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re: Could you defeat an ancient army with an M4 and cases of ammo? Added other parameters
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:26 am to weagle1999
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:26 am to weagle1999
I've always said if I had a Remington Woodsmaster 30-06 with a scope and a box of ammo I could have won the Civil War for the south.
1
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:28 am to HenryParsons
quote:
Support team with a JTAC, a couple M240's, and other munitions would be an interesting angle...
We're also going way down the rabbit hole here but the initial psychological advantage of these guys getting absolutely mowed down by LMG and interlocking fire from an enemy they can't even really see would be brutal.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:29 am to weagle1999
Not unless I had a video game M4. Never jams, don't have to pause before reloading. Still a long shot.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:32 am to JiminyCricket
quote:
We're also going way down the rabbit hole here but the initial psychological advantage of these guys getting absolutely mowed down by LMG and interlocking fire from an enemy they can't even really see would be brutal.
This is my biggest x factor. These guys would just start seeing holes appear in their buddies before they even start to hear the bangs.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:33 am to Shexter
quote:
Easy if I were at the end of a long, narrow hallway where they could only get in single file.
that wouldnt work either
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:33 am to weagle1999
So far this thread assumes you are on defense. A more interesting question is what size modern force would it take to defeat an ancient or early modern army that was dug in. How would you besiege a fortified Roman camp or a medieval castle? Artillery and air would be too easy. For this hypothetical you only have crew served infantry weapons such as light mortars and machine guns. For funsies you can have a platoon of engineers attached.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:33 am to weagle1999
Some of you have never played COD Zombies and it shows.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:34 am to andouille
The number of times I have thought about this kind of scenario would be shocking to most people. Glad I am not alone.
I have typically thought in less practical terms like gun overheating type stuff. My go-to is what could a machine gun to if in an unreachable or protected position just because it's more fun to think about.
Then what about a modern day sniper who remains undetected clipping some king in the 1400s or civil war general. How would that change today.
I have typically thought in less practical terms like gun overheating type stuff. My go-to is what could a machine gun to if in an unreachable or protected position just because it's more fun to think about.
Then what about a modern day sniper who remains undetected clipping some king in the 1400s or civil war general. How would that change today.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:34 am to weagle1999
simple answer - NO. History proves it as well
just need to look at the British vs Zulu's.
AI search:
20,000 Zulu defeated 1,800 british (1300 dead) in the Battle of Isandlwana. i would say 1800 solders >> firepower of 1 M4 and 1 man and 40,000 of Alexander >>> 20,000 Zulu
just need to look at the British vs Zulu's.
AI search:
quote:
Major Battles
Battle of Isandlwana (January 22, 1879): Roughly 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked and overwhelmed an invading British column, inflicting one of the worst defeats in British colonial history.
Defense of Rorke's Drift (January 22–23, 1879): A small garrison of about 150 British soldiers successfully held off a fierce assault by thousands of Zulu warriors.
Battle of Ulundi (July 4, 1879): Armed with heavy reinforcements and massed firepower, the British decisively defeated the main Zulu army, burning the capital and ending Zulu sovereignty.
20,000 Zulu defeated 1,800 british (1300 dead) in the Battle of Isandlwana. i would say 1800 solders >> firepower of 1 M4 and 1 man and 40,000 of Alexander >>> 20,000 Zulu
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:35 am to weagle1999
It would be like Black Hawk Down.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:36 am to weagle1999
One person could definitely drop thousands. But I think we underestimate historical armies. Those people were brutal and enjoyed killing!
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:38 am to weagle1999
quote:
Could you defeat an ancient army with an M4 and cases of ammo?
If you was to put me, 3 Silverbacks, 1 Chimpanzee, an M4, and 60 cases of ammo anywhere up to and including one mile of Alexander the Great with a clear line of sight... pack your bags, fellas, war's over.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:41 am to weagle1999
There were probably similar exemplars on the Eastern Front of WW2 when Stalin sent in wave after wave of Ukrainian peasants until a German machine gun position simply ran out of ammo.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:43 am to weagle1999
Maybe against a few hundred, with a well covered high position and zero possibility to get flanked....maybe. There would be a significant psychological advantage, could probably break their will to fight pretty quickly if the leaders can be picked off right away. A modern infantry platoon with just organic crew-served systems and maybe a sniper team or two would be a match against many times their numbers but not 10's of thousands.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:43 am to weagle1999
After I single handily beat the army of 40k I’m going to fight and kill a gorilla with my bare hands.
I will become a legend and people will talk about me for ever.
I will become a legend and people will talk about me for ever.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:46 am to tigeraddict
quote:
20,000 Zulu defeated 1,800 british (1300 dead) in the Battle of Isandlwana. i would say 1800 solders >> firepower of 1 M4 and 1 man and 40,000 of Alexander >>> 20,000 Zulu
Single shot black powder rifles are not modern LMGs. 1800 British with M4s or 240s would have absolutely shredded a bunch of dudes with spears.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:47 am to weagle1999
I suppose there is a chance someone who is very well trained, exceptionally proficient in marksmanship, knows military tactics and strategy, has excellent endurance and resilience, etc., could do it. But I am not that person.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:55 am to weagle1999
First of all, why are you being charged by 40,000 soldiers? That wouldn't happen, unless you had an army yourself. Which changes things. No historical leader would set up to charge a man of 1, it just doesn't make sense. A major battle like that takes a lot of work and logistics.
Now maybe its a siege of a walled city? But again, you'd have support there?
But this would be an idiotic method to defend yourself. You'd be much MUCH better off take a small team on horseback to kill the leaders or ambush the army slowly. Calvary ambush type of style.
Or, sit back a couple hundred yards in an elevated position and try to be a sniper against their leadership.
If you had say 10,000 equally capable soldiers as as the other side on your side v 40,000 that would be an interesting scenario.
ETA: As pointed out, how many rounds and what fire rate per minute will an M4 be capable of? I'm sure that data is out there, as said the barrel will get too hot fairly quickly. I'd assume something fairly low? Like 500 rounds an hour?
Now maybe its a siege of a walled city? But again, you'd have support there?
But this would be an idiotic method to defend yourself. You'd be much MUCH better off take a small team on horseback to kill the leaders or ambush the army slowly. Calvary ambush type of style.
Or, sit back a couple hundred yards in an elevated position and try to be a sniper against their leadership.
If you had say 10,000 equally capable soldiers as as the other side on your side v 40,000 that would be an interesting scenario.
ETA: As pointed out, how many rounds and what fire rate per minute will an M4 be capable of? I'm sure that data is out there, as said the barrel will get too hot fairly quickly. I'd assume something fairly low? Like 500 rounds an hour?
This post was edited on 8/17/26 at 11:57 am
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:55 am to weagle1999
until it fricking jams. give me a belt-fed m60 or ak47 with drum mags
Posted on 8/17/26 at 11:58 am to CAD703X
quote:
until it fricking jams.
quote:
belt-fed m60 or ak47 with drum mags
You're in for a disappointingly short blaze of glory there Rambo....
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