It's a battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object as the Roman Centurion, steely, experienced commander of the legion who drove Rome's war machine across the ancient world, leads his men against the Viking Hersir, the veteran leader of the Nordic raiders who rampaged their way into mainland Europe and terrorized the countryside! It's a battle of swords, shields, and formations as two professional soldiers renowned for their control of large bodies of troops cross blades in a violent battle to the death! The might of the legion will come head-to-head with the fury of the Viking horde, but when the last echoes of rage-filled war cries die with the men who bellowed them, only one will be the deadliest warrior!
Centurion[]
| “ | The centurion in the infantry is chosen for his size, strength and dexterity in throwing his missile weapons and for his skill in the use of his sword and shield; in short for his expertness in all the exercises.
— Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus
|
” |
The Roman Centurion was an officer and veteran of the ancient Roman military. Selected for skill and proven military experience, they could also be promoted thanks to political influence. As the commander of a century, or around 80 legionaries, the centurion was a low-ranking but crucial part of the Roman war machine. Bridging the gap between the common soldier and the high-ranking officers, centurions were expected to effectively direct their men in battle, carrying out orders and adapting effectively as the situation demanded. They were also responsible for discipline and training outside the battlefield.
Weapons[]
Pugio
- 9 inch blade
- Stabbing weapon
- Intended for use if gladius was lost/disarmed
Gladius
- 2.5 feet
- 1.8 lbs.
- Primarily a thrusting weapon; double-edged blade allowed for hacking/thrusting attacks
- Knobbed hilt
Pilum
- 4-foot wooden shaft
- 2-foot iron shank
- 7.5 lbs.
- Can be used in melee or thrown fashion
- Tip bends on impact
Plumbata
- Fletched iron head, weighted down with lead
- 2-4 oz.
- 80 m maximum range, 50 m effective range
Scutum
- Three sheets of wood, canvas, and leather layers
- 22 lbs.
- 41.5 in. x 16 in.
- Iron boss
Centurion
Galea
- Bronze helmet
- Leather neckguard
- Bronze cheek guards
- Crest holder
Lorica Segmentata
- Iron cuirass fastened to leather straps
- Padded subarmalis worn underneath
- 20 lbs.
Legionary
Leather Helm
- Leather helm
- Tanned, hardened animal hide
- Bronze gilding
Lorica Hamata
- Iron mail shirt
- Leather shoulder flaps
- 33 lbs.
Testudo
Hersir[]
| “ | All the entrances, before you walk forward,
you should look at, you should spy out; for you can't know for certain where enemies are sitting, ahead in the hall— First stanza of the Hávamál
|
” |
The Viking Hersir was originally a noble who swore allegiance to a jarl or king. Over time, this position changed into a combat command role, giving the Hersirs control of around 100 Viking warriors. During the rapid expansion into mainland Europe and the subsequent warring that ensued, the Hersirs took on the role of battlefield coordinators and tactical leaders. As individuals of privileged social status, the Hersir was often well-trained and well-equipped, giving him the qualifications necessary to lead men into battle. They were also responsible for maintaining supply lines and communications overseas.
Weapons[]
Long Seax
- 20 inch blade
- Stabbing weapon
- Single-edged blade
Viking Sword
- 3 feet
- 2.4 lbs.
- Primarily a slashing/hacking weapon; double-edged blade allows for thrusting attacks
- Type H hilt
Viking Spear
- 6-foot wooden shaft
- 12-inch iron tip
- 8 lbs.
- Melee weapon
Throwing Axe
- 18-inch haft, 5-6 inch head
- 1.3 lbs.
- 15 m effective range, 30 m maximum range
Viking Shield
- Two layers of wood with three iron bands, iron handle nailed in back
- 15 lbs.
- 36 in x 37 in.
- Iron boss
Hersir
Conical Helmet
- Riveted iron helmet
- Iron noseguard and eye guard
- Sheepskin cap worn underneath
Ringmail Coat
- Iron mail coat
- Leather jacket padding underneath
- 25 lbs.
Viking Soldier
Leather Helm
- Leather helm
- Tanned, hardened animal hide
- Leather noseguard and eye guard
Mail with Quilted Gambeson
- Padded leather and cloth jacket
- Mail worn over top
- 30 lbs.
Svinfylking
X-Factors[]
Centurion: 80
Hersir: 75
The Centurion was a member of the well-drilled Roman legion, which prided itself on military maintenance through constant training and discipline. The Viking Hersir was well-versed in the ways of war thanks to his noble upbringing, but as the Viking military was not as professional or rigid as the Roman legion, the Centurion has an advantage.
Centurion: 85
Hersir: 85
Both warriors are extremely seasoned veterans--the Centurion and the Hersir often received their positions based on prior combat experience (although it was possible for both to have received their position through social promotion as well). The Roman legion carved its way across southern and western Europe and north Africa, proving itself as an effective fighting force, but the Vikings themselves fought in battles from England and northern Europe to Greenland.
Centurion: 89
Hersir: 71
The Roman legion was superbly disciplined and was almost always to keep composure in battle, a testament to their battlefield effectiveness. The Viking military was certainly able to maintain formation but often the fighting was centered on individual feats of heroism over unit cohesion, so once the battle started formations had the potential to fall apart (although, over time, this was remedied as the Viking expeditions changed from raids to actual warfare).
Centurion: 68
Hersir: 88
Here the Vikings have a definitive advantage. The Romans relied heavily on their formations for protection and battlefield control, but this came at the cost of speed. Moving in formation is a slow process to ensure cohesion with large groups of men. The Viking formation was much looser, focused on momentum, and designed to be used as a shock tactic, making the Vikings much more mobile on the battlefield while still retaining their formation.
Centurion: 73
Hersir: 84
The Centurion and the men of the Roman legion were certainly physically fit, but many conscripts and auxiliaries were simply farmers or other civilians trained and paid to become soldiers. The Vikings, on the other hand, were physically imposing by nature, often towering over their foes and utilizing their size and strength to their advantage.
Centurion: 75
Hersir: 75
This is pretty much a wash. The Roman legion was famed for its ability to force marches long distances and remain ready for combat, while the Vikings were equally noted for being able to sail long voyages and live off the land while on campaign. Both are standard military men who can withstand more than the average Joe.Battle[]
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.