Maximus vs the Uruk-Hai

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2002-12-20 05:40pm

OK, dispense with the Fellowship and the Rohirrim. Ignore the fortress of Helm's Deep.

Maximus and his Roman Legion (assumed to be 5,000 men for this particular debate) have to stop Saruman's Uruk-Hai. They have essentially the same fortifications and equipment that they had for the battle against the Germans at the beginning of Gladiator.

Let the slaughter commence!

Post by **weemadando** » 2002-12-20 05:51pm

Urak-hai get completely owned.

Naptha/Greek Fire ends the conflict very damn quickly.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2002-12-20 06:21pm

I'd don't know, 5 000 Legionaries against at least 10 000 Uruk-hai, possibly more. At best the Legionaries have 2 to 1 odds against them.

Next of Kin · Post by **Next of Kin** » 2002-12-20 06:43pm

Does Maximus have any archers or ballistas at his disposal?? Not that it would matter, the Romans are better equiped and trained that a fighting Uruk-hai.

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2002-12-20 06:44pm

Sir Sirius wrote:I'd don't know, 5 000 Legionaries against at least 10 000 Uruk-hai, possibly more. At best the Legionaries have 2 to 1 odds against them.

Considering that the apparent Uruk-Hai "tactics" consist of breaking ranks and slashing at the enemy, the Romans take them apart without much difficulty. The Romans will assume a nice, tight formation, which the Uruk-hai will have no real hope of cracking, and they'll sit back as the horde tries to bash through. Meanwhile, archers and catapults pick them to pieces.

Considering that Maximus seems to be a real fan of the hammer and anvil, his cavalry will probably repeat their performance from the movie, riding around to the back and striking the enemy from behind. In all probability, 90% Uruk-hai force is killed or captured, the rest routed from the field and scattered.

I wouldn't doubt a 10:1 kill ratio in favor of the Romans.

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2002-12-20 06:44pm

Next of Kin wrote:Does Maximus have any archers or ballistas at his disposal?? Not that it would matter, the Romans are better equiped and trained that a fighting Uruk-hai.

Yes, he has a number of catapults equipped with Naptha projectiles, and several hundred archers.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-12-21 02:31am

It's the tactical deficiencies that will kill the Uruk-Hai. Maximus is a Roman general. The Uruk-Hai are screaming morons. Screaming morons need much more than a 2:1 numerical advantage to overcome fully equipped Roman legions.

Post by **weemadando** » 2002-12-21 02:38am

To make it brutally obvious to people I will now point out the following...

Urak-hai are shit stoopid.
Urak-hai have the tactical and strategic capabilities of Janeway's Borg lovechild.
Urak-hai are armed with mainly HtH weapons and though some employ bows, they do not fire en-masse or with cohesion.

Romans have definate leadership and command structure.
Romans have the tactics and strategy to conquer the majority of the known world.
Romans are armed with a variety of weapons and utilise combined arms tactics.
Romans have warmachines that are designed for massive anti-infantry.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2002-12-21 04:03am

The Uruk's would get OWNED by the Romans, many of those that the Uruk's were designed to fight were people roving the countryside, like rangers, travellers, moving armies etc. Romans were clearly not like that, though it would be interesting to see this fight.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2002-12-21 08:49pm

...to cook up a new batch of Uruks after this one.

The Legion erects som flank protection to protect it's position, needlessly since Uruks don't comprehend any tactic more advanced than howling and a frontal assault (remind me of Klingons for some reason). The Uruks advance in fairly good order with pikes against the Legionary line and are met by a volley of Pila in their face. If they continue they will get a second volley and while the front ranks are in disorder the Romans will charge bypassing the pike barrier. Once the fighting get to be close and personal the Uruks will swing wildly, it looks great on film but it's a stupid way to fight since it lowers the density of troops in the front ranks were all the killing is done. The Uruks will actually be at a numerical disadvantage where it matter the most and their original numerical advantage will simply mean that it will take longer to kill them all.

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2002-12-23 07:45am

The Uruk-Hai seem to fight very much as the Germanic barbarians faced by Rome in the early Imperial period did. Individually the Germans and Uruk-Hai could be terrifyingly ferocious, as well as being a bit larger and stronger physically than the average Roman soldier. But like the Germans, the Uruk-Hai seem to have only loose discipline, and their army is little better than a mob. They can achieve victories by overwhelming numbers, or by exploiting a mistake made by the Romans (it did happen - some Roman generals were politically appointed and were woefully inept), but good Roman troops led by a capable general will be almost unbeatable unless they are massively outnumbered. The only kind of force that would give a classically equipped legion a really hard time would be heavy cavalry (which the Uruk-Hai are not). Maximus, although a fictional character, is clearly presented as a capable commander, so would be unlikely to make any of the mistakes that might allow the orcs to win.

Oddly enough, the Rohirrim might be an opponent the legions couldn't beat. They seem to have good order and discipline, and Roman legions existed in a world with no really effective heavy cavalry - the stirrup hadn't been invented then and the devastating charge with couched lance was not possible. In a world lacking that kind of cavalry, Roman infantry never had to evolve weapons or tactics to deal with it. Consequently, the legions didn't have any weapons that would be really effective against heavy horse. A good general leading the Rohirrim could use his mobility to his advantage, and hammer the Romans with charges, while never giving them the opportunity to hit back. Thrown pila would inflict some casualties among the horsemen, but the Romans wouldn't really be able to come to grips, and the gladius, while ideal for combat with other infantry, is not the best weapon with which to take on horsemen.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2002-12-23 10:31am

The Romans often had auxilarily troops and provincials to serve as cavalry, so it is possible they could use those to harass and keep the Riders at bay.

However, one of the basic rules of tactics is thus: There are four weapon systems:

Light Infantry
Heavy Infantry
Light Cavalry
Heavy Cavalry

The Romans employ LI(Aux bowmen/slingers) HI(legionaries) and LC(The Auxs). The Uruk-Hai employ HI. Romans win.

Cpt_Frank · Post by **Cpt_Frank** » 2002-12-23 10:36am

The Uruk-Hai are exactly the kind of enemy the Roman legions are used to fight: unorganized, ferocious hordes.
Romans win.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-23 12:50pm

The Romans will slaughter the Uruk-Hai. The Orcs need more like 10+ to 1 odds to win, everything is stacked against them

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-12-23 12:54pm

I think a nice healthy dose of napalm should make the Uruk Hai think twice a bout charging, as well as a volley of flaming arrows.

Then Maximus' cavalry rides forth and disheads the Uruk Hai.

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2002-12-23 02:07pm

Romans chant "All your base are belong to us "as they slaughter the Uruk Hai

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-12-23 02:18pm

Typhonis 1 wrote:Romans chant "All your base are belong to us "as they slaughter the Uruk Hai

(Napalm blows up the first wave of Uruk-Hai)

Uruk-Hai Commander: What happen?!?!?

Little grotty goblin: Somebody set up us the bomb.

Little grotty gobline 2: We get message!

UHC: What?

LGG2: Here is it, boss!

(Roman ranks part to reveal Maximus)

UHC: It's you!

Maximus: How are you gentlemen! All your base are belong to us! You are on the road to destruction!

UHC: What you say!

Maximus: You have no chnace to survive make your time. Ha ha ha ha...

(Maximus rides back into the ranks and the Romans proceed to own the Uruk-Hai)

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2002-12-23 02:30pm

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:
Typhonis 1 wrote:Romans chant "All your base are belong to us "as they slaughter the Uruk Hai
(Napalm blows up the first wave of Uruk-Hai)

Uruk-Hai Commander: What happen?!?!?

Little grotty goblin: Somebody set up us the bomb.

Little grotty gobline 2: We get message!

UHC: What?

LGG2: Here is it, boss!

(Roman ranks part to reveal Maximus)

UHC: It's you!

Maximus: How are you gentlemen! All your base are belong to us! You are on the road to destruction!

UHC: What you say!

Maximus: You have no chnace to survive make your time. Ha ha ha ha...

(Maximus rides back into the ranks and the Romans proceed to own the Uruk-Hai)

Hehe, lol.

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-12-23 02:32pm

[Horny 18 year-old]

ENOUGH WAR AND DEATH AND BLOODSHED!
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN! BRING ON THE WOMEN!

[/Horny 18 year-old]

Post by **NecronLord** » 2002-12-23 02:52pm

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:[Horny 18 year-old]

ENOUGH WAR AND DEATH AND BLOODSHED!
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN! BRING ON THE WOMEN!

[/Horny 18 year-old]

I'm sure they can find a few in Rohan.

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2002-12-24 02:08pm

NecronLord wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:[Horny 18 year-old]

ENOUGH WAR AND DEATH AND BLOODSHED!
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN! BRING ON THE WOMEN!

[/Horny 18 year-old]
I'm sure they can find a few in Rohan.

But they all have beards and hairy legs.

Typhonis 1 wrote:Romans chant "All your base are belong to us "as they slaughter the Uruk Hai

*sreams, rolling around on the floor*

(whimper) No, I won't belive it...

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2002-12-24 05:17pm

"All your base are belong to us"?

Okay, I must have missed something here. Can someone please tell me where this searing example of nonsense/bad grammar came from?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-24 05:21pm

Perinquus wrote:"All your base are belong to us"?

Okay, I must have missed something here. Can someone please tell me where this searing example of nonsense/bad grammar came from?

We already have a thread on that, which you might notice is about five threads down on this page.

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2002-12-24 09:12pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Perinquus wrote:"All your base are belong to us"?

Okay, I must have missed something here. Can someone please tell me where this searing example of nonsense/bad grammar came from?
We already have a thread on that, which you might notice is about five threads down on this page.

Blow me. You know, if you're going to type an answer to that question, it would really be just as easy to answer it straight as it is to be a fucking smart ass.

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Maximus vs the Uruk-Hai

Maximus vs the Uruk-Hai

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