A Guide to the Men of Alba
A Guide to the Men of Alba
(M/M difficulty, standard unit sizes)
If you played Viking Invasion for MTW, you may have wondered, “What happened to the Picts?” the first time you fired up VI2. Well, they’re still around, in a way.
The Men of Alba faction represents the fusion of the Pictish and Scottish kingdoms that occurred in the mid-9th century. After centuries of back and forth, the Scots eventually won out and absorbed their Pictish neighbors. In VI2, this fusion is reflected in the fact that, although the Men of Alba have Dunadd (the capital of the Scottish kingdom DalRiada) as their Royal Residence, they can train several Pictish-influenced units.
But maybe “fusion” is somewhat overstating things. At game start, your fledgling kingdom consists of four regions spread across dramatically diverse terrain and comprising a particularly large geographical area, surrounded by strong rebels to the south, north, and east (remnants of the Pictish resistance to the Scottish power-grab), and with warlike pagans just within reach.
In short, the Men of Alba have only just hammered their realm together. It’s up to you to see if she floats.
The boat metaphor is actually fairly apt: to succeed as a kingdom, Alba will have to combine Pictish battlefield ferocity with Gaelic sea-prowess. Fortunately, an Alban king can benefit from several inherent advantages. While money is tight, staying profitable shouldn’t be a constant struggle, thanks to your coastal trade. The roughness of your homelands can be readily exploited on the battlefield. And your warleaders can call upon a flexible and diverse unit roster. We’ll take a closer look at that last advantage here:
Warriors of Alba
If you’re playing a Celtic faction in VI2, you can count on having access to some good horsemen and specialized (if relatively fragile) infantry. The trick is knowing how to make these arms of your military work in tandem.
The most readily available unit for Alba (as for every faction) is Spearmen, available at the Muster Field. Like their Welsh counterparts, your Spearmen carry some throwing spears; unfortunately, the Alban Spears field fewer men and are more expensive in upkeep. (With that extra money, you’d think the guys could afford some shoes; apparently they blew it on tattoos instead.) Despite their status as the low-tier unit, I found that I could rely on my Spearmen not to rout in most engagements, provided I brought my cav and other units to bear in a timely manner. In other words, don’t just sit there and let them fight it out. They do a serviceable job, but you’ll want to supplement them with stronger units as you can afford it.
Pictish Infantry are available at the next level of barracks. These swordsmen are an excellent, solid addition to your battle line, able to go toe-to-toe against most any infantry you face in the early years – including bodyguard units like Hirdmenn. Of course, in the latter case, “going toe-to-toe” doesn’t mean “winning against”, but they are capable of holding their own and even killing a few of the Hirdmenn while your cav gets into position. At first, their relatively expensive upkeep will prevent you from training more than a couple of Pictish Infantry per army, but they earn their mead – a couple of these units goes a long way.
At the same time Pictish Infantry become available, you can also train Longspearmen. A definite niche unit, these troops are horse-killers, pure and simple. As such, there’s no point in sending them against the Norse (who can’t train cav) or the early Northumbrians. But eventually the Northumbrians may train Horsemen, or your conquest may lead you to battles against the horse-heavy Welsh or Irish factions. In those situations, Longspearmen will be your lifesavers. I bring a couple units along with my armies when I think I’ll need them; much more than that is probably unnecessary. Just keep them away from arrows and other infantry, and let them do their non-PETA-approved job of killing horses. Longspearmen are quirky troops, but they perform excellently when given the chance.
Longspearmen can form a “hedgehog” (schiltrom) – a static, circular blob of spearmen pointing in all directions. It’s not a formation I ever use, although it could be effective in a bridge or gate defense. Instead, I like to keep my Longspearmen in standard formation and in reserve – one on each flank, just behind the front line of Spearmen and Pictish Infantry. This allows me to move them easily to meet any outflanking attempts by the enemy horsemen.
In defensive situations, it may be tempting to put your Longspears up front, in the main line, but this is a bad idea for a few reasons. First, these guys have no shields, and are terribly vulnerable to missile fire of any kind. Second, it’s unlikely that enemy cav is going to charge your front line right where you want them to, and if you move your Longspears away to attack cav, you’ve just exposed a gap in your line. Finally, Longspearmen have a tendency to get out of formation relative to your other troops; march them for any distance in formation and you’ll see what I mean. Keeping them in back means you won’t be opening up any gaps in your line should you need to change position.
At the highest-level barracks, you can train Armoured Spearmen. This is your one and only shield-wall unit, but given the fact that your army will tend to be more mobile than its Anglo-Saxon or Viking counterpart, the shield-wall ability is arguably of lesser utility, except in static defense situations, such as fighting off siege assaults. Even out of shield-wall, your Armoured Spears perform admirably, as you’d expect. These are obviously late-game troops, and provide a welcome bulwark for your battle line against other high-tech infantry you may face.
Nobles can be trained at the highest barracks as well, but only in Scotland (one of the earliest places you may be able to build this barracks is Maelmin, the Northumbrian capital, but no Nobles can be trained there). Look for them in Din Eidyn in the late game. They take 2 turns to train, which means getting them to the front line can take awhile. Fortunately, they carry javelins in addition to their swords and heavy armor. It’s always nice to have a unit or two in your main army, especially if you find yourself up against lots of heavy infantry later on; the Nobles can go after the Hirdmenn/Royal Hirth/Thegns, while your lesser troops take care of everything else.
There are plenty of mercenary infantry you’ll be able to hire, either in the field or from alehouses and the like. In the early game, Mercenary Rabble and Mercenary Archers are a quick and cheap way to get more bodies in the field without putting a strain on your population growth, which is such a crucial issue in VI2. But you can also make use of some elite mercs in the mid-to-late game. Notables include Mercenary Ostmenn and Mercenary Sons of Death, the latter available in Ireland, the former in Ireland and western Scotland. The Sons of Death have a fear attribute that helps when you’re hacking through Ui Neill Kerns and Infantry, while Ostmenn have a superb defense. If your economy can support it, you may also find yourself grabbing Mercenary Jomsvikings in the northern isles. Just remember to bring them south when they’re done! And in England, keep a lookout for the armor-piercing, axe-wielding Mercenary Butescarles at high-level inns, such as in Maelmin, or in the field.
But while your infantry has many tricks, it depends upon cooperation with your cavalry for victory on the battlefield.
The bodyguard unit for Alba is Royal Horsemen. In practice, they seem a bit more fragile than the Welsh Teulu, but your RH should be used in the same way: in tandem with other, larger cav units, to work around to the flanks and rear of the enemy and charge home, taking full advantage of their fear effect. Unit sizes average only 6 horsemen, but this is bound to be in the teens or as high as the 20s for your high-influence King and heir. To that end, you’ll want to groom your princes for influence, making use of titles and making sure your King is crowned (spending at least a turn in Dunadd). See that he also eventually earns the trait “King of Alba” (by capturing all “Alba” regions: most of Scotland, apart from some extreme northern regions).
Obviously, any serious army should be led by a prince, but don’t lose track of those newly-married or come-of-age heirs. Rather than wasting away in a city with a bunch of their relatives, they should be joining your army, where they can earn titles of their own after your conquest and help to give your army more punch.
Be judicious about adoptees and potential husbands for your princesses. Adoptees are nice when you need them, but they are an added expense. Remember, you can always check the Family Tree before deciding about a husband; it’s nice to know if the girl who wants to marry a 40-year-old is 13 or 43. If it’s the latter, you may want to consider the offer, as she’s liable to get trundled off to a nunnery soon anyway. Otherwise, wait for someone younger to come along, unless you’re really desperate for generals.
Light Horsemen, available at the stables, are good skirmishers, but where they’ll really earn their keep is in repeated charges (into the rear or flanks of enemies already engaged by your infantry). Since the Alban infantry can be fairly sturdy (if you’ve brought some Pictish Infantry along), you may take the time to have your Light Horsemen throw all their javelins before engaging; if you have a preponderance of Spearmen, on the other hand, you’ll want to finish things more quickly. These are clearly not melee cav, but they’re the closest thing to it you’re going to have for a long time. Use in tandem with Mercenary Horsemen to get more ponies in the field; if you take the effort of micromanaging them correctly, it’s possible to kill Hirdmenn in the right conditions (open terrain, tired enemy). I prefer to keep Skirmish off, so they only go where I tell them to; otherwise, they have a tendency to get tangled up with enemy units or trapped in the corner of the map.
In the late game, you’ll have access to Mormaers, a signature unit. They have swords instead of spears, meaning their charge has a little less punch, but they have greater staying power. Remember, there’s no Skirmish for these guys, so if you’re not used to micromanaging your cav, this will be a crash course. They do carry javelins (make sure they’re set to Fire At Will). Although they’re kitted out in scale armor, don’t make the mistake of assuming your Mormaers are tanks; keep them out of prolonged melee with most infantry types. I like to use them against enemy archers, sword infantry, and horsemen. Most cav you’ll face on the battlefield will be of the light variety, and Mormaers can tear through them. The 2-turn training time means you’re likely to only field a few of these in your armies, but used with care they are a handy addition to your late roster.
Archery doesn’t occupy the central position in Alba as it does in Wales. In fact, in some ways Alba has the weakest ranged options of all the factions in VI2, save the Irish: the Anglo-Saxons get Archers *and* Slingers, and even the Viking factions can field axe-swinging Archers who don’t shy from melee. At a Celtic Butts, Alba can train Archers; that’s it. They’re Fire Arrow capable at least, and you should definitely use them (in conjunction with the merc. Archers). But 2 or 3 archer types in your army are plenty; it’s more important for you to field infantry, especially Pictish Infantry.
Alba
There’s a reason this section isn’t titled “King of Alba”. The sad fact is that the Men of Alba are hemmed in by strong rebels and expansionistic factions on all sides. A faction like Wales has just about enough time to clean up the rebel presence in its neighborhood before taking the fight to the other factions. But Alba doesn’t have that luxury.
Alba begins play in possession of four settlements: Dunadd, the Royal Residence; Dunachton, a very slow-growing town in the highlands; Dunbarton, located roughly in the center of your realm on the Firth of Clyde; and Din Eidyn, Edinburgh, the fastest-growing town you own.
There are 6 rebel settlements in the vicinity. Scoine, south of Dunachton, has lots of rebels initially, making it a difficult battle that could leave you exposed to AI attack. It’s a good settlement to own, but on the other hand it’s out of the way of the other factions, so unless you lose Din Eidyn or Dunachton, you can safely leave it for later.
Abberdeon (Aberdeen) is far to the northeast, effectively out of your zone of operations at the outset. It is probably the easiest rebel settlement to take, but it’s not big enough to deserve the attention until later.
Much closer to home is Craig Phadrig, west of Dunachton and NE of Dunadd. This is very strongly held, and although it’s the closest rebel settlement to your power center, the fight would weaken you considerably; it’s probably best to leave this for the Norse to take (which they will in a few turns), then steal it from them.
South of Din Eidyn, on the coast near the Solway Firth, is Anainn. It’s a small settlement and isn’t of much use to you; and anyway the Northumbrians will probably get there first.
A much better target is Hwiterhe, west of Anainn. This is an excellent settlement to take; it already has a stockade wall (meaning attackers must bash through gates), and it is already at the highest settlement level. There’s also a bit of infrastructure built in; you can train Archers at the Celtic Butts there. And the title confers +2 to command. As a maxed-out city, you could get away with enslaving the population when you conquer it (just make sure you have a family member in a city you’d like to get the pop. boost). The fight is very difficult due to the presence of some Armoured Spears and other units, but it’s well worth it to get Hwiterhe before Northumbria does.
Also worthy of mention is Iona, an abandoned monastic settlement on an island west of Dunadd. Since your naval infrastructure is lacking on the west coast, it’ll be awhile before you can land here; know that when you do, you can simply march into town and take it without a fight. I didn’t take this until I was pretty sure the Norse wouldn’t steal it from me, as it’s a small settlement with no walls.
Of course, you don’t have to focus on rebels initially. To your north, Sci is owned by the Norse, who have a substantial army including Berserkers in the town there. And to the SE of Din Eidyn is Maelmin, the seat of Northumbrian power.
However, I usually prefer to instill a peaceful game in the beginning. You’ll need a few turns anyway to train troops, as your starting forces aren’t strong enough to do much of consequence. Train an Emissary and start building – walls in Din Eidyn, Traders elsewhere – and begin to make plans for growth. Taxes will need to be kept at a minimum if you want to see your towns expand, especially in the north. That also means you’ll want to decide where to recruit those troops. Muster Fields should be built in every town you own (for emergencies), but that doesn’t mean you should recruit Spearmen everywhere.
In the beginning, Dunadd, Din Eidyn and Dunbarton will be your recruitment centers. Stables are a good build for Dunbarton, as you need your Light Horsemen, and Dunbarton is a central location. The rest of your initial army will consist of Spears, Archers, mercs, and your starting troops. I like to wait until I get another family member (he’ll come of age in around 4 turns), and spend the time building and training, then send everyone along with the king. Hwiterhe as a first target is a good choice, as the Norse and Northumbrians will be busy with rebels elsewhere. You’re not likely to have much breathing room after that first conquest, though; the AI will come knocking.
The Men of Alba are vulnerable to being pulled in two directions at once: the Norse in the north, and the Northumbrians to the south and east. To that end, it’s nice to have a solid, defensible town like Hwiterhe that you can confidently leave manned by a few troops while the rest of your army meets whatever new threat arrives. In my case, that’s usually the Norse, but I don’t like to just wait for them to attack; once they’ve taken Craig Phadrig, I take the fight to them.
In these early years, you’ll be leaning on your Spearmen a little more heavily than you’d like, and depending on merc Rabble, Archers, and Horsemen to fill out the ranks. Fortunately, in the early years you’ll have an excellent advantage: the mountainous terrain of your homeland. And Craig Phadrig is a great place to exploit that. When you approach the town to besiege it, take up a position just SW of the city. After a few turns, the Norse will likely attempt to relieve the town, but they’ll almost certainly be approaching from the north, which means your army is sitting on a dramatic slope which the Norse have to climb. By the time they get there, your fresh troops should have little trouble, even if the odds look grossly unfavorable.
It’s important to keep up the pressure against the Norse, because the towns in the highlands are so small and indefensible. You don’t want to be suffering sieges, because your early troops will get torn to pieces by the Viking infantry on level ground. Instead, keep working north, using the mountains to your advantage – ending turns on slopes when possible, and retreating when the battlefield is unfavorable.
As you move north, however, paganism will become more prevalent. In the settlement in Sci (due north of Dunadd), there’s a considerable Christian presence, but everyplace else – especially on the northern islands – will be stoutly pagan. To that end, bring any family members and agents you can spare to aid conversion. Islands like Orkney and the Hebrides may have to wait until you can train plenty of spies and bring plenty of princes – that’s OK; your goal initially is to push the Norse off the mainland and prevent them from threatening your towns.
This means you’ll be leaving those other rebel regions, like Scoine and Abberdeon, alone for quite some time. Again, it’s more important at this stage that you secure defensible borders for yourself against the other AI factions. Eventually, you will be able to afford an army to take care of rebels in the interior.
While you’re fighting the Norse, it’s likely that the Northumbrians will attack, either at Din Eidyn or Hwiterhe. Obviously, losing either would be a huge blow to your economy and recruitment potential. So keep training and maintain a second (and, if possible, third) small army in the area. These forces aren’t necessarily meant to hold or gain territory, but to continue a fine Scottish tradition: raiding.
The Northumbrians will send big stacks of mostly Spearmen at your towns. It may be difficult for you to field enough troops to meet this threat, but you *can* whittle away at smaller enemy stacks and stage “raids” into enemy territory. It will enable you to force the AI’s hand and direct the sequence of action in the region. For example, if the Northumbrians hold Anainn, besiege it with a small army (obviously, your raiding forces should ideally be led by princes with combat potential – traits such as Good Ambusher, or traits that increase movement points, are preferable). When they move to relieve it, withdraw. You can use similar tactics on the eastern side of the Pennines, sending a force to Hagustaldesham just south of Hadrian’s Wall, or standing on river crossings and enticing the AI to attack. Flee if you don’t think you can win, but whenever you see small, isolated stacks of enemy soldiers, wipe them out.
Of course, this strategy requires careful coordination and use of Spies to be sure you’re not sending your raiding force into a death trap. But you may be surprised at how responsive the AI is to this sort of thing; it will often lift sieges or reverse an invasion in order to smack down your small army. As long as that force can get away and keep dancing, you’re buying yourself more time to build, train, and get troops where they need to be. Eventually, you’ll be able to consolidate a sizeable army to take out those big enemy stacks and reverse the momentum of invasion.
I like to grab Anainn, Maelmin, and Lindisfarne from the Northumbrians, which puts me right up against Hadrian’s Wall. Then I pause. Taking Maelmin can be crippling to Northumbria, and you may find yourself with a respite in the war. In fact, the Northumbrians may even come at you with offers of ceasefire if you take a few years off attacking them. Accept if you can get trade rights without having to give up any settlements. They’ll almost certainly attack you again eventually, but it’s worth it: this peace allows you to extinguish the final embers of the Pictish resistance and bring all of Alba under your control. Stopping at the Wall also allows you to keep Northumbria as a buffer state between you and the southern factions. When the Northumbrians attack, you can easily set up ambushes near the Wall, and Maelmin is strong enough (usually it’s very well built-up, with Stockade and other infrastructure) that you should be able to hold it against armies that make it through.
With all of Alba united, you now have some options. You’re earning enough money to be able to do some serious building, and some of your towns should be growing, meaning better units are more available to you. Your two main enemies, Norway and Northumbria, are still alive, but the threat they pose at this stage is limited. Take some time now to train Spies and develop your navy; you need to see how the rest of the British Isles are faring.
Lord of the Isles
When Dominion of Britannia added the Ui Neill and East Anglia factions, it became less likely that one AI faction would dominate either Ireland or England. That’s good news for the Alban player, since Alba is least able to interfere in either of these regions, particularly England. A single faction in possession of most of the settlements would be able to steamroll your poorer kingdom.
However, just because it’s less likely doesn’t mean it’s impossible. So, while you’re building, get a couple Spies into England and Ireland to see how things are shaping up. If Northumbria is still in possession of much of its territory and not being too much of a hassle, then likely there’s still plenty of action going on down south; otherwise, the winner of the southern war would be turning north.
In my recent campaign, Northumbria and Mercia ended up at war, and Northumbria actually gained a couple of regions south of the Humber. Mercia, the Danes and Wales beat up on Wessex, until the West Saxons agreed to become Wales’ protectorate (the Danes wiped them out later anyway). East Anglia got kicked back to Elmham by Mercia, but stuck around. In short, things were fairly evenly split, with Wales looking like the eventual winner.
Meanwhile, on Ireland, the Ui Neill were definitely the dominant force. The Men of Laigin looked to have done nothing but hold onto their original towns, and the Norse had gained a couple regions.
Given this scenario, I decided the time was ripe for an invasion of Ireland. Things looked stable enough in England that I figured I could just continue holding off Northumbria without worrying about a big power emerging too quickly. But if I didn’t act quickly in Ireland, the Ui Neill might become a headache.
An invasion of Ireland has much to recommend it for the Men of Alba. Most of the island is Christian, with only a couple of Norse pagan enclaves (most immediately Dublin – remember to bring lots of Christian agents to convert!) to worry about. Even better, you share a culture with the Irish factions, meaning that when you conquer an Irish town you can immediately make use of their training facilities to recruit your own troops. Contrast this with an invasion of England: you’d have to constantly rebuild training buildings and wrestle with the alien Anglo-Saxon culture penalties. Going west rather than south also means you won’t have to fiddle with the location of your capital to keep everyone happy (a good thing, since the northern isles can be particularly troublesome), and you can stay relatively close to your supply region – provided you have some naval presence.
A navy is quite important for Alba. Even if you don’t invade Ireland, a navy allows you to quickly ferry troops from, say, Hwiterhe to Luel – a trip that would take several turns overland. Boats allow you to get soldiers farther than they could march in a single turn. And the requirements for developing a navy have the additional benefit of increasing your sea trade income – an obviously important feature of your coastal and island-based kingdom.
Unfortunately, your ship options are limited to the Curragh and the Celtic Longboat, neither of which is anything to write home about. Still, you don’t need to dominate the sea – the important thing is to have enough ships stationed in your ports to get armies and agents where they need to be. Eventually you can afford to build more Longboats with the intention of sinking enemy ships that blockade your ports or interfere with your shipping lanes.
For the first part of the game, you’ve probably managed to trade with the Irish factions, and made some good money as a result. It may seem like you’re throwing all that away, but the benefits, given your geographical and cultural position, outweigh the negatives. Still, there’s no need to betray your allies immediately. Assuming the Norse are still a presence in Ireland, go ahead and keep attacking them. Remember you can’t bring any Horsemen other than your Princes, so bring along plenty of relatives for the ride. (And, on your way, consider taking the Isle of Man – a handy central trading location – before the Welsh or Irish get any ideas). Once you’ve taken a settlement or two from the Norse, the Irish will betray you and you can pursue the war with righteous indignation at their insolent behavior.
It makes most sense to tackle the northern/eastern half of the island first, as it’s closer to your heartlands and easier to ferry troops across. This region is also the heartland of the Ui Neill, and may offer some well built-up cities for the taking. After storming a few towns, you’ll be back training horsemen as though you never left them behind. Unfortunately, the terrain will be little help to you; Ireland is fairly flat and wooded, hardly ideal for cavalry maneuvers or hillside camping. It *is* good country for ambushes, so try to be on the giving rather than receiving end.
The Irish have a very similar unit roster to your own, with many javelin-throwing units on foot and horseback to make life difficult. However, for the most part your own troops will be heavier, and thanks to your conquests you’ll be able to afford those rugged mercs like Ostmenn and Sons of Death. Expect to see the Irish fielding plenty of Kerns, Monastic Levies, Infantry, and Slingers, with some Light Horsemen and the occasional Teaghlach (sp?) – a copy of your own Mormaers. One notable difference is that the Irish Royal Horsemen seem to have more men per unit than your own, averaging about a dozen to your six. No problem – you brought your Longspearmen, right? Your Irish invasion is exactly the time for them to shine.
It is possible for you to reach your 30-region victory condition by holding everything north of Hadrian’s Wall and Ireland. But suppose you see an emerging threat in the midlands or south of England and want to snuff it out before it turns on you?
In this scenario, a navy is also necessary, particularly for operations on the western coast of Britain. It’s also preferable to keep Northumbria around if possible, to keep the “real” enemy away from your northern regions.
In my games, AI-led Wales seems to do well for itself. If Wales emerges as dominant in your game, that’s good news: invading Wales brings most of the benefits of invading Ireland, including a Celtic culture and coastal regions for trade. The Welsh landscape is also a smaller version of your Scottish terrain, and can be exploited accordingly in defensive battles. Besieging Dinas Emrys, the Welsh Royal Residence, from the NE, for example, allows you to set up on a steep hillside when fighting a relief army.
The Welsh can be difficult opponents, however. Their infantry isn’t that great (you’ll see mostly Spearmen and Swordsmen), but they have more Spears per unit than you do, and their Teulu are truly formidable. In my last game I got drawn into a war with Wales after taking Luel from Northumbria; even with the advantage of that hillside above Dinas Emrys, I still was soundly defeated. The Welsh also train Longbowmen, which are a danger to all of your units but especially to any Longspearmen you hope to bring to bear against their cavalry. Mormaers are important here, along with your Light Horsemen, to take the fight to those Longbowmen and help neutralize the enemy cav.
If, on the other hand, you face an Anglo-Saxon threat, your path will be harder. On top of the culture penalties you’ll face, you may encounter unrest due to the kind of Christianity your princes espouse. At game start, you are solidly Insular Christian; the Anglo-Saxons are Roman Christian, and you’ll see +2 unrest for every agent or prince of one faith who is in a region dominated by the other. However, brands of Christianity are not permanent; leave a few of your princes in an Anglo-Saxon region for long enough, and you’ll see some of those traits change to Roman Christian. Paying attention to the traits of your princes may ease your path of conquest, especially as you continue south, further from your capital.
The Anglo-Saxon factions love their infantry, and if you’ve let one of them get too powerful then you’ll be facing some monsters, from Armoured Spears and Thegns to Select Fyrd and Beardsmen. All of these can be held by your own heavies – Pictish Inf., Nobles, and Armoured Spears – and outflanked and charged by your cav, provided there isn’t some significant differential between your generalship.
England will be a slow conquest, due to unrest and the constant rebuilding of training facilities. If you conquer straight south, you may consider moving your capital, which comes with its own headaches given the loyalty troubles that may arise in your extreme northern regions. That’s why it’s such a good idea to get a toehold on Ireland early; if any English ruler really threatens you, you can play defense, or only need to grab a few settlements for victory.
Alba is an interesting faction in that it is similar to the other Celtic factions but offers a very different play experience. Nothing in the Alban arsenal is what you might call a “standout” unit – no Longbowmen or Heroes that are useful in almost any situation. Instead, the Alban leader must pull together the talents of his diverse warriors to create a flexible and effective fighting team.
In many ways the most isolated faction in VI2, a wise Alban king can turn that isolation into power and then strike out at his enemies with the benefit of the speed and income that is a result of sea power. Although the Vikings have far-flung lands and well-built boats, perhaps the leader of Alba also holds claim to the title Sea-King.
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(or somewhere hide them). their are so perfect that each new player who read them will win campaign without mistakes...
Thanks for the kind words. I am sure that there are more effective/aggressive ways to win, but I like my campaigns to play out a bit more gradually most of the time. So these aren't really the "best" ways to play, depending on your perspective. But I hope some will find them entertaining.
