The world of the Danes MTW: VI

[Puffs]

Okay, first off, I have been perusing this board for quite some time now and I can’t tell you how great it has been to improve my game play and focus my playing style. I thank you all up front for a great community and wealth of information.

Now, I could be wrong, but it seems to me that a certain unit has been overlooked on here and I just wanted to bring the bad boy up for discussion. I have read the Danes faq, and I didn’t see these guys anywhere on the faq. (Maybe was pre-VI faq?)

Viking Huscarles = OMG, wow I managed to accidentally stumble upon these bad boys before 1205 in SP and now they are my new favorite friends These units are incredible 1.) I took a closer look at their stats, and their stats are pretty amazing. Can you say, as good if not better than Chiv man at arms + bonus against armor??
2.) They crank out with 1 to 2 stars often, and usually produce incredible generals with high command, loyalty, acumen, and dread.
3.) They are available so early in the game that you can basically dominate your enemies.
4.) Only negatives = support cost, and the inability to build after 1205.

I just had probably the single coolest/silly battles I have ever had last night. I am in possession of Kiev, and 1230 comes around. 6000 Mongols, 1200 Danes. My feudal sergeants are the plug for the bridge, 2 units of crossbows on each side, and a few teams of archers are raining death from all over. The Mongols get frustrated and send over their heavy cavalry to break my plug. They tried to intimidate me

Enter Viking Huscarles, the Messershmit Reaver wielding long beards I send ONE unit (100 men) through my spears into the fray of bridge congestion and the carnage beings. The death cries of horses fills the air and the Huscarles just keep on hacking away without fear. Quickly the lines begin to fall, and the horses begin to push back. The Mongols send across their warriors to meet hand to hand with my axe wielding shield carrying bad boys, and they fall too Bodies amass all over the bridge. I send in a second unit just for giggles.

I pull back my first unit of Huscarles as they are now tired, but their work is done. The enemy is demoralized beyond belief, and their General’s head is missing only to be found in the hands of my Viking captain. After some fake attempt at re-gathering forces, the Mongols flee, and the battle ends.

Body count: Mongols 2263, Danes 214
(Casualties: 37 Huscarles, 60 FS, and various archers/cb)
One unit of V Huscarles managed to kill over 700 troops by themselves, and maybe even received more casualties from my own archers who basically mopped up the place as well. Second Huscarle unit cleaned up as well, with almost zero casualties.

Later that night, I took on a French Crusade of 2700 men, with 600 men. I suffered 40 casualties because I brought the fight into the deep woods of Flanders. Yeah, it is getting ridiculous, and I love it.

I so might mod this game so I can build V Huscarles in every time period because they are just too cool.

Now all I need is to find working links to Sinan replay’s so I can see a master use HA and compare him to my tactics & ability to improve my use there.

[Malcolm Big Head]

The vikings are a good early unit and armor piercing is an added plus for fighting northern europeans. What dificulty level are you playing at?

[Puffs]

Not sure, my girlfriend started the game, I was just helping her out against the hoarde and the french.

[Monk]

Viking Huscarls, imo, the best infantry unit to be found in Christendom (if used correctly). I've encounted them a few times, but each time they were on the other side of the field. Let me just say, there's not much that can compare to a charge of 300 of these guys, Cavalry beware

I think the last battle i fought against them was on their home soil in Denmark. I, who hadn't encountered them in the Early game, thought no problem. Brought up my heavy knights and charged, well needless to say they were slaughtered and the Huscarls got a good laugh out of the whole thing. after that they chewed my army to bits and sent me home along with the rest of my battered forces

[Malcolm Big Head]

I may have to try the Danes or the Russians to give them another try. The Danes were my first campaign (Normal) and Vikings were the bulk of my army. I gave the HRE fits with them but I gave up and went on to the English before the Horde arrived. Should have played it through to see what a battlefield littered with Mongol pony's looked like.

[Puffs]

I have yet to actually play the expansion, but I hear the Joms are pretty insane too courtesy of Froggy's unit guide.

Btw, if you read this Froggsbeast, thank you so much for your guides, they have been and were invaluable.

It's too bad that everything but the Vanilla vikings disapear after 1205 cause they are just so fun to pin up against heavy cavalry. I find it odd that the Danish warriors actually downgrade over time.

Huscarles really do slice through heavy cavalry like a hot knife through butter. I can't wait to run into some kataphraktoi or SAP's Now my Huscarles have 5/6 valor and are ready to crack some skulls with my 7 star general w/skilled attacker and expert defender :)

I need to compare stats of these guys to Varangian guard. thx froggy

[VikingHorde]

The viking vanish when the danes became more civilized. The vikings were a warrior class (Huscarles mainly) and the remains went to the byz as mercs (V.G.). They did not like the new feudal scandinavia and moved, some all the way to america (500 year before columbus). It's nice to be danish

[son of spam]

Yeah, the ultimate early-era army would be viking huscarls, avar nobles, and steppe heavy cav for ranged. My friend played as the scilians and got both scandinavia and moldavia. Needless to say soon he was kicking everyone's arse.

[katank]

yep, I got the scandanavia and moldavia in an italian game and soon was creating standard italian legions

they consist of 4 viking huscarles, 4 avar nobles, 4 genoese sailors, 2 italian inf and 2 steppe heavies.

I would occasionally also go really melee heavy and have 8 viking huscarles and 8 avar nobles.

needless to say, the enemy armies usually just routed upon contact.

the huscarles are lower reqs than varagians and have same stats in SP due to armourer being a req.

I also modded in joms for some realy fun.

I firmly believe that all of you should mod in joms and build up the best ones up with armor and weapons in sweden as well as taking khazar and building it to a fortress.

then, pack the fortress full of your awesome joms and then tempt the horde to assault the fortress.

I have held it against some 20k horde troops using my gold-gold joms and having the fortress shoot everything up.

[Kekvit Irae]

Watch out for Cavalry Archers

[The_678]

Yeah the Viking Huscarls are my favourite unnit in the game. When you build them they have the exact same stats as the VG's due to the Armourer Requirement. Plus you can get them so early. Once as the Danes I was able to get Gold Weapon and Armour Huscarls out of Sweden. Pure slaughter. That unit makes the Danes Gods of Early. Whenever I play as a Catholic faction I bribe/invade Sweden and Norway A.S.A.P.

[katank]

Quote[/b] ]Watch out for Cavalry Archers

with my legions, the sailors and steppe heavies can take down opposition cav archers.

also, when fighting the horde, I make ample use of the forests to hide my huscarles in.

[Agravain of Orkney]

Housecarles....Good axemen with armor piercing bonus and high base morale makes them a good match for any early inf and armored cav. When you can't build them any more, bring those bad-boys mass-produced in earier years down to the desert and have em stir up some trouble.

[PseRamesses]

Quote[/b] (Puffs @ Mar. 24 2004,14:20)]It's too bad that everything but the Vanilla vikings disapear after 1205 cause they are just so fun to pin up against heavy cavalry. I find it odd that the Danish warriors actually downgrade over time.

I think that the Danish warrior capability to fight wasn´t downgraded but rather that everyone else closed the gap in tech and such when the vikings faded out of history. But hey, aren´t the viking units a bit overpowered? Like you I have had 2-300 huscarles taking down 1-2000 enemies and yes they DO stand up well against the darn kataphraktoi. I usually play the Danish in MTW as I would play the vikings in VI - raiding all over the map. I´ve probably fought every other unit there is on early and half way in high era and there is simply not one other faction unit that can stand against theese guys.

[VikingHorde]

Quote[/b] (son of spam @ Mar. 24 2004,20:43)]Yeah, the ultimate early-era army would be viking huscarls, avar nobles, and steppe heavy cav for ranged. My friend played as the scilians and got both scandinavia and moldavia. Needless to say soon he was kicking everyone's arse.

Thats my favorit army config too. It's a shame that moldavia is far from Denmark. Taking lithuania, kiev and moldavia makes your borders very big. I allways make a empire around the baltic sea, so border are allready big. Lots of battles though.