Viking Units overpowered?

[caravel]

Indeed, but in the Viking campaign, Huscarles, both Saxon and Viking, seriously imbalance the campaign. The Northumbrians, Saxons and especially the Mercians are far easier than they should be because you can storm the Huscarles in there and take most of the map in a few years. Fyrdmen (equivalent to Feudal Sergeants) also help to tip the scales way too much in the favour of the English factions.

[Vladimir]

Indeed, but in the Viking campaign, Huscarles, both Saxon and Viking, seriously imbalance the campaign. The Northumbrians, Saxons and especially the Mercians are far easier than they should be because you can storm the Huscarles in there and take most of the map in a few years. Fyrdmen (equivalent to Feudal Sergeants) also help to tip the scales way too much in the favour of the English factions.

So you're saying that there may be a reason the English dominated England?

[caravel]

So you're saying that there may be a reason the English dominated England?

That's a very simplistic view. That would assume that every Saxon, Angle or Jutish colonist was armed as a "Huscarle" and fought like a berserker. They dominated because they were in very large numbers and the British, whom of which were ill prepared after the Roman withdrawal, were unready. British lords had grown lazy and had no real organised military means to defend themselves having relied for so long on the Roman garrissons. There is record of a request being sent to Rome for aid.

Saxons were originally invited into Britain as mercenaries apparently by Vortigern himself. The Anglo-Saxon Colonisation was by no means a direct military invasion, it was a slow colonisation, comprising of many battles and skirmishes, by an uncoordinated force that often fought among themselves, which eventually pushed the Britons into modern day Wales and southern Scotland. There is evidence in fact that Saxons began crossing again and returning to Europe in several phases. It is a myth of popular history that the half naked Britons were steamrollered by axe wielding super warriors, the reality is that the Romano-British were slowly ousted by a "barbarian" colonist.

[Mithrandir]

We're talking about the MTW campaign, not real history.

Please continue on topic

-Mithrandir.

[allfathersgodi]

The Danish are in a bad situation starting off, being neighbors to THE, and their faction units are obsolete after the end of the Early period, they do have an advantage in having several territories nearby commanded by rebels. It is good that they have such units as Huscarles, Carls and Landsmen.

The Vikings in VI are pretty good representation for historical Vikings. Historical Vikings were pretty much unstoppable, with advantages in armor, arms, an advantage in the 'warrior' school and had the advantage of living in a land under constant warfare.

I know there is an ongoing debate between the historical minded school and the pure gameplay school, but the Vikings are a pretty good representation of the real deal.

No military force in Britain, Scotland or Ireland (or Western Europe) could stand up to them, hence the Byzantines used them for the famed Varangian Guard.

Of course I haven't played as the Mercians or Northumbrians or Saxons and play exclusively as Vikings (not because they kick ----, but for the simple reason that they are of the same religion as I).

Mithrandir: edited language.

[matteus the inbred]

Having played as every VI faction quite frequently, I do consider the Vikings overpowered. Excluding Huscarle factions once you've got lots of huscarles, the only faction truly equipped to deal with Vikings is the Picts, with their crossbows and a selection of extremely hilly battlefields (I know the Irish have javelins, but these are tricky to use effectively and vulnerable even to the rubbish the Vikings have for cavalry).
I've quit many a campaign cos of being relentlessly raided by small but elite forces of huscarles/berserks. Either you leave a huge mixed garrison in each vulnerable province (thus rendering it almost impossible to make money), or you let them stomp around your hinterlands looting and pillaging, and only defend a few key military/economic provinces, relying on rebellions to help you out. It's incredibly frustrating and challenging. Even huscarle factions have a hard time.

I think the only blessing is that the Vikings inevitably lack money after the initial orgy of raiding, and can rarely field large or tactically flexible armies. Most of their troops are heirs' huscarle units, and a decisive victory over one of these forces can keep them quiet for a long time, especially if you can get to work on achieving naval supremacy as well, something I once managed during a better-than-usual Pictish campaign.

It's just fortunate that the AI rarely manages to field Jomsvikings, cos I have done so and those legendary warriors are just unstoppable.