Faction reveal thread - The Geats

[GussieFinkNottle]

“Legendary ancestors of Beowulf, the Geati manifest all the intrepid boldness of the famous hero.”

From their stronghold on the southern tip of the Swedish peninsula they have naval access to the whole of northern Europe, allowing them to launch frequent raids without fear of retribution. The most glorious of these exploits are told in the Geati’s rich oral tradition, immortalising their leaders and inspiring a new generation to seek glory.

While the arrival of the Huns in Europe has meant disaster for most, for the Geati it is just another opportunity. Recently their king, Gizur, led a force into central Europe to fight alongside the Goths in exchange for Roman gold and goods – there are rich pickings to be gained fighting for the highest bidder in the south. Crisis is blooming in these fertile lands, and the Geati are determined to be at its heart, profiting from it.

Born to raiding like the other Norse tribes, The Geats know full well how to draw profit from destruction. They are also a hardy people, virtually immune to the cold, and relish the thought of fighting in the snow.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[GussieFinkNottle]

I spy some major clipping on that rigging, hope they fix that and it's just a product of being unfinished, it looked absurd in Emp/Nap/Shogun2 when the mast would clip through the sails.

[Linke]

Those ships, finaly we have sails back.

[.Mitch.]

Ships look amazing.

This may be my start nation, I wanted to go as North as possible.

[Harðurāðaz]

I can finally play as my own people!

[Bethencourt]

The ships look nice, but aren't they too big?

[Harðurāðaz]

The ships look nice, but aren't they too big?

Yes a bit extrem

also Proto-Scandinavian ships did not use sails yet.

[Påsan]

The ships look nice, but aren't they too big?

Well the longship itself in its popular incarnation did not exist yet. However the "longship" in the rome 2 is a bit weird... It clearly don't have two decks so... Where's the rowers at??

Yes a bit extrem

also Proto-Scandinavian ships did not use sails yet.

I legitimately wonder how the Jutes and Saxons crossed the ocean to Britain though.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Well the longship itself in its popular incarnation did not exist yet. However the "longship" in the rome 2 is a bit weird... It clearly don't have two decks so... Where's the rowers at??

I legitimately wonder how the Jutes and Saxons crossed the ocean to Britain though.

They sailed south down the coast of the netherlands and made the hop across the channel from there. That's why the Romans had patrol fleets, because they could usually catch and smash the barbarians due to the primitive nature of their vessels. Even Viking ships made for a terrible military fleet, the Romans crushed several Rus fleets in the 9th century.

The Anglo-Saxon ships found at Nydam Mose:

[Captain W. Handberg]

They sailed south down the coast of the netherlands and made the hop across the channel from there. That's why the Romans had patrol fleets, because they could usually catch and smash the barbarians due to the primitive nature of their vessels. Even Viking ships made for a terrible military fleet, the Romans crushed several Rus fleets in the 9th century.

This, this, this. The Viking vessels were not intended for naval warfare at all. They were built for quick voyages across the seas, raiding, exploration, even if some were for trade. Just look at them! Ramming was vital to the naval warfare prior to gunpowder. Neither do they have any form of platform for archers, and the ship ain't tall at all, and would make poor for boarding. These "Vikings" as CA call them, which is nothing but a business trick much like the Spartan pre order in Rome 2 was. I really like the idea that they make the Norsemen unique, to make them stand out from the other Germanic tribes (especially Saxons), but this design choice is just lazy, greedy, and cliché.
However! I like that they give the Scandinavians so many units (but pikes, rhrgrhrbgngrhgn). Maybe they will keep the promise of 700+ units.

[TheTank]

This, this, this. The Viking vessels were not intended for naval warfare at all. They were built for quick voyages across the seas, raiding, exploration, even if some were for trade. Just look at them! Ramming was vital to the naval warfare prior to gunpowder. Neither do they have any form of platform for archers, and the ship ain't tall at all, and would make poor for boarding. These "Vikings" as CA call them, which is nothing but a business trick much like the Spartan pre order in Rome 2 was. I really like the idea that they make the Norsemen unique, to make them stand out from the other Germanic tribes (especially Saxons), but this design choice is just lazy, greedy, and cliché.
However! I like that they give the Scandinavians so many units (but pikes, rhrgrhrbgngrhgn). Maybe they will keep the promise of 700+ units.

I agree, ships/boats found at sites like Hjortspring, Nydam and the later "Viking" ships aare basically raiding platforms to quickly raid and plunder and get the hell out of trouble when things turned bad.

[Abdülmecid I]

Well, they didn't even exist, on that century...

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

Well, they didn't even exist, on that century...

False. Already mentioned by Tacitus in 100 A.D. in fact.

[Abdülmecid I]

False. Already mentioned by Tacitus in 100 A.D. in fact.

I was talking about those huge drakkars in the pic, not about the Geats themselves.

[Bethencourt]

I think the English channel had a wide transportation system related to commerce and comunication, so the North Sea must have had some previous evolution in its ship designs previous to drakkar's times. Vandals crossed to north Africa using others fleets, isn't it? I guess Saxons did the same.

Edited: I have been reading a bit about it. It seems that some Saxons had gone into the Empire and into Britain due to a federation pact with the Empire. And later when the Empire had gone from Britain there was a continuated migration of Saxons to settle there so there were conflicts with the Briton local powers as their influence increased. It does not seem to have been a planned military invasion in one go but a persistent migration, probably using normal transports. Can someone confirm all this?

So this ships are more a gameplay solution to the lack of sources about them or the impossibility of reflecting in game this kind of long term migration.

[Jokern]

Ah, my people have gathered. I shall lead them into the depth of hell, to fearlessly face Attila's horde of demons. VALHALLA WAITS FOR NO ONE! THOR GIVES US STRENGTH!

Ahem...

This has made me very excited about Total War: Attila. Though I don't think it's worth it to pre-order the game. I did it when Rome 2 came and that left a bad taste.

[DUKE OF CAXIAS]

Looking for the ships is undeniable that are completely out of proportion. Look at the size of the warriors alongside the boats. I hope they correct this feature.

[Påsan]

Looking for the ships is undeniable that are completely out of proportion. Look at the size of the warriors alongside the boats. I hope they correct this feature.

I think the problem is that the boats have to have room to the 120 warriors so they cant really be smaller, and in real ships they would not be standing around in a boat like fools, but sitting and rowing.

[Ganossa]

Looking for the ships is undeniable that are completely out of proportion. Look at the size of the warriors alongside the boats. I hope they correct this feature.

The problem is the unit size which is not adjusted for a single faction. You cannot get that many units in a smaller boat.

[Totalheadache]

Correct Bethencourt the Saxons were already in Britain! They were used by the Britons against Picts/Irish/Welsh and even other Saxons!

It backfired. But this was also the case for Western Europe as a whole..oh well