Oscans in the lists

Browsing EI4 "Rome and the Mediterranean" and the Beta lists I have noticed that representations of Oscan types are all over the place. Some are javelin shooters, some are not. Some are VBU 5 some are 4's. Samnites are represented more than one way and there just doesn't seem to be a consistent profile for them.

I bring it up because I was looking at scrubbing-up the Pyrrhos list to bring it more in-line with the other successor type lists. The Oscans in that list are rather useless looking, being the worst of all options.  

How would you rate them?

Remember VBU 4 is as high as you dare take javelin infantry, otherwise they just machine-gun opponents. So VBU 5 get long spear instead

Jim

Yes, I could see that being an issue (though the entire Samnite beta-list army is VBU 5 with javelins).
Would you put them on par with Illyrians? VBU=4, I=1, with javelins.

The EI Spanish list has a few VBU5 javelin infantry. They are about the only ones that I can think of that have this illustrious rating. The Samnites are a beta list and I doubt in their refining for EI that they will maintain large amounts of these kinds of troops (if any.) Lorenzo has made it clear that FL with VBU5 lose javelin effect and become instead battle infantry.

With Oscans as well you have to wonder when some of them adopted Pilum

Jim

The Alexander Macedonian list also has Greek Mercenary Peltasts with VBU 5 with Javelins.
But anyway, I get the point.   
I suspect in Pyrrhos' time the Oscans would still be javelineers. Making them combat foot is another route, and would add something different to the list, but most of my reference literature here says these guys could put out a pretty dense barrage of javelins.

If you read Livy's accounts of the battles against the Samnites, they seem to have been able to face the Romans, and indeed he describes some of their formations as Legions.
I suspect there was an Italian fighting style that was pretty much shared by Latins, Oscans and others, and being wargamers we try and find differences to make things more interesting

Jim

When with a skirmishing approach they have VBU 4. Less eager to contact enemy, they rely more on shooting (still with melee capability)
When they become more massed troops they are VBU 5.
Then there are some exceptions of VBU=5+javelin, but in limited number within the armies.