New Unit: Viking Swordsman

[Wolfhart]

Originally posted by SpincruS


Since this thread is already revived from a month's sleep already, it gives me the opportunity to answer this one (at last! hehe).

I think this unit is more ment to be for the Med. Infantry, I suppose. The original swordsman (or the Germanic spearman a few pages back) can be good for a warrior/swordsman/spearman.

The excellent Rohan Royal Guard by utahjazz7 works well as a flavour swordsman for Scandinavia (and England) since it's very much like a Swedish 6th to 8th century warrior noble like the ones found in the Vendel and Valsgärde burials (AND like an early Anglosaxon warrior like the one of Sutton Hoo, showing the close cultural contacts between Scandinavia and Anglosaxons of the time). Think Beowulf, I'm very sure both Tolkien and Peter Jackson did when creating/recreating the Rohirrim.

 

[Redking]

If only that Rohan unit had civ-specific colors. I have no interest in playing LOTR, but could sure use that unit in random epic games.

 

[gorn]

Actually, I believe it IS civ-coloured. Just gotta check out further down the thread.

 

[Tathlum]

OK if this thread is active again, I can answer that Viking horned helmet mystery on the last page:
Viking was an old english term for Pirate/Raider, and not just Scandinavian ones. The Irish raided a lot in dark age britain and they did have horned and winged helmets ( saint Patrick was a slave taken on one of these raids). As time went on and the Scandinavians got more and more control over the sea-lanes and built cities in Ireland the Irish raids died out and Viking came to mean just the Scandinavian raiders( the only ones left). By that stage though the image of Horn Helmeted raiders coming from across the sea for loot and slaves had become a powerfull image and it stuck.
Sorry I know its off topic but just thought some people might like to know where the misconception arose.

Cool unit by the way.

 

[Gogf]

I thought I heard somewhere that they actually didn't wear horned helmets, and that that was just made up later on to make them seem more fearsome.

 

[Tathlum]

They did and not just Horned ones. Antlers, crests, birds, all sorts. It was to make them look more fearsome though. These helmets belonged to nobles in Fiannas like the Degad and the Naisc Niadh. You bog standard spearman would make do with a skull cap.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Originally posted by Kal-el
Why are there so many paintings with horns on their helmets if it is so ahistorical?

Why are the Pilgrims shown with Buckles on their hat? (they never wore those)

 

[Kal-el]

really?

 

[Louis XXIV]

Yep, they also wore many colors, not just black. Some Pilgrim (can't remember his name, maybe I should just call him a member of Plymoth colony) was even criticised for having buckles on his shoes.

But everyone knows them like that, so they are shown like that.

When Creative Assembly made the expansion pack for Medieval: Total War, they were asked if Vikings were going to have pointy helmets, since it wasn't historically accurate. Since they are known for those horns, it was decided that one unit would get the Horned Helmet, and all the Vikings on the box would have Horns.