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Lorica segmentata- Rating 3/3, Strength 2, Defense -1, Speed -1, Cost •••

The Lorica segmentata represents the pinnacle of roman engineering. Relatively lightweight, flexible, and easy to manufacture, the armor provides adequate protection against most attacks, both piercing and slashing, and was intended to reduce causality rates and improve longevity among soldiers.

While somewhat heavy and bulky, it is less heavy and bulky then it's counter parts, and despite this, provides more protection against most type of attacks than the other armor during the time period.

While relativley cheap to manufacture, the iron and semi-steel construction of the material is it's greatest ally and enemy, prone to rust and therefore damage, requires rather high maintenance. In addition, the small clasps and ropes holding the weapon together are prone to breaking, and thus require constant maintenance in order to maintain, which increases the price of the armor drastically.

The armor is capable of being made out of steel, however, which is harder and stronger (although much more difficult to create), and provides 4/3 protection, however is more expensive and requires 4 resources. This type of armor is usually more ornately designed, and may even feature gold or silver embroidering.



Lorica Musculata (Plate Armor)- Rating 3/3, Strength 3, Defense –2, Speed -2, Cost ••

Stronger and easier to manufacture than chain mail, it is still relativley difficult to produce due to the requirement of needing it to fit a person's basic musculature. Usually this armor is made of bronze or light iron, and is fully capable of stopping even the toughest of blows. While it inhibits mobility drastically, this armor provides as much protection as the Lorica segmentata, in part by being a large, rounded plate armor.

While less popular, due to it's specific requirements and limitations on mobility, a stronger iron-steel version which is correctly fitted to the person's musculature provides up to 4/4 protection, the greatest protection available for any armor for a Roman soldier (Resources 3).



Lorica Squamata (Scale Armor)- Rating 2/2, Strength 1, Defense –1, Speed -1, Cost ••

Chainmail is heavy, thick, and provides minimum protection. While effective against slashing attacks, the armor is particularly vulnerable against thrusting or piercing attacks, and provides little to no protection against long range firearms like arrows or thrusting attacks.

Scale armor however, is much more effective. While somewhat heavier, it provides more protection and actually provides somewhat better flexibility, due to it's smaller size. Despite this, it is somewhat heavier than chainmail.

Individual scales ("squamae") are either iron or brass, or alternating metals. Brass scales are often tinned. The metal os fairly thin, .020" to .032" being a common range, but since overlapping scales reinforced each other, the overall protection was quite good. Size ranges from 1/4" wide by 3/8" tall up to about 2" wide by 3" tall. Obviously, the smaller the scale, the more were needed for full coverage. Many have rounded bottoms, while others are pointed or have flat bottoms with the corners clipped off at an angle. Scales could be flat, or slightly dished, or have a raised midrib.

Their durability is quite good, as they are connected by small wires, and while this requires some padding, provides strong durability for the material as a whole.



Lorica Hamata (Chainmail)- Rating 2/1, Strength 2, Defense –2, Speed 0, Cost •

Chainmail is heavy, thick, and provides minimum protection. While effective against slashing attacks, the armor is particularly vulnerable against thrusting or piercing attacks, and provides little to no protection against long range firearms like arrows or thrusting attacks. The armor, while in actuality more difficult to make than plate armor, is somewhat cheaper due to it's lowered demand, and has fell out of favor with most military units.

Light infantry or beginning poor infantry may be seen wearing it, and various barbarians or auxiliary units are prone to wearing it. Despite it's supposed flexibility, chainmail capable of providing adequate protection against most weapons is relativley thick and heavy, and prohibits flexibility quite a bit.



Leather or Hide Armor- Rating 1/1, Strength 1, Defense -1, Speed 0, Cost •

Used mostly by barbarians and light infantry, leather armor provides minimum protection. Against glancing blows and light attacks, the armor provides protection, and is good against brush, tricky terrain, most bashing damage attacks (fists, hammers etc.) and various other light attacks.

Intended to mitigate minor damage, the armor provides effective protection against the elements, rough terrain, and even basic mistakes (such as tripping and falling or accidentally cutting yourself), although it is lacking when compared to the stronger, metallic armor of the Roman Infantry.

The armor is lightweight, however, and inhibits speed little, although in order to be strong enough to provide more protection than basic clothing, it is much thicker, limiting mobility somewhat.


*Like all armor, the armor only provides protection to the protected areas of the body. Unprotected areas do not provide protection, although it takes penalties to aim at said areas of the body. As well, the armor protection provided can be mitigated by armor piercing weapons, and may be damaged as a result.

Gladius- 2L, Size 2/S, Durability 3, Cost ••

Gladius (Latin: glădĭus) was the Roman word for sword, and is used to represent the primary sword of Roman soldiers. This sword was known as the Gladius Hispaniensis, or "Hispanic Sword". Rather, these early blades followed a slightly different pattern, being longer and narrower, and were probably those that Polybius considered good for both cut and thrust. Later Gladii are referred to as the Mainz, Fulham, and Pompeii types. In the late Roman period, Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus refers to swords called semispathae (or semispathia) and spathae, for both of which he appears to consider gladius an appropriate term.

Favored weapon of Gladiators, Roman soldiers, and even thugs and mercanaries, this cheap, available, mass produced and highly effective weapons served as the core of roman combat.

The swords are typically around 2.6–3.5 pounds, and 25 to 32 inches long, with a blade length of around 24 to 28 inches and a width of 1.5 to 3 inches. They are relativley small and well balanced, with an enlarged weighted end for increasing momentum when engaging in slashing attacks, and have a doubled edged relativley sharp triangular point for stabbing.

These weapon are relativley easy to conceal, although they require large clothing (I.E. robes) to do so.


Spear- 2L, Size 3/L, Durability 3, Cost •

Spears are large, strong, and effective, having been used by many militaries in many battles. They were used by the Spartans, the early Greeks, and even the Macedonian army, and serve as the core weapon used by all initiates in the Roman Army.

Cheap, effective, and able to keep an enemy at bay, the Spear serves as the forefront of most Military endeavors, keeping the enemy at range while forcing them to take on the spiked end of a large stick.

The Spear is often referenced as the primary weapon regarding the military, as the "Spear and Shield" and "Spearhead" of an military unit often refers to the unit of assault or the military itself.

Despite it's effectiveness, it is large, bulky, hard to conceal and relativley bad at close quarters combat, and is mostly (if not only) useful in stabbing attacks, diminishing it's utility. Still, the weapon serves as a powerful addition to any soldiers arsenal, and spears can be thrown or even stabbed into the enemy or their shield to reduce their effectiveness.



Roman Pick-Axe- 3L, 2L (Armor piercing 1), 3 Bashing, Size 2/L, Durability 3, Cost ••,

The roman Pick-Axe was a relativley versatile weapon, being issued for several centuries, and a staple of the roman Army. It was often used for cutting down trees, mining, as a hammer, for digging, and for basic cutting as a knife, when held correctly, in order to cut or carve wood or other substances.

The Roman pick-axe, when required, could be used as a weapon, where it was devastating. It could either used as an axe to chop and hack away at enemy troops, as a pick axe in order to pierce through hard or thick armor, and even as a hammer to knock troops around.

The weapon could be used to catch people or their weapons, as well as knock them out of their hands, and could be held near the head to provide protection to the hands or greater leverage.

Over-all an effective weapon, it's size and shape made it hard to conceal, and it was usually worn on the other leg adjacent to the sword.



Pugio- 1L, Size 1/S, Durability 3, Cost •

Like the gladius, the pugio was a stabbing weapon, the type said to have been preferred by the Romans. Of them, late Roman writer Vegetius, says]:

llllllll"A stroke with the edges, though made with ever so much force, seldom kills, .... On the contrary, a stab, though it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal. ... the body is covered while a thrust is given, and the adversary receives the point before he sees the sword. This was the method of fighting principally used by the Romans ....."

Vegetius may be overstating this point however, as there are a number of surviving Roman depictions of soldiers slashing with their weapons, as well as stabbing with them. This is shown best on the Adamklissi metopes.