| “ | It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.
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The Roman Legionary describes the professional heavy infantryman of the late Roman Republic and early-to-mid Roman Empire following the Marian military reforms of 107 BC. The reforms were intended to produce a more effective and efficient military that was provided by the manipular system of the mid-Republic.
Typically recruitment for the Roman military was available to all Roman citizens between the ages of sixteen and forty-five. In contrast with the manipular system, Rome under the Marian system maintained a standing army, so legionary recruits would serve for a set period of twenty-five years of service, instead of just for specific campaigns.
A legionary's equipment was provided by the state. He would be equipped with heavy body armor and a helmet, and wield a sword, shield, and two pila for his weapons. The style of legionary weapons and armor evolved over time with new developments in technology and interaction with foreign nations.
A "legion" was composed of 5,400 legionaries, which could be divided further into centuries, and even further into cohorts, which were the Roman equivalent of a modern military battalion. A cohort would also typically be accompanied by an equally-sized group of non-Roman troops that were drawn from the populations of Rome's foreign provinces. These foreign cohorts were composed of archers, cavalry, slingers and other troop types to serve the roles the heavy legionaries couldn't.
Above all else, the main focus of the Roman legion was discipline. Even after the six-month training period in which a prospective legionary was harshly drilled twice a day, legionaries continued to train almost constantly throughout their service. Lengthy marches with full equipment and in tight formations were common. Any infractions were harshly punished by the centurions, the officers in charge of the centuries.
Even after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the legacy of the Roman legions remained. The Byzantine Empire, or the continuation of the Empire's eastern half, was greatly inspired by the success of the legions against their enemies, and their military also maintained a similar level of discipline and organization.
Battle vs. Viking (by El Alamein)[]
The thick treeline cut sharply at the edge of the slope that levelled out into a dry, dusty plain. Divided into groups beneath the canopy were dozens and dozens of Viking warriors, glaring sharply out, scanning the horizon and glancing at their leader. Standing toward the front of his position, the Hersir waited patiently. The steady, rythmic beat of feet on the march, punctuated every so often by the sharp blare of a trumpet, was more than enough information to alert the Vikings to the presence of their enemy.
On the horizon rose a sea of red and bronze metal, the sun glinting off the armor of the Romans as they advanced, slowly and proudly, drawn up in a tight square formation. The Hersir had allowed the Roman's advance vanguard to pass through unimpeded--the cavalry and light troops were now scouting further ahead, leaving the main body of their force on its own. The goal was to make a sudden attack, driving directly into the Roman shield wall, and rout the main body of the force, then to flee before the next body of troops that comprised the rear force reached the scene of battle.
The Roman force was now marching directly parallel to the edge of the slope, right beneath the treeline. The first few ranks of the Roman soldiers passed by--the Vikings were close enough to distinguish an individual soldier and make note of his armaments. Their swords were pitifully short compared to a Viking's sword, their spears were flimsy-looking sticks. Scanning the field, the Hersir identified the leader of this force--a Centurion with a crested helmet. Scowling to himself, the Hersir turned, and, after sharing a glance with the commander of each of his flanks, gave a nod. The two sides shrank together in a jagged wedge to form the Swine Array. There was the briefest of moments of silence.
The Roman trumpet started to pipe up again but was instantly drowned out by a horde of screams. Instinctively the Centurion shouted out commands, his voice lost in the din, but his men were well-drilled and instantly closed hard into testudo formation. The Viking force poured down the hillside at full speed, the warriors in the front leaning hard into their shields and the ones in the rear hurling their throwing axes with all their might. The collision was brutal. An audible crunch could be heard as metal, wood, and bone slammed together, the Roman soldiers staggering back in spite of their formation, pushed and thrown off-balance by the sheer weight of the onslaught. Using this momentum to their advantage, the Vikings battered heavily on the weakened and surprised flank. The first rank of Romans simply collapsed under the ferocity of the attack.
Quickly regrouping, though, now able to distinguish commands after the initial shock of battle, the Romans drew back, pulling together sharply. The first rows of troops held fast with their shields and dared to jab out from within at any Viking soldier foolish enough to approach the tortoise formation, while the second and third rows held the line with their spears. The shields overhead greatly reduced the effectiveness of any projectile assault. A few Viking soldiers, carried away by battle frenzy, threw themselves on top of the shields, attempting to breach the Roman defense from above, but these men were quickly dispatched.
The Hersir issued the command for a withdrawal and the Viking force pulled back as swiftly as they had advanced minutes before, melting away as swiftly as the current of a river. A few pilum javelins halfheartedly gave chase to the Vikings but the Romans held firm. Their center having been compromised, the Centurion gave the order to split into two smaller testudos and to spread apart. The Centurion's strategy was clear--he was trying to maintain formation, gambling on the effectiveness of the defenses to dilute the strength of the Viking forces in separate attacks. The trumpet blared and the soldiers followed the command now drilled into muscle-memory. Suddenly, two much smaller shield walls stood side-by-side on the opposite side of the field as the Hersir's force.
Now the Viking commander found himself confronted with a difficult choice: he could commit to another all-out assault, but he had taken casualties and was uncertain that the Swine Array would be able to penetrate such a closely-knit shield wall. He could also divide his forces to evenly apply pressure on the Romans at the risk of losing the impetus he had secured with the initial attack. Making up his mind, he decided on a feint. He drew up his forces in the same formation and ordered a charge on the right flank before turning abruptly to charge on the left.
The Romans held their ground, hurling javelins out as the Viking forces again took to the field. The pilums were decidedly effective as the Vikings drew closer--the heavy shaft rendered the Viking shield useless after the iron shank became lodged within its wood. The Romans themselves received a barrage of throwing axes, most of which were deflected by the nearly all-encompassing protective capabilities of their scutum shields. As the Roman flank braced itself for impact, the Vikings suddenly swung around and pressed hard into the other flank. Taken by surprise, the Roman left flank crumpled.
However, the Centurion was on the flank that had been spared the attack, and seeing his forces threatened with the very real possibility of an immediate rout, ordered his right flank to advance forward into the Vikings attacking the left. The trumpet sounded and suddenly the Vikings found themselves being encroached upon--in the span of a minute the Roman left had recovered and regrouped enough to provide a substantial meat shield upon which the right flank pinned the Viking forces. Caught in such unfavorably close proximity, and with many of them shieldless thanks to the incessant Roman javelin volleys, the Vikings were cut down in droves. It was over in a matter of minutes--the Hersir's men broke rank and those who could took flight, running for the relative safety of the slope and the treeline beyond. At the order of the Hersir, the remaining Vikings laid down their arms in surrender, in a desperate attempt to bargain for their lives.
The Centurion looked coldly upon his captives, but as if on cue the next group of Roman soldiers appeared on the horizon on their march. With substantial reinforcements he could afford to transport these men to proper custody. As for the loot to be taken from the dead and the prisoners, all for the better. This would send a chilling message that would, once again, demonstrate the glory of the Roman legion.
Expert's Opinion[]
While the Viking forces were more mobile and were able to hit with more momentum, the Roman forces were able to maintain formation and soak up the punishment. The Hersir and Centurion were, in essence, equally effective leaders of their men, but the Hersir was limited by the inability of his offenses to compromise the defenses of the Centurion. The superior armor, better defenses, and much stronger discipline of the Roman Centurion was what led him to victory.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.Battles here were deemed to be unfair or otherwise not in accordance with wiki standards, and have been removed from the statuses of the warriors and displayed below.
Battle vs. Persian Immortal (by Urbancommando77)[]
RC: 3
PI: 3
In a roman camp, three Centurions were feasting. One of them heard something strange. He looked outside of a tent to see a chariot. The Immortal on the chariot fired his bow, but missed. The centurion warned the others. They all grabbed their weapons. One of them grabbed two pilums. He ran outside and threw his pilum at the chariot driver, but missed, again. The Centurion shoved the pilum into the chariots wheel, tempararely stopping it. The centurion aimed the scorpion at the Chariot. The Immortal pulled the Pilum out of the wheel and started driving towards the Scorpion. The bow men jumped off the back and pulled his Spear out. The centurion fired the bolt into the chariot, flipping it over and killing the driver.
PI: 2
The Immortal saw the other Persian's chariot an jumped onto it. The Centurion pulled his Hasta out and charged towards him. The chariot scythe knocked him down. He squirmed around and saw the chariot coming back. He stabbed one of the horses, but it also killed him.
RC: 2
The Immortal jumped out of the chariot and pulled his Sagaris out. He saw another centurion out and charged towards him. The Centurion pulled his Dolabra out and struck the Immortal in the arm. He stabbed the Immortal in the back and cut his head off.
PI: 1
The last Immortal walked out of a tent, holding a blood-stained sword. The Centurion charged at the Immortal. But, the Immortal cut his neck.
RC: 1
The last Centurion pulled his Gladius and pulled his Scutum out. The Immortal pulled his shield out and charged at him. The Centurion stabbed into his shield and pulled it away from him. As he was pulling the shield off of his blade, the Immortal cut his legs. He fell, but countered by stabbing into his stomach. He stood up and pulled his Falx out. He cut him in the back and then cut him in the chest. He finished him with a swift stab to the neck.
Expert's Opinion[]
The Centurion was better suited to squad-on-squad combat and had superior weapons and armor than the Persian Immortal, giving him an easy win.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
The battle was declared unfair for the Immortal because of the legionary's superior metallurgy.
Battle vs. Jacobites (by CrowbarofFreeman)[]
No battle was written.
WINNER: ROMAN CENTURION
Expert's Opinion[]
The professionalism and better training of the Centurion, along with the iron discipline of their fighting style, trumped the wild and undisciplined fighting styles of the Highlander.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
The battle was declared both unfair due to the technology gap and invalid since the Jacobites were given a ball and chain, a weapon they never used.
Battle vs. Viking (by Jar teh marksman)[]
It starts out as a Roman Centurion is sitting in a field, sharpening his Gladius. He hears a noise, and observes his surroundings. As he goes back down to his sword, a Javelin whizzes by his head. He hops up with his Lancea and shield in hand. Suddenly, a strange warrior appears at the top of a distant hill, Great Axe in hand. The Roman watches the warrior charge down the hill, still crying out. As the Viking comes onto level ground, the Roman pulls out a Pilum, and hurls it at the approaching warrior. He quickly side-steps, and destroys it in one quick swing of the axe. The Viking puts his Axe away, and slowly draws out his Broadsword and shield. Thinking that it's taking too long, the Roman charges at the Viking. He thrusts, but the Viking easily knocks it aside, and then swings at the Centurion, but with the same effect. While the Viking recovers, the Centurion kicks him back, and throws his Lancea at him. It misses the downed Scandanavian by a mile, though. When he jumps back up, he stomps on the Lancea, putting another weapon out of play. The Roman lieutenant pulls out his Gladius, and slashes at the Viking, but the chainmail holds. The Viking then swings the Longsword over his head, and continues to smash at the Centurion's shield. After a while though, the Centurion takes advantage and stabs the Viking in the leg. The Viking screams in pain, and falls down. The Roman hops up, and is preparing to stab the wounded warrior, when he is interrupted by a sword travelling through his stomach. He collapses over, and dies. The downed Viking stares at his dead opponent. He spits on the body, and then falls over.
Expert's Opinion[]
The Viking was victorious because the barbarians that destroyed the Roman Empire were similar to the Vikings, and in a one-on-one fight the Viking possessed harder-hitting weapons and was physically stronger.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
The legionary was given a lancea, a weapon exclusively used by Roman auxiliaries.
Ancient Spec Ops Battle Royale (by BattleGames1 and Goddess of Despair)[]
It is in the late afternoon at the peninsula and atop a cliff overlooking the expanse of forest that lay near the shoreline of the peninsula stands an Aztec Eagle, admiring the sun set in a spectacular array of colours over the sea. Whilst looking down upon the sea, he notices something that catches his attention. A strange-looking ship has docked itself upon the shoreline and a man in shining gold armour has touched down onto the beach, seemingly searching for something. A close scrutinising (surprising for a person who is actually some distance away from their target) from the Eagle registers this individual as a threat, perhaps a scout for an invasion force. The Eagle then draws out a Yāōmītl arrow and loads it onto his Tlahuitolli. Taking his time, the Eagle - with a clear vantage point from atop the cliff - tries to aim for an accurate shot at the armoured man down below. A smile appears on the Eagle's face once he has laid his sights on the perfect opportunity. Unbeknownst to the Eagle, a Huskarl is walking across the grassy plain behind him - throwing axes in one hand, his Dane axe in the other, longsword sheathed away in his belt and the spear and shield tucked to his back. He, like the Marine on the shore, is looking around and checking his surroundings. The huskarl then spots a strange sight before him - something round and full of colours and feathers lay before him. Thinking this is some shield that a threat of his is cowering behind, the huskarl sets his Dane axe carefully on the ground and prepares to throw one of the throwing axes. As the huskarl tries to get a good aim, he sees the shield shake and hears the sound of an arrow being fired. Down on the shoreline, the Marine continuing to walk along the shore with his spear in one hand, shield in the other and the other weapons behind his back dodges out of the way just in time as an arrow almost hits him in the foot. Looking to see where the shot came from, the Marine looks up and notices an oddly-shaped figure standing high above him. Before the Marine can draw out his bow, the Eagle fires another arrow at him. This time the arrow hits and is deflected off the Marine's hoplon. Annoyed at this, the Eagle prepares another Yāōmītl arrow. Before he could load it onto his Tlahuitolli, the Eagle is startled when he hears metal attaching itself to wood. Looking behind his shoulder, the Eagle is stunned to see an axe embedded onto the shield. A complete turnaround reveals the Eagle to Huskarl who throws another axe at him. The Eagle counters the throw with another block from his shield. A third axe throw from the huskarl manages to slash the Eagle in the thigh but the blow is not big enough to injure the Eagle. Before the Huskarl can throw another axe, the Eagle fires his Tlahuitolli and manages to hit the Huskarl on the side causing the Saxon to fall down in pain. Using this distraction wisely, the Aztec Eagle prepares his Atlatl & Tlacochtli and aims it ready to finish killing off his opponent. Down below on the shoreline, the Marine sets down his spear in the sand and prepares his bow and arrow ready for firing, aiming for the silhouette atop the cliff. Taking his time, the Marine aims for the Eagle's head. However, his aim soon becomes disoriented when from out of the trees, a throwing knife whizzes by, causing the arrow to instead hit the rock. Just as the arrow from the Greek composite bow hits its target, the Eagle fires off his dart at the Saxon. Unfortunately for the Eagle, the Saxon manages to get up and the tlacochtli dart just hits the huskarl's helmet, dazing the Saxon as he pulls out the arrow out from his side. Not having enough time to load another tlacochtli dart, the Eagle grabs his shield and jumps to the side, managing to roll onto the grassy slope. As the huskarl readies his spear, he scouts around, looking for where the Eagle had gone. Taking a few steps backwards, he sees some feathers rustling down the incline - it is the Eagle and he is heading for the forest. The huskarl, wanting to hunt down the coward, chases down after him into the forest. At the same time, the Marine is taken aback when the knife came out from nowhere in the forest. He fires an arrow towards the trees, hoping to take down the assailant. But there was no cry that came out - he missed again. Taking his sword out of the sand, the Athenian Marine cautiously sneaks his way into the woods, hunting down his enemies.
The eagle rushed through the forest, jumping over fallen logs. The Huskarl pursues the Aztec, with his spear and shield ready. The eagle, hearing the Huskarl behind him, grabs a Tepoztōpīlli leaning against a tree. He turns and thrusts into the Huskarl’s shield, the Huskarl thrusts his own spear into the eagle’s side. The Huskarl rams his shield into the eagle, causing him and his spear to fall to the ground, slamming into a log. The Huskarl thrusts his spear at the eagles head, but the attack misses and the eagle manages to scramble to his feet. He reunites with his spear but the two quickly separate when he throws his spear at the Huskarl. The spear hits with enough force to knock the shield away from thw Huskarl. The jaguar sprints for his Macuahuitl, which lies in a bush. The Huskarl doesn’t allow this and throws his spear, which dug into the Aztec’s leg. He fell slamming his head onto the Macuahuitl. The Huskarl approaches the eagle but quickly turns his attention to an object emerging from the bush. He steps back lifting his great axe. Emerging from the bush was a man encased in gold, at least that’s what the Huskarl thought. He decided that by killing the man he could sell the armor but his mind quickly shifted its attention to a bolt that slams into a nearby log. Suddenly as the marine left the bush the roman centurion was yelling at the top of his lungs, charging armed with his pilum and scutum (shield). The three warriors formed a triangle of armor and flesh, each daring the other to make a move.
FIRST OUT: Aztec Eagle
From up above in the trees, the Hashashin espies the stand-off and waits for one of the men to make his move. After a couple of seconds, the huskarl charges at the Marine holding his Dane axe high into the air for a swing. Before he could get a chance, the Hashashin throws one of his knives, slashing the huskarl in the lower leg. The three combatants look up to see who threw the weapon and see the Hashashin, perched upon a branch getting ready to throw another knife. The Roman attempts to fire his pilum but the Hashashin manages to dodge it easily. The Hashashin counters with another knife throw but the Centurion blocks it with his scutum. Taking the opportunity, the Marine charges at the Centurion with his hoplon but the Centurion runs away into the forest before the Marine could have a chance. The Hashashin too runs off in pursuit of the Centurion. The Marine now looks towards the Huskarl who has just gotten up and is still wielding his Great Axe. Staring at him coldly, the Athenian again charges at him with the shield. The huskarl runs in and out of the trees while the Marine continues hitting his hoplon at nothing but trees.
Meanwhile, the Hashashin continues to follow the centurion as he makes his way back to the scorpion. Watching as the Centurion load another arrow bolt into the machine, the Hashashin readies his recurve bow. The Centurion aims at the tree tops hoping to get a quick fix at the silent assassin. Taking aim with the bow, the Hashashin aims for the Centurion's stomach. The leaves behind him begin to rustle, to which the Centurion responds by firing his bolt at the Hashashin. The bolt barely misses the assassin as he fires his recurve bow, managing to scrape the leg of the Centurion. The Centurion unsheathes his gladius, hoping that the assassin would drop from the trees ready to fight. But what came out of the trees was a few more arrows, to which the Centurion barely manages to dodge and block with his scutum. The centurion, thinking he can fight fire with fire, takes out his arcus and fires a few shots into the trees, missing the hashashin every time. The next arrow the Centurion fires is a lucky one because it barely missed the Hashashin but it caused a fuse on a ceramic grenade to ignite. Next thing he knows, the centurion sees the incendiary grenade being thrown, hitting the scorpion and setting it as well as the surrounding area on fire. By now it was dark and the blast from the incendiary grenade was bright enough to give the Centurion and the Hashashin a clear view of where each other was. The hashashin finally jumps down from the trees and unsheathes his scimitar. Eyeing down his opponent, the Centurion charges at him with his sword. The hashashin gets the first swing though, but it is blocked again by the scutum. The Centurion counters with another swing but the Hashashin dodges it. After a few more moments of dodging, swinging and blocking, the Hashashin gets the upper hand. Even though he could not slash through the tough armour of the Centurion, the Hashashin managed to kill the Centurion with a stab to the neck. The centurion, reeling from the immense pain, stumbles back onto the fire - eventually burning away like a microwave oven thanks to the armour. Looking at his fallen opponent and his burning (now almost wrecked machine), the Hashashin puts away his sword. The fire and fighting he has started would have certainly attracted the attention of the huskarl and the Marine so the Hashashin climbs up to the top of a tree that hasn't been burnt yet and draws his bow, lying in wait for his next victim.
SECOND OUT: Roman Centurion
Some miles away from the fight between the hashashin and the centurion, the Huskarl keeps running, trying to get away from the Marine who was chasing him. At any given moment, the huskarl would throw one of his axes at the Marine, but in the dark, it was hard to tell where the axes landed. Eventually, the huskarl reaches an open alcove - and a dead end. He drops the Axe and unsheathes his spear and shield in anticipation. Sure enough, the Athenian Marine jumps out from the trees - hoplon in one hand still intact and his dory spear in the other. Like before, the two warriors stare each other down trying to intimidate each other to strike. And like before, the Huskarl with his huge axe charges at the Marine. This time, the huskarl successfully swings his axe at the Marine. However, this blow is blocked by the shield. Before the Marine can swing the dory and pierce the side of the huskarl through his armour, the Huskarl dives and rolls to the side. The Marine then charges in again, this time holding out the dory. Agile to get on his feet, the huskarl draws out his longsword and slashes the dory in two. Put in a bad position, the Marine stumbles back and unsheathes his kopis. The two warriors begin to clash swords, each blocking each others blows (sometimes also using the shields). After a fierce duel where the most the two swordsmen could do was wound each other, the Marine has an idea. As the huskarl prepares another thrust with the longsword, the Marine swings his hoplon fast enough to not only block the strike but, after a few milliseconds of struggling, send him flying back to the ground with a huge thud. The huskarl, regaining his senses, sees the Marine running away back into the trees. Seeing this as a sign of cowardice, the huskarl gets back on his feet and picks up his great axe. With a loud yell, the Saxon charges in the Marine's directions. Suddenly from out of the trees, an arrow strikes the huskarl in the knee. The huskarl kneels in pain and drops his axe; before he knew, another arrow came flying out, this time fatally hitting the huskarl in the neck and killing him instantly.
From behind some bushes, the Marine stands up, satisfied he has earned his kill. Suddenly a bright light flashed in his direction... the light source was a fire ignited inexplicably (to the Marine that is) from where he was earlier. Then a loud scream rang throughout the air (the one of the Roman Centurion as he is stabbed in the neck). Sensing trouble, and where his last enemy lay in wait, the Marine put away his bow, unsheathed his sword, and cautiously walked towards the fire.
THIRD OUT: Huskarl
Moving towards the source of light, the Athenian looked around, hoping to espy his target. He looks further in and sees the Centurion's burning corpse in the mix. Not knowing what caused this madness, he suddenly jumps out of the way as an arrow flies out from the trees. Rolling on the ground, more arrows come flying out from the trees. The Marine sees where this battle is going when his cape gets caught amongst the flames. Quickly taking it off, the Marine rushes away from the Hashashin's POV and heads into the forest, quickly retreating to the trireme on the shore. The hashashin, annoyed at this turn of events, hops from tree to tree hoping he can catch up. As the Marine kept running closer and closer to the shoreline, the Hashashin was hopping from tree to tree flicking his throwing knives the Marine - and they either end up hitting the Marine's armour or a tree - until he has no more. Finally, both combatants reach the shoreline. Turning back towards the forest, he waits in patience for the Hashashin to come out ready to play. Sure enough, the Arab assassin reveals himself, scimitar at the ready in one hand, a ceramic grenade in another. The Marine draws his bow and shoots the ceramic grenade before the hashashin could have a chance to light it up. Filled with a raging fury, the Hashashin runs forward and wails his sword about. A strike from the scimitar would have been deadly but the Marine, just in time, blocks it with his kopis. The Marine then flings the Hashashin away with his hoplon, sending the Arab rolling across the sand. Quick on his feet, the Hashashin gets up on his feet and again charges at the Marine, which then leads the two to engage in a fierce sword duel. Some of the the marine gets the upper hand and at others, it is the Hashashin who does - and on both occasions, their opponent slammed them into the ship's hull.
Eventually, after countless attempts at trying to kill each other, the Hashashin and Marine tire out, but the Hashashin, determined as he can be, swings his scimitar at the Marine's head hoping to get a clean sweep. Unfortunately, the helmet manages to provide more than adequate protection that allows for the Marine to do the same neck slash movement the Hashashin tried to use, only this time, the Hashashin's head is cleanly cut off.
As his opponent's head gets washed away into the ocean, the Marine stares up into the moonlight and yells "For Athens" as he raises his kopis in victory.
LAST OUT: Hashashin
WINNER: Athenian Marine
Expert's Opinion[]
The majority of votes placed the Eagle in last place and it is no surprise why the Eagle loses out this easily - the other warriors had weapons made a of a more durable material (in this case metal over wood and obsidian), and despite the shield, not much protection was offered by the Eagle's cotton armour.
The votes placed the Centurion somewhat close to last (either last or second-to-last) because despite the iron weapons he possessed, the Centurion (as also shown on DW) was more a formation fighter than a solo fighter and without his fellow legionaries to help him out, the Centurion just wasn't able to hold out against the other warriors.
The huskarl was a very formidable opponent with weapons and armour that are of a superior metallurgy over the others (save the hashashin) but he wasn't that great a match over the Marine and Hashashin. The Dane Axe held by the Saxon in this battle was very effective but his lack of an effective long-ranged weapon and his longsword not being able to get past a shield like the hoplon are what caught this warrior out.
The hashashin was a very formidable opponent and he was the most technologically sophisticated of all the warriors and had a sword that matched the kopis but what made the Athenian Marine win this battle is the combination of effectively good weapons and his durable armour and shield; the Marine was also trained for both formation and one-on-one fighting on the front lines of combat whereas the hashashin was basically a mastered and skilful assassin - once the Athenian drew him out of hiding, the hashashin's advantage was gone. If this battle is unfair in any way, shape or form, then you can go ahead and do a rematch.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
The legionary was given a bow, a weapon they never used.
Battle vs. Mughal Soldier (by Goddess of Despair)[]
Roman Centurion 
Mughal 
The wind fell silent upon the frontier. The only noises to be heard were that of insects that prowled the forest and the Centurions huddled around a small fire, speaking of their feats of bravery against the barbarians. The talk however, brought more attention than they wished. The Centurions would have to prove what they said was no lie, but in fact truth as the Mughals descended upon the camp.
The Mughal leader led the way for his troops. Their army crippled, their supplies drained, the three were in desperate need of food. Slowly drawing an arrow from his quiver as he watched from the bushes he took aim at one of the Centurions. Suddenly, the wind picked up moments before he released the shot.
The arrow flew towards the Centurions, but blew off course and went straight into the fire. The Centurions quickly scattered like ants, searching about for their weapons. The Mughal leader curses under his breath and orders his troops to charge while plotting another shot.
The first Centurion grabbed his scutum that rested alongside a small stump and raised it in time to block a slam from a khanda. He shoved back the Mughal and unsheathed his gladius. The Mughal turned and slashed at the Centurion’s knee, forcing him to the ground. The Centurion however, returned the favor and thrusted the gladius into the Mughal’s leg.
The Centurion tore out the gladius and sliced twice at the crippled leg, severing it from the body. The Mughal screamed in pain and fell, face first, into the dirt. The Centurion smiled for a moment before a sudden arrow soared into his eye socket. The Mughal loses consciousness and dies shortly later.
The Mughal leader smiles at his shot before directing his attention to another Centurion who is combating his other companion. The Mughal had out his Sainte spear and blocked a slash from a gladius before hitting the Centurion with the blunt end of his spear. The Centurion spat out a tooth and slashed once more with the gladius. Suddenly an arrow sliced part of his hand, causing him to drop the gladius. He had no time to react before the Mughal thrusted his Sainte spear into his side, twisted the blade as he removed it from the Centurion’s body.
The Mughal leader felt his quiver for another arrow when suddenly an arrow flies by and slices the string into pieces. He lowered the bow and felt on the ground for his katars as the Centurion fired another arrow, this one missing and hitting a tree behind him. The Mughal leader called to his ally, who rushed to engage the Centurion. The Centurion dropped the bow and grabbed a dolabra with his right hand, and a scutum in his left hand. He charged at the Mughal, stopping in time to block a thrust with his scutum. Before the Mughal could react he slammed him in the throat with his dolabra.
The Centurion tore out hit dolabra and watched the Mughal leader approach, a katar in each hand. He switched his left katar from single blade to three blades, single blade to three blades, but this did little to intimidate the Roman who slashed with his dolabra in an arc. The Mughal leader backed away in time to dodge the attack and he went on the offensive. He thrusted with his right hand, injuring part of the Centurion’s wrist.
The Centurion dropped his dolabra in pain and shoved the Mughal back with his scutum. He clutched his gladius with his bloodied hand and unsheathed it. The Mughal managed to stand as the Centurion slashed his cheek and followed up with another shove with his scutum. He fell back words, slamming his head on a tree behind him. The Centurion hacked away at the Mughal leader, reducing his face to mush and blood.
The Centurion examined his hand, it was bloodied, but he can survive. He sheathed his sword as the sun rose behind him, bringing light once more upon the Roman Empire.
Expert's Opinion[]
The Centurions were able to win this fight thanks to superior training, teamwork, expereince, and weaponry. The Mughals are good combatants, but the Centurions brought about one of the most well remembered empires in history.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
The legionary was given a bow, a weapon they never used.
Battle vs. Knights Templar (by Sir William Of Chalitton)[]
During the Roman occupation,the city of Jerusalem is under the watch of emperor Julius Caesar while Egypt's problem is solved.He built an Amphitheater for the Roman citizens to watch.And then the one right now is a beast vs human.And the human was a Christian and will be executed by the lion.Julius didn't know that Jerusalem has it's own taker,the Templars.While the Christian is devoured by the lion,the crowds cheered.But then,a yell outside the Roman Amphitheater was heard,a voice that is very familiar to those of the place he lived in.But a little bit pitched.He thought it was the Visigoths,but he realized this wasn't England.So he sent 20 legionaries to dispatch the intruders.And when they are outside Jerusalem,they noticed something worse than the Visigoths,a group of knights that seemed to be tough and has the same traits as the Romans itself.It was the European Templars in a job to free the Christians from the Roman Empire.And they yell,"For Christiany!" 20 Knights Templar Vs 20 Roman Legionaries
The battle starts with the Templars charge at the Legionaries.The Legionaries formed the Turtle defensive postition.5 Knights breaks from the other and does a rapid fire with their bow and arrows.Although 10 arrows were blocked,5 managed to get inside a Legionaries' shield
20 Knights Templar Vs 15 Roman Legionaries
Now it's the Legionaries' turn to counter the ranged attack.They pulled out a Scorpion back behind them along with the Ballista and Bows and Arrows also count.The Knights defend themselves with the Shield.But the Knight's Kite Shield was broken by the Ballista and then killed by the Scorpion
15 Knights Templar Vs 15 Roman Legionaries
Now it's time for the real charge.Both sides engage in close combat.The Templars swings their Turkish Mace and the Legionaries defended the blows with their Scutum.But then the Scutum was disarmed and the Turkish Mace pierced the Lorica Segmentata while the Romans strike with their Spatha and stabs through the Chainmail armor
12 Knights Templar Vs 12 Roman Legionaries
One Legionary breaks from the Legion and arms the Scorpion once more.The shot hit 2 Templars and then another Templar launches a Catapult from behind the Templars' line and destroyed 4 Legionaries.
10 Knights Templar Vs 8 Roman Legionaries
The Templars used their longswords and get into clash with a Spatha.The Spatha broke and the Knight tries to stab it with the Longsword but then the Legionary unsheats the Gladius and parries the blow,knocking back the Knight and then beheads the Knight.While looking at this,a Templar jumps into other Legionaries unarmed with a Shield and slashes the Romans with the combination of Longsword and Shortsword.But now the Ballista kills the brave Templar.Catapults are swinged again and Scorpions fired many times through the Lorica and Chainmail.
1 Knights Templar Vs 1 Roman Legionaries
This time,the lead Templar must fight the Centurion of the Legion.The Centurion pulls out his Spatha and strikes violently at the Templar.The Templar blocks as hard as he can against the violent blows.But then the Spatha broke and changes into the Gladius.Now the Templar has the chance to strike.The Templar strikes advancingly to the Centurion that tries to parry the blows but failed,yet saved by his armor.Then the Templar picks up the Turkish Mace and tries to crush the Centurion's head,But the Knight is too late,the Centurion already stabbed him with the Gladius.But,the Templar counters by delivering a crushing blow to the helmet of the Centurion.Then the Centurion is stunned.The Templar,running into the Centurion with an injury with a Longsword now,stabs the Centurion's face,killing him instantly.Then,the Templar shouted in victory,"For Christiany!!!!!!!!!"But then dies because bleeding out,then falls.
0 Templars Vs 0 Legionaries
Winner : Knights Templar although the one died because bleed out
Expert's Opinion[]
The Templars won because it has better weaponry than the Legionaries itself. Notably the Turkish Mace in terms of beating up shields and capable of disarming them.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Reason[]
Battle was declared unfair due to the technology gap between the two warriors.
Battle vs. Sōhei (by MilenHD)[]
Roman Centurion:
Sōhei: 
In an open field in Japan 5 Centurions had set their camp and while waiting for the legions and cavalry to arrive, they were hatching their plan for their next attack. Behind the field are some rocks and a forest and in the forest is located a monastery of Sōheis, which were scouting the area. As they found the Roman camp, the leader of the Sōheis raised his yumi and aimed at sitting Roman and slowly he released the arrow piercing the Roman's neck, killing him.
The Centurions grabbed their armory and charged at the monks, one the Sōheis showed up with his yumi and was pinned down by the "Sagittas" arrow. The Roman put down his bow and raised his scutum and pilum and charged with the others against the Sōheis.
The Sōheis started firing their yumis, and the arrows bounced harmlessly from the Centurion's shields. The Romans threw their pilums and one of them pierced the monk's leg before being rammed and stabbed by the gladius blade and than the Roman picked his pilum, and as he threw it, he killed another Sōhei.
The remaining 2 Sōheis rushed deeper into the forest, and the baited the Romans, because one of them tried to fight the Sōhei in one on one, and naginata and gladius blades clashed together, and after back and fort dueling, the Sōhei sliced the Roman's throat.
The other Romans charged at the lonely monk, only his ally to show up and shoot one of the Roman at the legs twice, wounding him. But the other two were staying together and tachis clashed with shields and short swords. One of the Sōheis slashed with full strenght, leaving great damage to the shield and wounding the Roman's arm, making to drop the shield and be killed by the tachi , and as he walked to the wounded Roman, who still defended himself with his shield to the very end, but after few moments had his head smashed by Ono from the other monk.
The last Roman Centurion was charging with his shield and dolabra at the two monks, managing to knock them both with his scutum. As the Sōheis swung their weapons, with the tachi dealing very little to the lorica, as the other monk managed to kinda smash the shield, but his chest got pierced by the dolabra.
With last stand both warriors dueled to death, the Sōhei slashed and both the scutum and the lorica segmentata, dealing no damage. As the Sōhei tried to decapiate the Centuroin, but the Roman raised his shield and smashed the monks head, knocking him down and piercing his throat with the dolabra.
The Centurion raised his dolabra in victory and shouted "Roma Invicta".
Expert's Opinion[]
The Roman Centurion had better protection and dominated in both long and short range, also he is superior tactician and have better training than the Sōhei, which is just rebel. Also some people become Sōheis, because of their disabilities.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.