Javelins in ancient battles

[bobm]

Wargame rules have been responsible for conflating spears with javelins for approximately 40 years.  They are not the same.  A spear is heavier and you only have one and often have a counterweight at the rear so they can be carried with more of the sharp end forward of the hand grip position.  javelins are light with a small head and need good ballistic properties to keep the pointy end on target.  Norman Milites are spear armed cavalry on the Bayeaux Tapestry.
Wargamers love shooting phases so will choose to shoot entirely based on "within range" rather than on "will this be a waste of ammunition".  There are instances in history where troops had a similar attitude to wargamers (Russsians in the Netherlands in 1799 shot until out of ammo more than once) but it wasn't common.  Long range volleys were generally seen as the domain of raw troops.