New unit at the .com: Huscarls

[Divinus Arma]

Interesting. Thanks The Doctor, for providing me with that link. I can see your arguments now. Maybe there will be a more advanced huscarl and this is a lower nobility unit.

Is the time period early enought to have these guys?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Hopefully this will get me interested in Medieval history. I already know a bit about the crusades, but I'm lost other than that...

[Martok]

I agree that while the unit looks cool, there's no way that's a Huscarle. Any other inaccuracies aside, the axe and shield are both far too small. [sigh] Oh well. I'm sure someone will fix it soon enough after the game comes out.

[Divinus Arma]

Wouldn't a larger axe be virtually impossible to weild with one hand? Think of the weight. It would be cumbersome and difficult to control. It's balance with the heavy metal end makes it even more of a challenge to handle with proficiency. I think that the challenge of using the weapon effectivley is compounded by the presence of other folks in your unit all doing the same thing. It would be like herding cats.

[The_Doctor]

Wouldn't a larger axe be virtually impossible to weild with one hand? Think of the weight. It would be cumbersome and difficult to control. It's balance with the heavy metal end makes it even more of a challenge to handle with proficiency. I think that the challenge of using the weapon effectivley is compounded by the presence of other folks in your unit all doing the same thing. It would be like herding cats.

The Danish axe, which the "huscarl" should have, is a blood big two-handed axe.

This should answer you question:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_axe

[Kraxis]

Wouldn't a larger axe be virtually impossible to weild with one hand? Think of the weight. It would be cumbersome and difficult to control. It's balance with the heavy metal end makes it even more of a challenge to handle with proficiency. I think that the challenge of using the weapon effectivley is compounded by the presence of other folks in your unit all doing the same thing. It would be like herding cats.

Yes, but like the Varangians they didn't use them at the same time. The shield was usually slung onto the back when the axe was being wielded in two hands.

In formation the first rank would use their swords (which they all carried in addition to the axe) instead, and the next rank their axes. Pretty nasty results.

Of course javelins were not uncommon while in formation either.

Interestingly RTW couldn't handle shields being slung onto the back, while MTW certainly could (Varangians of both types, Swabian Swordsmen, Huscarls of both types and of course the Jomsvikings). Perhaps that is where the real problem lies? They haven't been able to recreate the situation in MTW?

In any case Huscarls had both big axes and large shields.

[EDIT] Something I just realized was, that the unit presented is somehow both heavy infantry and at te same time a mobile light infantryman. He does not fit into the center of a battle (where he can't use his mobility as well), his equipment tells me he should be on the flanks, a position Huscarls never had.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

The historically-accurate 2-handed swords would have looked flashier than this unhistorical unit.

[Furious Mental]

It would actually be rather good if rather than just having soldiers use different armour they could use a variety of different weapons. In William of Poitiers the English chuck all manner of things at the Normans- javelins, darts, axes and clubs (?). Anyway it doesn't really matter to me that CA has given him a tiny shield. I hope that the shield wall will make a return anyway. If the game is set up anything like RTW it will only take about five minutes to make a huscarl with a nice big kite shield.

[DukeofSerbia]

I have at home some nice Viking pictures in book about Vikings. I may post that if is allowed (only parts of 2-3 pages). I will quote resource.

[Servius]

In MTW, the Danes had several levels of early infantry.

Thralls were like peasant spearmen levies.
Carls were chain armored guys with small round shields and hatchet-like axes
Landsmen were better-armored than Carls with bigger shields and weapons
Huscarls were the equivalent of Early Royal Foot Knights. Slow because of all their armor, with huge shields and 1-2 handed axes.

The image looks like a Carl, not a Huscarl.

[Furious Mental]

Vikings and Huscarls weren't the same thing. Arguably the final development of armies of professional warriors loyal to a national monarchy augured the end of the Viking Age.

[hellenes]

The historically-accurate 2-handed swords would have looked flashier than this unhistorical unit.

No way.
Uninspired cheap Holywood tricks are far more preferable...

[Crazed Rabbit]

That looks like an axeman, not a huscarle.

And speaking of short weapons, the armored swordsman looks like he has a gladius. Definately not a 'longsword'.

Crazed Rabbit