POLL: The Pilum in WAB

196 votes were cast.

Frederick

writes:

I agree with Scott and Allen – the Roman legionary in the field was a close-combat machine, of which pila were an important part – you could certainly use special rules for things like sieges, but in the open field I think the rules work well as written

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VOTING RESULTS
Answer	Votes	%	Chart
yes	89	45%
no	48	24%
abstain	59	30%

POLL IS CLOSED

POLL DESCRIPTION

Writing in Slingshot magazine, Adrian Goldsworthy notes regarding WAB:

I have also never liked the way that the pilum is treated as a melee weapon. It is a Heavy Throwing Spear, as distinct from a Throwing Spear. Both permit the unit to fight with two ranks instead of one. Bizarrely, they get to fight after pikemen, on the basis that the latter have a longer weapon.

The pilum was a missile weapon, albeti a short range one. The same applies to spears and javelins intended to be thrown immediately before contact. The pilum should have considerable punch, but also should be used just once. The simplest way is to reclassify it as a missile weapon, but one used during or when receiving a charge...

Should the pilum be reclassified?