Armed with javelins, these mounted skirmishers can be a nightmare for an opponent as it can prove practically impossible to pin them down in combat.
Numidia produces some of the finest cavalry in all Africa, if not the Western Mediterranean world. They are not armoured and thus almost useless in hand-to-hand combat. Their archers had more of a rounded trajectory than their slingers, and a longer range than their favored javelinmen, though lacked the mobility of the cavalry. ArchersĪrchers were used more widely by some cultures than others. A combination of rugged upbringing and harsh training makes them reliable and slow to tire in combat: a Numidian force can be sure that these men will do their duty. They cannot, however, use tactics like the tortoise (or testudo) when approaching enemy formations, but they do fight in the same fashion as the original Legionaries, first throwing heavy spears (pila) at the enemy and then closing for hand-to-hand combat. They have had training from Roman advisors, and this makes them the best trained of all Numidian soldiery. Numidian Legionaries are local copies of Roman Legionaries, but lack the truly awesome discipline of the originals. They are some of the best fighters available to Numidian commanders, but their lack of formal training is a slight weakness. Equipped with spears and large shields of wood and animal hide, battle holds few fears for these people – life in a desert gives people a certain fatalism.
The prospect of a punishing march across great distances to these robust people is almost as familiar to them as the passing of each day. They are tough troops used to eking out an existence in the unforgiving desert periphery. These hardy folk from the fringes of the Sahara make excellent spearmen, well suited to defending against cavalry. In general, slingers were not quite as widely used as, say, archers or skirmishers, for whatever reason. The most famous slingers of the ancient world were those of the Balearic Isles. They can “reload”” faster than most archers, but are even more vulnerable against any kind of close combat troops. Slingers perform a similar role to archers and skirmishers their attack differs in method rather than in result. Historically, Numidian justice was extremely harsh on deserters and cowards: crucifixion was a common punishment. They should avoid being sucked into hand-to-hand combat, as their knives are more useful in skinning animals than killing men also, other than a small shield they have no armour. They are best employed to harry enemies and thin their ranks with volleys of missiles. They are recruited from amongst nomadic peoples who need their weapon skills to survive in harsh conditions. Numidian javelinmen are fast moving skirmishers trained from infancy in the use of the javelin for hunting. Peasants should be used as an absolute last resort, or in cases where funds are extremely short. They are cheap to train, however, and their one advantage is an ability to hide well. Poorly armed and with little military experience, their morale and discipline are both understandably low. The last option of any desperate army (except perhaps slaves or convicts), peasants are good for increasing your numbers…and not much else.
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