Veteran legionaries are members of Caesar's Legion encountered in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.
Background[]
Veteran legionaries are the best equipped and most experienced among the standard legionaries, given regular access to powerful, high-tier firearms.[Non-game 1] In battle, they are typically held in reserve until the earlier two waves of recruit and prime legionaries are defeated, emulating the triarii of the ancient Roman military.[Non-game 2] The intention of this tactic is that even if the first two waves have been wiped out, any remaining enemies would have been worn out and made easier to defeat for the veterans.[1][Non-game 3]
As their title implies, a veteran legionary is among the longest serving members of the Legion's military forces, and they have the rank and respect of their subordinates to show for it. While typically held in reserve to safeguard the Legion's territory east of the Colorado River, the threat posed to the Legion by the New California Republic proves great enough that Caesar requires their strength to match.
According to Chief Hanlon, the veterans that come to the Mojave in preparation for the Second Battle of Hoover Dam in late 2281 are the most experienced even among the veteran legionaries, including members from the Red Okie Centuria and what was once the Painted Rock tribe before its assimilation by the Legion.[2]
Characteristics[]
Veteran legionaries have exactly the same health and skill level as prime legionaries; the difference is that their Legion veteran armor offers slightly superior protection compared to Legion prime armor.
Despite their higher rank, veteran legionaries are typically equipped with inferior equipment compared to prime legionaries, often sharing their loadouts with the lower-ranked recruit legionaries despite their implication of better equipment.
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
  |
This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests[]
- Birds of a Feather
- Eye for an Eye: The veteran legionaries at Cottonwood Cove must be killed as part of this quest.
Locations[]
Initially, veteran legionaries can always be found once the game starts, but in limited numbers. Some wasteland Legion patrols will include one veteran legionary alongside recruits and decani. They will also always appear at the Fort.
As the Second Battle of Hoover Dam draws closer, veteran legionaries will become somewhat more common in the wasteland. This typically occurs after reaching a specific point in the main questline, which differs depending on which faction's quests are completed first (if at all). These conditions include completing Kings' Gambit for the NCR, activating or destroying the Securitron army in Mr. House's secret bunker underneath the Fort, or killing Mr. House or taking care of the other factions in an independent playthrough. After this, veteran legionaries will also spawn at Cottonwood Cove, while the earlier patrols made of mixed-rank legionaries will be replaced by patrols made up entirely by veteran legionaries.
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legion veteran armor Veteran helmet |
Rifles Cowboy repeater Hunting rifle Marksman carbine Submachine guns 12.7mm submachine gun Shotguns Caravan shotgun Handguns .44 Magnum revolver 12.7mm pistol Melee Machete Power fist Fire axe Chainsaw Throwing spears |
Bottle caps Legion denarius Random food items |
 Legion ear |
Appearances[]
Veteran legionaries appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The Courier: "So what happened at Hoover Dam and Boulder City?"
Hanlon: "In big battles, Caesar deploys his legionaries in waves. Recruits up front, prime soldiers behind the recruits, old guard bringing up the rear. Opponents wear themselves out dealing with the first two waves, if they survive that long. When the veterans step up, there's not much fight left. Caesar can adapt, though, and when required, he can run any mix of legionaries as skirmishers and still retain order in the ranks."
(Hanlon's dialogue) - ↑ Courier: "What's the Legion been up to?"
Hanlon: "Word is that the Legion's old timers have shown up. Caesar's veterans from the Red Okie Centuria and what was the Painted Rock tribe."
(Hanlon's dialogue)
Non-game
- ↑ Question: "Could Caesar really win a war of attrition with the NCR, or is he just deluded by an environment of yes-men into believing they have the numbers for ancient tactics to still work when the enemy is just cutting down your front lines with gunfire?"
Joshua Sawyer: "Primes, Veterans, and even some Recruits use powerful firearms. Most of the legionaries who use melee weapons are early/weak scrubs. It's true that some Centurions and most Praetorian Guards also use melee/unarmed weapons, but as people who assault those characters in close quarters (where they are often encountered) can probably attest, it's not much of an impediment for them. As to whether or not Caesar has the numbers to ultimately win (and hold power) in the long run, that's unknown."
(Formspring reply from October 26, 2011) - ↑ Question: "Would Caesars Legion ever have Triarii? Or is it based on Marian Reforms era military?"
Joshua Sawyer: "Veterans are the equivalent of triarii, Primes as principes, Recruits as hastati. Wealth and class are not parts of Caesar's Legion's structure, but experience and access to equipment are."
(Formspring post on July 4, 2012) - ↑ Question: "Just how expendable are troops to the Legion? Roman tactics involved 2 lines of fresh meat, then a third line (Triarii) that would devastate the opponents that have tired themselfs killing the first 2. Does NV's Legion do similar?"
Joshua Sawyer: "That's exactly what the Recruits, Primes, and Veterans are."
(Formspring post on October 25, 2011)
