Skeid - Viking Skirmishers
This transport ship is light and easy to manoeuvre, but almost defenceless if attacked.A shower of javelins and a cry of war mark the beginning of a Viking charge.
For most of history the only way to move cargoes and people over long distances at any kind of reasonable speed was by water; this remained true until the invention of the railway. Trading vessels carried goods, following the coastlines for the most part, and up navigable rivers. The pattern of settlement and colonisation was almost entirely based on where ships could go. It was also considerably easier to move armies by sea than march them long distances. Trade ships were hired or requisitioned for such tasks, and this was an added incentive for generals to reach a quick conclusion to a campaign: war hurt trade, and used up ships needed for vital food supplies.
(Viking Skirmishers)
For many, the word ‘Viking’ conjures up scenes of pillaging marauders from across the sea, rampaging around the coastlines of Britain in the last centuries leading up to the Norman conquest. However, the Vikings should not simply be thought of as mindless, bloodthirsty looters, and instead should be seen for what they really were – initially, sea-based raiders from Scandinavia who would avoid a fight if it meant a quick profit, and later on, migrants in search of newer pastures to settle in, from which they could subsist and even trade. Indeed, the earliest Viking forays into Britain were quick raids of lightly defended, but highly bountiful targets such as churches and monasteries, while in later years they concentrated their actions on conquering lands to establish themselves as permanent kings.
The Vikings were rightly known for their skill at war, utilising the traditional barbarian charge alongside carefully drilled shield wall tactics. The throwing spear or javelin was one such genus of weapons they used, with the thrusting variety not always entirely distinct from the thrown variety. The advantage of the javelin thrower was the ability to potentially pierce through shields and armour from distance, but this was offset by the reduced range and limited output compared to standard archers, since there were only so many javelins a thrower could carry at any one time. Javelin throwing was certainly a unique skill, with the most skilful Viking warriors allegedly even able to catch spears in mid-flight to hurl them straight back!
Unit Name Skeid - Viking Skirmishers |
Main Unit Key shp_vik_skirmishers |
Land Unit Key vik_skirmishers |
Naval Unit Key vik_skeid_mis |
Soldiers 80 |
Category Light Ship |
Class Missile Ship |
Custom Battle Cost 150 |
Recruitment Cost 150 |
Upkeep Cost 40 |
37 |
├ Missile Weapon vik_jav_levy |
├ Projectile vik_javelin_levy |
├ Missile Damage 28 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 9 |
└ Base Reload Time 30 |
Accuracy 33 |
Range 80 |
Reload 40 |
Rate of Fire 3 |
Ammunition 7 |
└ Ship vik_skeid |
Speed |
Melee Skill 7 |
9 |
├ Melee Weapon vik_dagger |
├ Melee Base Damage 7 |
├ Armour-piercing Damage 2 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Attack Against Cavalry 0 |
├ Attack Against Elephants 0 |
└ Attack Against Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 2 |
17 |
├ Base Defence 7 |
├ Shield vik_small_wood |
└ Shield 10 |
5 |
├ Armour vik_cloth |
├ Armour Defence 5 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
100 |
├ Man Entity vik_inf_mis_very_light |
├ Man Health 100 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Morale 26 |
Abilities
No Ability
Attributes
- [[col:yellow]]Resistant to Fatigue[[/col]]
Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit. - [[col:yellow]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close. - [[col:yellow]]Snipe[[/col]]
This unit remains hidden while firing.
Strengths & Weaknesses
No Strengths and Weaknesses