new units for sweboz

**m046720** · 08-06-2009, 16:15

In a book by Michael Speidel, Ancient Germanic Warriors, he writes several different warriors and their styles and weapons.

"Some of the warriors include, berserks, wolf-warriors, club-wielders, long-hairs, ghost warriors and horse-stabbers, and how they indicate an unbroken continuity of customs, beliefs and battle-field tactics.

The book presents a range of evidence for these diverse styles, from Roman art to early medieval bracteate amulets, and from classical texts to Beowulf, the Edda and Icelandic sagas."

I realize that several of these are included, however, I also feel that some of these could add to the game. Especially for the Sweboz ambushing/anti-armor style. I especially feel that a unit similar to a Galatian wild-man infantry could be prudent if the team feels that his (Speidel) historical findings are sound. Anyway, I am an avid fan and have the highest trust in the team's judgement. I just read the book and got to thinking that some of these units could add a lot more depth to the entire northern europe EB scene.

**Phalanx300** · 08-06-2009, 16:19

Originally Posted by m046720

In a book by Michael Speidel, Ancient Germanic Warriors, he writes several different warriors and their styles and weapons.

"Some of the warriors include, berserks, wolf-warriors, club-wielders, long-hairs, ghost warriors and horse-stabbers, and how they indicate an unbroken continuity of customs, beliefs and battle-field tactics.

The book presents a range of evidence for these diverse styles, from Roman art to early medieval bracteate amulets, and from classical texts to Beowulf, the Edda and Icelandic sagas."

I realize that several of these are included, however, I also feel that some of these could add to the game. Especially for the Sweboz ambushing/anti-armor style. I especially feel that a unit similar to a Galatian wild-man infantry could be prudent if the team feels that his (Speidel) historical findings are sound. Anyway, I am an avid fan and have the highest trust in the team's judgement. I just read the book and got to thinking that some of these units could add a lot more depth to the entire northern europe EB scene.

Currently, we have the Wolf-Warriors, we have club-wielders, we have ghost warriors and we have horse-stabbers.

What does he means with the long-hairs? And Berserkers are more a later era thing I believe, unless he means the bear warrior, in that book there are many types of animal warriors I believed.

**m046720** · 08-06-2009, 16:29

Originally Posted by Phalanx300

Currently, we have the Wolf-Warriors, we have club-wielders, we have ghost warriors and we have horse-stabbers.

What does he means with the long-hairs? And Berserkers are more a later era thing I believe, unless he means the bear warrior, in that book there are many types of animal warriors I believed.

I agree to a large degree Phalanx300, but berzerker I believe means something on the order of "putting on the skin of the bear" therefore, if I am not mistaken, it would be in our timeframe with bear warrior.

**DaciaJC** · 08-06-2009, 16:59

Originally Posted by Phalanx300

What does he means with the long-hairs?

The Sweboz bodyguards are long-hairs.

**Phalanx300** · 08-06-2009, 17:23

Originally Posted by Frontline1944

The Sweboz bodyguards are long-hairs.

Ah yes I remember reading a EB unit which said that, their name ment long haired companions or something.

I agree to a large degree Phalanx300, but berzerker I believe means something on the order of "putting on the skin of the bear" therefore, if I am not mistaken, it would be in our timeframe with bear warrior.

Yes we don't have the Bear warrior, there are also two others called in the book from what I got from online version. One of them is also featured on the helmet of the Sweboz Bodyguard unit!

**Watchman** · 08-06-2009, 18:51

From what I've read of it from various sources, nobody really knows what the whole "berserk" thing originally meant. One theory I've seen went so that it came from "bare chest", in the sense of a warrior putting aside his shield (hence "baring" his chest) and grasping his sword with two hands to deliver more powerful blows - an obviously risky and reckless tactic.
¯\(°_o)/¯
Go figure.

**Tartaros** · 08-06-2009, 21:09

Originally Posted by Watchman

One theory I've seen went so that it came from "bare chest", in the sense of a warrior putting aside his shield (hence "baring" his chest) and grasping his sword with two hands to deliver more powerful blows - an obviously risky and reckless tactic.
¯\(°_o)/¯
Go figure.

i read that too. don´t know it exactly (long time ago), but i think it was the Ynglingsaga.

**Macilrille** · 08-06-2009, 21:20

No nobody knows. The best we can come up with is educated guesswork.

This is one of my fields of specialisation- at least for denmark- I know a lot on the subject and thus know how little we actually know, and will not theorise very much, not even as much as EB has... That should, IMO, be an example to other scholars.

BTW, Bracteates are not really medieval, they are Germanic Iron Age.

**m046720** · 08-06-2009, 21:54

Originally Posted by Macilrille

No nobody knows. The best we can come up with is educated guesswork.

This is one of my fields of specialisation- at least for denmark- I know a lot on the subject and thus know how little we actually know, and will not theorise very much, not even as much as EB has... That should, IMO, be an example to other scholars.

BTW, Bracteates are not really medieval, they are Germanic Iron Age.

I am ignorant to when germanic iron age spans, but does it include EB timeframe? and if so does putting a berzerk unit on sweboz make sense?

**ziegenpeter** · 08-10-2009, 20:33

The term Berserkr* is linked to the viking age an their myths and is so a little out of eb time frame. Just a few hundred years.
That doesnt mean that the concept of fighting (almost) nude in a wild fashion possibly influenced by drugs wasnt invented then. I mean we all know gaesetae, right? This way of warfare was also probably used by the germans aswell (skadugangonez e.g. - sory dont know the new name yet)
I am a huge sweboz fan but I think its not the intension to put in fantasy units in just to have a fancier unit roster. And the actual units are already a bit "fantasy" because we have so little evidences from these uncultivated dumbasses, or -as i like to call them- the developing nation of antiquitiy.

*The newest sources I have about the etymology of this word date for about 4 years and they say its unsure if it comes from "bear" or rather "bare". "Serkr" means "clothing".

**cmacq** · 08-10-2009, 20:44

Originally Posted by Watchman

From what I've read of it from various sources, nobody really knows what the whole "berserk" thing originally meant. One theory I've seen went so that it came from "bare chest", in the sense of a warrior putting aside his shield (hence "baring" his chest) and grasping his sword with two hands to deliver more powerful blows - an obviously risky and reckless tactic.
¯\(°_o)/¯
Go figure.

This is basically how I view that term, as well.

'bare-shirter' without a shield and shirt. I think today they are called 'shock-troopers.'

CmacQ