Rome vs Japan

[Tarbicus]

There's a good chance that the nagimaki and naginata are going to make kindling out of a scutum.

Describe the scutum construction you're talking about. I've yet to see a definitive description.

He is still out-ranged in terms of attack with his smaller gladius...though not by a lot. Perhaps 6-10 inches, depending on the sword either person wields.

Myth: a longer sword is more effective than a shorter sword.

The shorter gladius is ideal if the legionary keeps closing on the samurai. If he gets within the reach of the longer sword, which can only be used now to cut (a tad difficult with the legionary's left being completely enclosed by his scutum), he stabs and stabs with his gladius, or goes for a cut behind the knee as he has been often trained to do. The legionary pushes while jabbing the scutum upwards constantly into the chin, or down onto the opponent's feet, still constantly stabbing with his gladius. The pushing is to the legionary's advantage as he wears hobnailed caligae giving absolutely 100% sure grip into the ground. The samurai tries to step back, but the legionary keeps on him. The more the samurai tries to create distance the legionary keeps coming, knowing full well he needs to keep within the reach of the Japanese sword.

Either the samurai stumbles, or takes a bash from the umbo to keep him unbalanced. If the samurai steps back again and does create some distance, the legionary levels his scutum and cracks him with the bottom edge to keep him off balance, or to at least retain the distance.

The legionary knows he has to either keep the samurai at or outside of extended scutum range, or get him within the samurai's swing. Both are to his advantage, while the samurai has really only one limited length of distance for his sword to be effective.

But the samurai makes a swift and heavy slash at the scutum. He is horrfied!! He can't pull it from the scutum! It's stuck! The legionary drops his scutum and launches at the disarmed samurai.

Maybe