Summary of What If a Single Modern Marine Platoon Fought An Entire Roman Legion

What If a Single Modern Marine platoon Fought An Entire Roman legion

Storyline & Scenarios

The video explores a hypothetical battle between a modern Marine platoon (43 soldiers) and an entire Roman legion (about 5,000 legionaries). Two main scenarios are considered:

1. Scenario 1: Romans Panic and Lose Quickly
   • Similar to historical examples like the Battle of Cajamarca where a small technologically advanced force (Spanish with firearms) defeated a much larger force (Inca warriors) through shock and awe tactics.
   • Marines would use overwhelming firepower to demoralize the Romans, likely causing them to retreat or surrender quickly.
   • This scenario is straightforward but considered boring by the creator.
2. Scenario 2: Romans Are Psychologically Trained and Don’t Panic
   • The Romans stand their ground despite the modern weapons.
   • The battle is analyzed considering equipment, logistics, tactics, and terrain.

Equipment Comparison

• Marines:
  • 43 soldiers
  • Weapons: M4 carbines, M27 rifles, M320 grenade launchers, M67 fragmentation grenades, 3 M240B medium machine guns
  • Gear: Flak jackets, Kevlar helmets, night vision goggles, gas masks, water purification tablets
• Romans:
  • 5,000 legionaries
  • Weapons: Gladius (short sword), two pila (javelins), pugio (dagger)
  • Armor and shields (effective against melee but not bullets)
  • Larger logistical capacity with food supplies and ability to resupply quickly
  • Potential auxiliaries not counted to keep balance

Key Tactical and Logistical Considerations

• Logistics:
  • Marines have limited food and ammunition, designed for short engagements.
  • Romans have better long-term logistics and can resupply efficiently.
  • Marines could only resupply by raiding Roman villages, which is risky due to close quarters and familiarity of Romans with terrain.
• Terrain:
  • Marines need open plains with minimal natural cover to maximize their ranged weapon advantage.
  • Urban or tight terrain negates Marines’ ranged advantage and favors Romans’ close combat skills.
• Combat Dynamics:
  • Romans must close distance to engage in melee where they have the advantage.
  • Marines use bounding overwatch tactics to maintain distance and suppress Romans.
  • Romans could try to encircle Marines, but spreading out reduces their formation effectiveness and makes coordination difficult.
  • Roman cavalry would be ineffective due to Marines’ early detection and firepower, and horses being easily scared or killed.
• Roman Tactics:
  • Use expendable front-line soldiers as sacrificial pawns to close distance.
  • Possibly employ scorched earth and attrition tactics to wear down Marines.
  • Divide enemies with promises of power (not considered here due to ignoring morale).
• Marine Advantages:
  • Night vision goggles allow effective night operations.
  • Tear gas and gas masks provide a chemical warfare edge.
  • M240B machine guns create devastating fields of fire, potentially killing many Romans rapidly.
  • Greater mobility and precision fire.

Battle Outcome & Strategies

• Marines likely to win in direct confrontation due to superior firepower, night operations, and chemical warfare.
• Romans could still win by adopting a war of attrition, avoiding direct confrontation, and exploiting supply weaknesses of Marines.
• Marines must avoid prolonged engagements and close combat, choosing battlegrounds carefully.
• Marines need to protect machine gunners as they are critical to inflicting heavy casualties.

Additional Notes

The video humorously dismisses the time paradox scenario where Marines might be descendants of Romans, which could complicate the fight.

Summary of Key Tips & Strategies

• Marines should:
  • Choose open terrain to maximize ranged weapons.
  • Use bounding overwatch to maintain distance.
  • Utilize night vision for night raids and resupply.
  • Deploy tear gas and gas masks to disrupt Romans.
  • Protect machine gunners at all costs.
• Romans should:
  • Avoid direct frontal assaults.
  • Use expendable soldiers to close distance.
  • Employ scorched earth and attrition tactics.
  • Attempt to encircle Marines but beware of formation difficulties.
  • Avoid urban combat where Marines’ ranged advantage is lost.

Featured Gamer/Source

• The video is created and narrated by the channel owner (name not specified).
• Historical references include the Battle of Cajamarca and Roman military tactics.

Notable Quotes

— 00:36 — « This tactic is still used today and is known as shock and awe. It's all about unleashing such overwhelming and immediate force at the start of a battle that the enemy becomes completely demoralized, making them either fight poorly or give up altogether. »

— 04:03 — « This gives them the ability to operate effectively at night, something the Romans couldn't even imagine. »

— 06:14 — « This setup would essentially create a meat grinder for the advancing legionnaires, forcing the Romans to prioritize taking out these gunners with their pylum. »

— 06:40 — « One major advantage of the Marines that we haven't yet considered is the possibility of tear gas. They also have gas masks, which would provide them with a massive edge over the legionnaires, who would have no means of protection against it. »

— 07:04 — « The Marines cannot be descendants of the Roman soldiers as killing them would create a time travel paradox that might also kill the Marines themselves. However, that is a whole other thing, so just forget about it. »

Category

Gaming

Video