on where your army is fighting for local auxiliaries I imagine. If in the West perhaps guys that look like Gauls, Germans, or Spanish? In the East Greeks or Parthian types maybe?

Well, Caesar preferred Numidian cavalry & light infantry, as well as Cretan archers. There would have been a slow transition from them to other ethnic troops.

Keep in mind that most legions from the 1st century BC up until whenever, had an equal number of auxiliaries as legionaries. So having 2 legions would also give you some 10-12K auxiliaries to accompany them.

We don't often model our armies like that, but contemporary sources indicate that that was the case, and FWIW, Roman commanders weren't at all above sending out the auxilia to form the first line, ahead of the formed legion(s) and let the Auxilia soak up the casualties.