Awesome! Cant wait for late era units
And its probably true as they say, swedish cavalry were few and not heavy. Just replace it with that blue cloak that the horse in one of your pics had and I (personally) would be satisfied![]()
Awesome! Cant wait for late era units
And its probably true as they say, swedish cavalry were few and not heavy. Just replace it with that blue cloak that the horse in one of your pics had and I (personally) would be satisfied![]()
You're on to something. All of Scandinavia was influenced by German mercenaries, via Denmark. Sweden and Norway was influenced by a nomad composite bow (Tovedbue), but also longbow and the crossbow. Sweden's activity was directed eastwards towards Finish colonies and Baltic trade. Denmark was practically continental country (when it came to cavalry since the 11th century). Norway's interests was to the west and south (like this in 1265).
Norway
Names are changed to accommodate an English speaking audience, while replacing certain hard-to-pronounce names.
- The theme is thereor to make Norway's high-late game arms and armor influenced by English traditions to reflect both their (colonial) interests and because both their nobles often chose to fight on foot. It makes sense I think and it's different from the other Scandinavian countries.
- I also like the idea of Norway as a marine and ambush faction, but I'm not quite sure to what extent and how to reflect that. Either by faction traits or unit traits, we can come back to that later.
- Leidang is Norway's most important military component, comparable to the English longbow.
Here is a first draft. I want to hear your thoughts on the size and scope on how it fits.
- As an example if you want a smaller roster I think we can remove Leidang Axemen while Guests fills the standard melee unit.
- We can also compress high and late tier units into one tier.
- Maybe compress Bondir Spearmen and Bondir Longbow into one militia unit, because Norway doesn't have a starting settlement.
Early
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
High
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Late
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Heraldry:
These are ancient noble Norwegian families from 13th/14th century and have family served as high as the king's council.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Careful dude, the TWC terms of service clearly state no use of pornographic material allowed.I did create the unique Scandinavian Kettle Helmets as you can see featured on the Hirdmen and Crossbowmen, although I didn't know there were rings underneath the brims for the straps.. Oh well. https://skfb.ly/HXqR - https://skfb.ly/HCKq - https://skfb.ly/IvoI
When it comes to war horse breeding I know there was no such thing in Norway due to the amount of arable land available and topography. I don't know about the 2 others, but I wouldn't be surprised if Denmark (with it's flat terrain) did have horse breeders just like any continental power. The horse scaling and dragoon system, yeah that sounds like too much trouble to be bogged down with if I were you. I wouldn't bother too much with it if it's difficult to do. It might also be impossible for the A.I. to use the dragoon function and it's only a small part of the roster anyway. However, if you get it to work then that would be cool and it can also be adopted into the English army (English mounted longbowmen).
You're correct in a way, standard heater shields has a much better battlefield usage than bucklers. You're also correct that the buckler was favored in duels (at least until the further development of the sword hilt).
The thing about the buckler is that it's a side-arm protection, the shield is not. Think about it like this: 99% of the time, a soldier on campaign is in a non-combat scenario. He eat, walk, drink, cook, pray, sleep, rides, fart, sail, sits at a tavern, chops wood, hunts, takes a shait, etc. and even when the battle was on it was not used constantly by all infantry. So in all these non-combat related scenarios the buckler has an obvious advantage over the shield just in terms of logistics which is a major reason why certain combat gear are preferable. While you can take a sword (example of a side-arm) into a bathroom without trouble, try bringing along a halberd without it getting in the way. Parts of the reasons why NATO changed it's standard caliber rounds was due to logistical reasons ( you can transport more 51 mm rounds than the bigger 7.62 rounds). It would be nice to have a Skyrim backpack, but everything you add in terms of combat prowess has a cost to it which often has to do with money, mobility, logistics, etc. Let's say you're a pikeman, halberd, longbowman, crossbowman, spearmen (2nd rank), cavalry, etc. you're always going to need 2 free hands. So when you're not in need of protection, the buckler is useful because you can put it on your hip. If you need decent hand protection, then you have your side-arm protection.
Common heater shields work just fine for standard Nordic troops, specially against missile fire. I just wanted to show the Nordic flavor when it comes to bucklers and that it can be put on the belt of many other troop types as a valid side-arm protection.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The poleaxe was a pole weapon reaching from chest to man height for armored men of all of Europe to fight other armored men. The head was usually constructed by multiply pieces, often ornate and complex. We can lump the Great dane axe and pole axe into the same high/late unit for a more Nordic feeling. I think that would be kinda cool.For Norwegians, I thought I read somewhere that polearm axes became a status symbol at some point in time?
~Wille
Last edited by Kjertesvein; February 07, 2016 at 06:16 AM.
Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga- The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
http://imgur.com/a/DMm19
Danish Royal Armory.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
~Wille
Last edited by Kjertesvein; February 09, 2016 at 10:59 AM.
Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga- The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
http://imgur.com/a/DMm19
Did Scandinavians still use the Dane axe as late as the 13th century? Genuinely curious.
I dont think the dane axe went out of favor before halberds and poleaxes replaced them. The daneaxe evolved from a scandinavian "elite" weapon into a european knightly weapon with changes such as a back-spike and spear point added eventually, and then was replaced by the pollaxe and halberd in continental europe. In Scotland and Ireland it lasted longer with Galloglases and such being associated with the weapon. I dont think the pollaxe is a direct successor however, the weapon is used more like a quarterstaff than an axe. Halberd might be considered one.
Sort of similar to the development of the norwegian coat of arms. The lion started out with a daneaxe, then it gradually evolved to a halberd and then it was revised back to a daneaxe again.![]()
Last edited by Påsan; February 08, 2016 at 11:08 PM.
@kjertesvein, yes! Thank you!
@Count, yep, 2 handed axes were still in use.
Sweden
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Swedish equipment
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Ornament stuff
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
~Wille
Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga- The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
http://imgur.com/a/DMm19
Awesome! This is a lot of help!
Happy to help.
~Wille
Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga- The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
http://imgur.com/a/DMm19
I won't be able to do any info even close to Kjertesvein, but here is a couple of books by David Lindholm and David Nicolle, it is really good reading and got some nice illustrations
The Scandinavian Baltic Crusades 1100-1500
Medieval Scandinavian Armies 1 1100-1300
Medieval Scandinavian Armies 2 1300-1500
They are very nice books and if you like scandinavian medieval history or just medieval history in general they are a good investment.
How late are you going to go time wise, because there is some Houndskull and Klappvisor helmets in game wich would be ca. 1350 and if you going to very late like 14xx are you going to split the time periods as they did in Medieval 2 with early-high-late ?
as an extra question, since i am not sure, but wasn't Roskilde bigger than Lödöse at this time ?
Last edited by uzo70; April 30, 2016 at 09:12 AM. Reason: [links removed][re-added book names without links]
Bascially, Tier 1 = 1212A.D. to 1350A.D. (High Medieval Era), Tier 2 = 1350 to 1420 (Transitional Era), Tier 3 = 1420 to 1500 (Late Medieval Ages). Campaign simulates start time and politics at 1212A.D. and the future is alternate history.
Three Tiers is great, but I'd love to have four (one between Tier 1 and Tier 2), like: 1212 - 1290 / 1290 - 1360 / 1360 - 1430 / 1430 - 1500
Primary source material on the units, education of a Norwegian prince and a few thoughts on Scandinavian knights.
It can be useful to glance over some of available normative sources every now and then when you're in need of inspiration about a particular subject or for unit descriptions later on. For example, after reading it you'll notice by law, every man from commoner to prince were required to own a bow or crossbow. It's not to say it's comparable to English Longbow Law by any stretch of the imagination, but the possibility for a hybrid unit is there if you want something edgy.
The units of the Hird
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
King's Mirror
Excerpts from the King's Mirror in regards to tactics and training. Initially meant as an educational text for the Norwegian prince in 1250-60, but as the preface note "one that should profit every man who intends to follow the craft".
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Thoughts on Norwegian cavalry and how to make the elite among the Scandinavians look unique
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The King's Mirror (1250-60)
Hirdlaw (1270)
Contemporary description of a Norwegian politics late 12th century, from an English monk's perspective:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
William Newburgh, Book Three, ch 6.
~Wille
Last edited by Kjertesvein; April 23, 2016 at 05:22 AM.
Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga- The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
http://imgur.com/a/DMm19
Looks great but i cant help to wonder if anyone has some material on large numbers of swedish early knights using fully mailed caparisons? Dont get me wrong, i just became interested when i saw this image
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Last edited by Fedual; February 13, 2016 at 06:35 AM.
The knights certainly had full mails, but I doubt the horses were as armoured, fully covered in mail. The nobility wasn't as wealthy as their continental counterparts - Sweden really only became "rich" during the 17th century when it became a great power. But feel free to correct me if someone else has more information.
August Strindberg: "There's a view, current at the moment even among quite sensible people, that women, that secondary form of humanity (second to men, the lords and shapers of human civilisation) should in some way become equal with men, or could so be; this is leading to a struggle which is both bizarre and doomed. It's bizarre because a secondary form, by the laws of science, is always going to be a secondary form. Imagine two people, A (a man) and B (a woman). They start to run a race from the same point, C. A (the man) has a speed of, let's say, 100; B (the woman) has a speed of 60. Now, the question is 'Can B ever overtake A?" and the answer is 'Never!'. Whatever training, encouragement or self-denial is applied, the proposition is as impossible as that two parallel lines should ever meet."
To a degree, true. In the beginning, the Scandinavians levy was actually not that bad against cavalry. The Norwegian Leidang that would fight abroad (probably yeaoman class) showed it was able to withstand cavalry by forming a complex formations comparable to "Shiltron", but also other formations such as sheild wall, wedge, shield castle, etc. However, as we move into the 14th and later 15th century prove to be outdated.
On the other hand, the transitional period show that cavalry doesn't automatically grant you victory because other methods were employed. Most medieval armies were relatively small and hard to replenish. Commanders would normally avoid battle simply because the risk was high and the reward low. In the words of John Gillingham, War and Government in the Middle Ages, Cambridge.
In the 35 year conflict period starting 1285 between the princes and nobility of Scandinavia, based on the chronicles, letters and German account letters, we can point to almost 6000 German (and some English) mercenaries serving in the wars for all sides. Hired in bulks of a couple of 100s to several 1000s. According to Fagerland's doctorate, the participants in the conflicts required the combined arms of the 1. The (fleet)levy; 2. fortifications; and 3. German mercenary knights to win the conflict. Most warfare consisted of one dominant part raiding the country side of the other, while the weaker party usually avoided battle by sitting in their castles. All the 3 monarchs and their proxy lords did this to each other in every imaginable alliance possible. When the Swedish duke marched his army into Oslo, the Norwegian farmers tried to relive Akershus fortress and opposed the German knights of the Swedes. The Norwegian farmers suffered 1/3 of their forces, while the Swedes returned home soon after. If you had the upper hand, pressure your opponent with armed forces and secure a diplomatic deal on your terms... if you're strong enough. That's medieval warfare in a nutshell.Most campaigns did not end in battle because both commanders were reluctant to risk battle. This was in accord with the advice given in what is perhaps the best book ever written on medieval warfare - and one read by many medieval commanders: the De Re Militari by Vegetius. Vegetius’ advice on giving battle was quite simple: Don't. Well, you might occasionally, if you heavily outnumbered your enemy, if their morale was poor, their supplies short, if they were tired and poorly led, then in these circumstances you might, but otherwise no.
In the 1309 campaign lead by the Danish king Menved and his vassal Henry II, Lord of Mecklenburg, which was noted as a big army of it's time, would plunder the hinterland for supplies and lay siege to the Swedish castles. The defending Swedish Dukes would avoid conventional field battle. They applied a scorched earth tactics and would ambush foraging parties sent by the the Danes and their German allies, always staying within reach. In addition, as Vegetius suggest to not fight on equal terms, but instead open diplomatic relations that would go no-where. All the while, the Swedes patiently waited to assemble the greater militia from Kalmar, Stockholm and 2 cogs of of their own German mercenaries. While this was going on, the danish provisions would run low as the winter approached. The Danish nobles eventually lead a mutiny, but the fortunately for the invaders the 2500 German mercenaries remained loyal to the Danish king. At this point both parties entered diplomacy and the Swedish dukes would agree to a treaty on Danish terms. This is comparable to most European warfare at the time. Levies, knights and castles. This is reflected in The King's Mirror (1270) where the chapter about siege warfare is substantially bigger than any other chapter on warfare such as ship and land combat, going to great details on what to do.
The point here is that knights were used mostly as political leverage, rather than in an abundance of field battles. The other side would sit in their castles and use guerrilla tactics against the conventional army. Sometimes the army with knights came out ahead, sometimes not. It wasn't a clear cut for the conventional army until High - Late period. During the whole medieval period, the German knights filled the demand for heavy cavalry in Scandinavia.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to deny something on the basis of unquestionable certainty. Far from it, I'm saying there is no descriptive primary sources to my knowledge of a company of couched lances on par with European standards. Whether or not this was the case back then, we'll never really know. I would love be proven wrong, but alas no such fate has befallen me.You cant say with a 100% certainty they were non-existant.
The Norwegian lowland topography is comparable to the Sweden's lowland. The saga sources of the Värmland campaign which depict the land-based Norwegian leidang are from Osloregionen and Bohuslen.
Another example where we can compare Europeans warfare to that of the Scandinavian cavalry. In the words of the English historian J.E. Morris, the Scottish forces from the events of Bannockburn (1314-1337) mobilized by horse and systematically avoided close quarter engagements, but instead dismounted as useful marksmen. This is comparable to a point in the Värmland campaign where King Haakon sent forth a company of 120 mounted archers ahead of the convoy to clear a road block/ambush. (ch 115) Dragoons if you would excuse my bastardization of the word.
~Wille
Last edited by Kjertesvein; March 01, 2016 at 04:08 AM.
Thorolf was thus armed. Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his halberd with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. He slew the man who bore the earl's standard, and cut down the standard-pole. After that he lunged with his halberd at the earl's breast, driving it right through mail and body, so that it came out at the shoulders; and he lifted him up on the halberd over his head, and planted the butt-end in the ground. There on the weapon the earl breathed out his life in sight of all, both friends and foes. [...] 53, Egil's Saga- The pranks played on the knight Jean de Joinville, 1249, 7th crusade.I must tell you here of some amusing tricks the Comte d'Eu played on us. I had made a sort of house for myself in which my knights and I used to eat, sitting so as to get the light from the door, which, as it happened, faced the Comte d'Eu's quarters. The count, who was a very ingenious fellow, had rigged up a miniature ballistic machine with which he could throw stones into my tent. He would watch us as we were having our meal, adjust his machine to suit the length of our table, and then let fly at us, breaking our pots and glasses.
http://imgur.com/a/DMm19
Great work on Sweden mate! I understand that researching this period of Sweden's history can be quite a fuss, as there are not many truly reliable sources from this period. However I believe Kjertesvein and the others are doing a magnificient job with their research. I wish to contribute though and thought I could dig up some noble coat of arms for use on shields and such. There are very few noble families apart from the Bjälbo/Eirik/Sverker families known from the early era, but in order to give more variety to shields and such, I think it fitting that these emblems could be used on atleast Knight-grade units (as most of those that became "nobles" by the Ordninance of Alsnö in 1280 were simply families who owned a set of lands and could perform feudal military service in the form that we commonly call knights)
Some noble coat of arms from the 13th to 16th Century:
Natt och Dag (Literaly Night and Day, what an innovative name... 13th Century) who are the oldest, still alive, noble family:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...tt_och_Dag.svg
Bonde (13th Century):
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonde_...cheon_1996.jpg
Carpelan (Finnish nobles, high/late era however might be used on finnish auxiliary units):
https://www.riddarhuset.se/wp/wp-con...38-243x292.jpg
Leijonhufvud (14th Century):
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leijon...ijonhufvud.svg
Stenbock (14th Century):
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenbo..._Olofsson).svg
Jägerhorn af Spurila (Also Finnish, 15th Century):
https://www.riddarhuset.se/wp/wp-con...14-243x292.jpg
Trolle (14th Century):
https://www.riddarhuset.se/wp/wp-con...36-243x292.jpg
Ribbing (15th Century):
https://www.riddarhuset.se/wp/wp-con...15-243x292.jpg
There are lots more, however some are simply off-branches from some other families that you could use. Tell me if you want more or tell me tooff, in either way great work Slytacular!
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