Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 68 Weapon Reform
Just out of basic respect for the royal family members, Mucinus still looked at the equipment with the other party, but he didn't expect that there was really a trick in it.

The heavy javelin originally used by the Romans was actually very sophisticated. It was not a simple and crude method of attaching a metal spear head to a wooden pole. That was a cost-saving method in the Middle Ages. The javelin they used was specially designed.

A thin iron rod is connected to the 1.4-meter-long wooden rod, and the end of the metal rod is a tapered sharp gun head to prevent the enemy from recycling it. Once it hits the target, the metal rod will bend, and even if the enemy pulls it out, he can't throw it back.

This heavy javelin is very heavy, about two meters long, and has a range of generally twenty meters, but its penetration and damage are terrible, and it is almost tailor-made for the Mediterranean environment.

The main combatants here are almost all elite heavy infantry. After the first two rounds of javelins are fired, as long as they hit the target, the enemy will be either killed or seriously injured. Even if they don't hit the enemy's body but just embed into the enemy's shield, it can be considered that the purpose has been achieved.

This kind of javelin is very difficult to pull out and is too heavy. If a soldier holds a shield with a javelin embedded in it, he will not be able to hold it for long before he is exhausted and even loses his balance. The final result is often that they have to throw away their shields, which is very disadvantageous in hand-to-hand combat. Roman legionnaires all have large shields to protect themselves.

The combination of large shield, short sword and javelin is very useful against enemies near the Mediterranean Sea, and it has no obvious shortcomings. The javelin can also be used as a short spear when necessary, and it will not suffer a serious loss against any enemy. Therefore, the Roman Legion has been using it for a long time and has continuously modified it on this basis.

However, when facing enemies outside the Mediterranean world, this equipment would sometimes be useless, such as when facing the Parthians.

They had more cavalry, and their bows had stronger penetration, which could penetrate the soldiers' not-so-thick shields. The Romans' original javelins were used to deal with heavy infantry, and they usually only had two javelins, which had a low error tolerance rate and a poor range, and could not reach the Parthian cavalry archers at all.

In response to this situation, the Romans improved the javelin, and Orville came up with this improvement plan in advance and copied the homework of later generations.

The new javelin that appeared in front of Mucinus was not much shorter in length, still about two meters, but it was obviously much lighter and thinner. A counterweight metal ball was added to the handle for balance, and the shape of the spear head was changed from a cone to an arrow shape with barbs.

Seeing that Mucinus' eyes were much more serious, Orville continued to introduce: "After our tests, an ordinary legionnaire can throw this thing forty or fifty meters without any problem, which means the range has doubled. Considering that our enemies don't have full-body shields, we changed the shape of the spear head to a barbed arrowhead shape that is easier to get stuck in the flesh. If it hits a Parthian horse, it won't fall off easily."

Mucinus stepped forward and picked up a javelin, weighing it in his hand, and repeatedly threw it to test the change of center of gravity: "Can you carry four?"

"Yes, we can usually carry four. But considering that these javelins are lighter and smaller, it's normal to carry more on the supply vehicle."

Mucinus took two running steps and made a standard throwing posture. The javelin flew forward for nearly sixty meters. It was obvious that the general was still in good shape.

He began to think seriously: "How much will it cost? Is it difficult to do?"

"It's slightly cheaper than the heavy javelin, and the technical difficulty is not at all for a qualified craftsman. It's about the same as the original javelin." "Anything else you want to show me?"

Orville pointed to several shields on the table in front of him. "When I was fighting in Palphi, I captured the Parthian composite bows. As long as they are close enough, these arrows can penetrate the shields. Our current shields sacrifice protection ability for protection area, so I am wondering if we should make some more trade-offs."

Orville really likes the iconic Roman square shield, which looks very safe, but this shield is designed more for close combat with cold weapons rather than for defending against rain of arrows.

It is impossible for such a large single-person shield to be made very thick. The soldiers would be exhausted just holding the shield while marching or forming a battle array, not to mention engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

He made some long oval shields, which were a little different from the cheap single-layer wooden boards used in the late empire. This one was made of multiple layers of wooden boards pressed together. It was thicker but had a smaller protective area, but it was enough to block the Parthian arrows.

Mucinus frowned this time: "Then this shield cannot fully protect the soldiers' legs and feet, but will become a weakness."

"I also realize this, so I think it needs to be used with greaves, or simply increasing the protection area of ​​the soldiers' chain mail. This kind of equipment can better protect the lives of our soldiers. Every legionnaire is a Roman citizen, a father, a son, and a husband.

Besides, since the shield area is reduced, I think there will be more room for the sword to move, and we can increase the length of the dagger, so that we can better deal with the Parthian cavalry."

Mucinus's eyes turned into admiration. "You are right. I think you have convinced me. I understand why Vespa adopted you as his son. You are really smart. The design of the javelin is very sophisticated and better than what we have now. I will have a good talk with Vespa and ask him to allow the Eastern Legion to replace this javelin.

As for the shield and armor, you are still right and my idea is the same, but now is not the time to do these things. First of all, we don't have the money to replace all the troops in the eastern provinces with new shields and greaves. Secondly, if you use the combination of large shield and short sword, you have to reform the training system of the Roman army.

I personally support you, but this matter has great resistance, and it is not something that you, me, or Vespa can just talk about. So wait until the situation stabilizes, or you have some way to get results to prove it, and I will support you then. If I die, my son will also support you in this matter. This is the right way for us to deal with the Parthians."

Orville did not want to reform the equipment and training system of the Roman army at this time. In fact, the only thing he wanted to give to Mucinus was the javelin. If he did not bring it up, the Romans would sooner or later switch to this kind of javelin after a few decades. Moreover, anyone with a little military knowledge could see that this kind of javelin was more suitable for dealing with the Parthians, so there would be no resistance.

He took the initiative to bring up the issue of shields, armor and swords, in fact, just to win the support of Mucinus, and it turned out to be very successful.

In other words, as long as Orville and Tia insisted on reforming the equipment training system, Mucinus would support them. He was younger than Vespa, and his body looked very strong. It would not be a problem for him to persist for ten or twenty years. Besides, he also said that his son would continue to support him even if he left.

(End of this chapter)