Chapter 3538
The Skilled Warrior Filippo
...
Looking at the Parthian army's direction and route of attack, Perennis quickly deduced Parthia's intentions and objectives.
Once the enemy's objectives are determined and their command methods are understood, it becomes possible to make targeted deployments and countermeasures.
However, although the Roman army had completed its combat preparations and troop assembly with prior warning, it would still take time for them to reach the designated countermeasure positions and achieve the desired countermeasures.
"The position of the Ninth Spain..." Realizing the potential effect of Parthia's heavy cavalry attack, Perennis's immediate countermeasure was to push them back with even more powerful heavy cavalry.
However, given the position of the Ninth Spanish team, it was virtually impossible for them to reach the front line quickly and execute a heavy cavalry charge.
Even though the distance wasn't far, the sheer number of legions involved meant that, unable to launch large-scale, coordinated charges, small-scale assaults, even with the Ninth Spanish heavy cavalry being stronger than the Parthian heavy cavalry, couldn't cover a wider front or accommodate a greater number of attackers.
Perennis, who had instantly grasped the corresponding gap, immediately coordinated the position of the Ninth Spanish Army. Instead of forcing them to reach the front line, he moved the army's position to create the corresponding operational space and prepare for a counterattack.
The participation of the Fifth Lark greatly improved the speed of command communication, allowing Perennis to command various armies more quickly.
Therefore, even when his own legions are gathered together and the overall formation is relatively bulky, Perennis can still quickly deploy the legions from their assembly points to form an effective army formation, and command each legion quickly and calmly, avoiding mutual obstruction between legions.
While a bulky, dense defensive line is indeed advantageous for defense, and even for resisting cavalry charges, it cannot restrict the flexibility between armies in order to execute corresponding counterattacks and counter-annihilation.
"Shield wall!" Of course, things are not absolute. Perennis coordinated the various legions to avoid forming a dense, large legion formation in order to facilitate the movement of the legions. As for the Roman barbarian heavy infantry who were on the front line about to resist the Parthian heavy cavalry charge,
A dense, impenetrable shield wall, where people are packed together, is the best way to withstand a heavy cavalry charge.
By using shields and lives to block the enemy's charge and slow down the Parthian heavy cavalry's advance, they faced death to survive, thus having a chance to live.
Under such a dense shield wall, it is virtually impossible for soldiers inside, except for those on the outermost perimeter, to evacuate.
When it is known that retreat is impossible, the only way to increase the chances of survival is to persevere to the utmost and strictly adhere to the code of conduct.
The barbarian legions that are able to operate on such battlefields have experienced many battles, and they still possess similar battlefield experience and rationality.
Influenced by this rationality, even though fear and apprehension still existed in their hearts, they still made the most correct choice.
Hold the shield in front of you, then tilt it at an angle towards your chest. Use your shoulder to brace the shield, and lean one leg back to defend against the incoming impact.
"It seems these auxiliary infantrymen of Rome are still very elite." Sima Yi remarked sincerely, witnessing the reaction of the Roman front-line male legions. "Using manpower to directly block shields?" Xu Huang, also observing this, shook his head bluntly, saying without hesitation, "According to the code of conduct given by His Highness, in this situation, heavy T-shaped shields should be used, directly borrowing the force of the earth to withstand the impact. No matter how skillful the soldiers are at dissipating force, facing this level of impact and force, the worst that can happen is a broken shoulder..."
Listening to Xu Huang's explanation, Sima Yi rolled his eyes, looked at Xu Huang seriously, and then sighed with a hint of regret, "This is the battlefield between Rome and Parthia."
Upon hearing this, Xu Huang was taken aback, then realized what he meant and gave an awkward laugh.
Sima Yi was not surprised by this; on the contrary, he was somewhat used to it.
He and Zhuge Liang were once influenced by Liu Tong's theories and experienced the suppression of pure military skills.
If it were just theory, that would be one thing; Liu Tong could easily put all his theories into practice and then use them to suppress people.
Looking back now, it seems that Zhuge Liang, the opponent he regarded with great caution, probably also followed this path.
Even if he did his best to scheme and plot in Central Asia, Sima Yi was not sure whether his growth would be enough to surpass Zhuge Liang.
Sima Yi, who had enjoyed the title of genius since childhood, valued Zhuge Liang more than others valued him.
Without dodging or yielding, the heavy infantry legions from the Roman barbarians and the heavy cavalry legions from Parthia directly engaged in a battle of spears and shields.
Thick armor, a long dragon spear, and the impact of the horse's own weight and hooves—the dragon spear pierced directly through the substandard shields, and the horse's hooves trampled over shield after shield, forcibly breaking through the door.
The places they passed through were all mud trampled by horses' hooves, and the flesh and steel of armored personnel made up of mud.
However, the sheer number of lives and shields eventually had an effect, and the speed of the heavy cavalry was gradually reduced. The surviving Roman heavy infantrymen had both the relief of surviving and the excitement of about to make their mark.
The heavy cavalry, having lost their speed, were seen by these soldiers as nothing more than a standing military achievement, enough to earn them a ticket to Roman citizenship.
However, this excitement did not last long. The Milanese raiding infantry from Parthia, with their high-speed bursts over short distances, even surpassed the movement speed of the heavy cavalry. They charged directly through the huge gap carved out by the heavy cavalry, and with the help of their linked abilities, they caused great chaos among the Roman barbarian army and inflicted extremely effective casualties.
During this process, the slowed heavy cavalry began to turn their horses around, attempting to retreat back to Parthia's center and prepare for a second charge, thus breaking through the second line of heavy infantry defenses of the Roman legions.
"How dare you succeed! Die!" The Fourth Lucky Legion, which had already arrived at the front line, had its Scythian Royal Archer Filippo leading the legion to fully charge up, but had not launched an attack until now, when he finally directed the army to launch the offensive.
The reason is quite simple: Parthia's heavy cavalry legions, in some situations, were comparable to the Spanish Ninth Legion, possessing extremely formidable frontal combat and defensive capabilities. (End of Chapter)