New unit: Berdiche Axemen

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

http://www.totalwar.com/index.html?page=/en/medieval2/gameinfo/units/index.html&nav=/en/medieval2/1/2/

[hoetje]

Okay, these guys look awesome, very cool unit ^^
and finally a unit being used by the russians :D

[professorspatula]

There used to be the Russian Woodsman unit, but that has long since vanished from the previews.

Anyway, you're going to need more than just a humble tin-opener to get through that armour.

He's a bit of an eerie looking fella.

[The_Doctor]

It looks good, though I am not sure about those bits sticking out of his legs, they look like something a cavalryman would wear.

[Tamur]

His face is... vaguely human. yeep. Is there a reason for the pasty-and-flat look?

Has anyone else noticed the well-done two-handed weapon grips in M2 preview movies and such? I must admit I haven't really looked for it. However, if it's anything like this (which looks perfectly natural) it'll be great fun to watch these fellas do their work.

[cutepuppy]

excellent unit, once again.
It seems that the developpers finally discovered that the lesser known factions also have some nice, historical troops. (not that i have anything against billmen, janissaries or longbows).
It feels good to seee that they introduced the distinctive fac masks, used for protection by the russians in the middle ages.


His face is... vaguely human. yeep. Is there a reason for the pasty-and-flat look?

it's a face mask

[Martinaz]

Looks asian.
I like it!

[B-Wing]

Anybody else notice how short this guy is compared to the others units in the lineup? ~;p Thought that was funny.

Anyway, I think its cool. Looks realistic enough, though I wouldn't be suprised if the facemask turned out to be somewhat less common than this unit will portray. The description specificly mentions the Russians using this unit, but I assume other factions used it as well, right?

[Tamur]

Thanks cp, that makes sense.

[Basileus]

This unit looks great, nice work ca

[Myrddraal]

Looks good! We've seen plenty of heavily armoured troops in these previews, I guess they are the more spectacular ones.

[Ibn Munqidh]

Cool unit, looks like one of those heaby shock infantry units you use to thin enemy ranks with, like zweihanders and gothic swordsmen, I just hope they got their speeds right with all that armour on.

[Leet Eriksson]

Can anyone confirm the use of facemasks by footsoldiers?

The armor looks like its for cavalry (it looks like what russian nobles would wear during combat).

[Tamur]

Can anyone confirm the use of facemasks by footsoldiers?

http://www.buycostumes.com/productdetail.aspx?productid=21019

I'm very sorry, I'm so sorry! I know I'll wake up in the morning and wonder why I did that.

Ahem...

My resources are limited to the early middle ages but I haven't found anything on this yet. It would be very interesting to find references or illustrations to which this model can be compared.

[Dr_Who_Regen#4]

Anybody else notice how short this guy is compared to the others units in the lineup? ~;p Thought that was funny.


I think he is shorter because the picture is further away so that they could show the axe over his head. I noticed a couple other units seem shorter but it is because of their weapons I think (at least it did not say anything about them being Axe wielding dwarves)

Regardless I imagine with something like 250 units each faction should have several speciality units. Hopefully they are not just different looking but actually have different characteristcis. It will be interesting.

[The_Doctor]

My resources are limited to the early middle ages but I haven't found anything on this yet. It would be very interesting to find references or illustrations to which this model can be compared.

In my two Russian Oprey books there are two pictures with people wearing a facemask, one is of a Chernye Klobuki (black hoods) standard bearer and the other is other a prince.

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S2342~ser=MAA~per=41

There is a Chernye Klobuki facemask in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

[TB666]

Just look at this pic
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/731/731089/medieval-ii-total-war-20060906061630906-000.jpg
This is the same unit and yet no mask and a more simple armor.
Considering that any upgrade you do on units will change the looks on units, the guy we seen the unit preview is obviously upgraded to the max

[Peasant Phill]

This is the same unit and yet no mask and a more simple armor.
Considering that any upgrade you do on units will change the looks on units, the guy we seen the unit preview is obviously upgraded to the max

Are you sure on that? That would be great for immersion. (as long as you get the chance to zoom in without the danger of losing half your army)

[The_Doctor]

Are you sure on that?

I have heard the same thing.

If watch the video, they have facemasks on.

[TB666]

Are you sure on that? That would be great for immersion. (as long as you get the chance to zoom in without the danger of losing half your army)
Yes. CA has stated this a few times.

[Orda Khan]

Can anyone confirm the use of facemasks by footsoldiers?

The armor looks like its for cavalry (it looks like what russian nobles would wear during combat).
Whether anthropomorphic face masks were actually used for combat is a moot point. They have been found in the Qipchaq, Volga Bulgar, Golden Horde and Byzantine regions. Possibly they were, or then again they may have been purely ornamental; I doubt very much they would have been used by common or garden infantrymen

......Orda

[Solon of Athens]

That unit looks awesome...

[Kourutsu]

Maaaan...60 more days! JUST 60 MORE DAYS!

-Scratches and twitches.-

[kataphraktoi]

Whether anthropomorphic face masks were actually used for combat is a moot point. They have been found in the Qipchaq, Volga Bulgar, Golden Horde and Byzantine regions. Possibly they were, or then again they may have been purely ornamental; I doubt very much they would have been used by common or garden infantrymen

Indeed, particularly for the Byzantines they found a face mask in archeological excavations in the Great Palace. However, it is undated so its not for certain what century it belongs to but I suspect a mercenary in the elite Hetaereia regiment which had large numbers of Khazars and Ferghanese Central Asian warriors. Central Asian warriors had a bit of a liking for exhibiting their "fashion" in combat so it may well be a possibility of masks being used in combat.

[Tamur]

I'm wondering if the Russians preview movie that features this unit shows actual combat as it happens, or was spliced together?

If it actually takes (at times) three blows for an axeman to kill an opponent, there's no question we're going to see a slowdown in battle speeds. If, on the other hand, this movie was spliced together from different kills, then it doesn't really say anything.

[Watchman]

Looks decent enough, but I must wonder - that much armour just screams "heavy cavalry", all the more so given the Russian geography and the importance mounted troops played there. Moreover the armour design looks distinctly cavalry-ish. Now, were these dismounted cavalrymen I'd have little to say (save wonder if a bardiche was their weapon of choice for the situation - which is in fact feasible, given West European men-at-arms' penchance to wield assorted staff-weapons on foot), but the unit description seems to specifically imply infantry...

[anti_strunt]

Is there any historical evidence for Russian armies (or, since that's the faction we're getting, Novgorodian) ever using heavy, axe-armed infantry shock troops in battle?

[Tiberius maximus]

this is probly the best unit ive seen lately, its armor is just amazing if not over zealous and the facemasks are a nice touch

so another good job to ca

[Captsin]

Is there any historical evidence for Russian armies (or, since that's the faction we're getting, Novgorodian) ever using heavy, axe-armed infantry shock troops in battle?

there is no evidence. It's a made up unit. It makes the Russians an exotic tribe to conquer and insults a fan ruissian medieval history.

[Bob the Insane]

there is no evidence. It's a made up unit. It makes the Russians an exotic tribe to conquer and insults a fan ruissian medieval history.

Well looking at the unit itself (at least in the screenshot rather than the one show in the 3D units) it appears to be dressed correctly. Though in the images I have seen (and I am no scholar of Russian history) he would be more likely to have the norman style kite shield and long sword...

A Berdysh is a type of halberd or poleaxe though and is the correct term for the weapon they are carrying is it not? Though I think it is from a later time period (16th centry I think)...

[Sun of Chersonesos]

excellent unit, once again.
It seems that the developpers finally discovered that the lesser known factions also have some nice, historical troops. (not that i have anything against billmen, janissaries or longbows).
It feels good to seee that they introduced the distinctive fac masks, used for protection by the russians in the middle ages.



it's a face mask

i believe that its rather scary that mask, now i can see why the description says that they strike FEAR into the hearts of their enemies before STRIKING INTO their enemies :)