Skirmishing Roman Auxiliary Foot

[MikeW]

As a new player I am still trying to get my head round all the nuances of the rules and following a game yesterday I am trying to understand how to use Auxiliary Foot.

They are classed as Warriors but have Flexible Drill so can operate in Skirmish Order. It states on page 11 that Warriors in Skirmish Order have no Drill and on page 17 it states that Drill may not be undertaken by Groups in Skirmish Order. I am struggling to see how they can throw their javelins as Rich has previously said on the Forum that Auxilia need a separate Command Initiative Order or a Signa Card to get them to throw missiles as that counts as a Point Of Drill.

If they are led by a Supra Numerum he may activate the group he commands to move, shoot or fight in Close Combat. He has no Command Initiative but is able to rally Shock or use Troop Characteristics by using Signa cards.(3.1.2 pg 39). But I am unclear how this complies with the point above.

The example on page 51 refers to the Auxilia being in Skirmish Order and led by an Optio who orders them to throw javelins. Presumably this is using his Command Initiative? How is this possible if it requires a Combat Drill of Throw Pila/Javelins and no Drill may be undertaken by Groups in Skirmish Order?

I would be very grateful if someone could tell me what I am missing or misunderstanding so I can use them correctly on our next game.

Thanks,

Mike

[Archdukek]

Hi Mike,
If you check out the definition of Flexible Drill on page 75 it says that troops with that characteristic when skirmishing operate exactly like Skirmishers. So that means that when skirmishing Auxiliaries can be activated by a Leader to shoot like any other Skirmisher group. They cannot however use the Roman Drill command “Throw Pila” which would permit them to throw javelins at other points during the Turn when not activated.

Hope that helps,

John

[MikeW]

Hi John,

Many thanks for your swift and helpful reply. My confusion obviously stems from the fact that Auxilia are Roman Warriors and I was stuck on that point as the rules limit what that type of troop can do rather than what they are doing, i.e. skirmishing. In answer to the topic ‘roman style and chucking javelins in general’ Rich said ‘Only Romans and Auxilia need a separate Command Initiative (or Signa) to get them to throw Missiles as that counts as a Point Of Drill which is a very specific Roman trait’. The published FAQ says that ‘Roman Drilled troops only shoot using Drill (Throw Pila/Javelins), so are required to use a Signa Card or a Leader Initiative to throw their weapons, depending on the phase.’. I guess the key with skirmishing Auxilia is to focus on their actions not their status. An example of troops up country ‘going native’?

Cheers,

Mike

[Munin]

Or troops from native countries gettin' sorta "Romanized"

[micheni]

Hi Mike,
If you check out the definition of Flexible Drill on page 75 it says that troops with that characteristic when skirmishing operate exactly like Skirmishers. So that means that when skirmishing Auxiliaries can be activated by a Leader to shoot like any other Skirmisher group. They cannot however use the Roman Drill command “Throw Pila” which would permit them to throw javelins at other points during the Turn when not activated.

Hope that helps,

John

So they fight with 6 or 8 dice when they are in skirmish formation?

[Captain Reid]

8 dice, they're still Warriors. The entry John mentioned above mentions that explicitly, and is quite comprehensive on other potential issues.