Campaign square

[sincov]

Wanting to make a historical campaign and putting a grid on a map of how large the squares could be in Km. I roughly according to that of Gaul it seems to me about 100 km per side and a month of move. Could we consider the roads that the Romans used to move troops more quickly?

Roberto Sincovich Trieste Italia

[lionheartrjc]

I have included some campaign ideas in my forthcoming book from PSC - Age of Attila. Although these are from 5th century, the same problems were faced in earlier times.

A Roman army could comfortably move 100Km per week along roads, perhaps 200km at a push.  If enemy were suspected to be close by then they would inevitably be more cautious and distances would be reduced. 

A major headache for Caesar in his conquest of Gaul was protecting his extended supply lines.  He tried to maintain supply depots to reduce his exposure, but could still be exposed when tribes revolted.  The revolt of Vercingetorix tested his army to its limits.

The main problem for Gallic or other tribal armies would be supply.  Without a source of supply such as an oppida (Gallic city), an army would run short of food in around a week.  It would then have to scatter into smaller parties to forage for supplies, making it vulnerable to being picked off.  As a result much of Caesar's campaign involves the Gauls trying to ambush Roman legions or armies and then dispersing. The Gauls struggled to keep an army in the field for any extended period of time.

Richard

[Simon Meg-Meister]

I did indeed consider it roughly as 100km squares.  But really its to think about whatever scale and timeframe suits your campaign. As Richard says probably 100km a week is very doable as capping movement on road, so in this comping probably a move is really a fortnight.  Which feels about right.

If adding to it then weather would affect movement. lot as well as supply. Without roads probably 50km a week about right in summer, 25km in winter if the weather gets going.

Mongols all mounted managed 300km a week on the steppes in dry weather IIRC.  But as Germany found in Russia in WW2 when it rains heavily its a quagmire and probably 30km.

Si