Jorvik Melee Infantry

Axe Hersir

When the Vikings first set out to pillage the coasts of Europe in the eighth century, those who led the raiding parties were not kings, earls, or jarls, but a lesser rank of war leaders known as hersirs. They were superior warriors who commanded small bands of men, organising them into the shield walls used to defeat the armies that opposed their early incursions into places like Britain. In the Norse context, a hersir was typically an independent landowner or chieftain, but by the tenth century their role had changed into something much less autonomous with many becoming regional military servants of Scandinavian kings and nobles. Many also still gave their military services to earls and jarls as battlefield companions, making them the rough equivalent to the huscarls of the late Anglo-Saxon period.

Being military commanders, hersirs typically donned superior equipment to the men they led on their raids. For some, the one-handed axe would have been the weapon of choice, since swords were costly and axes would have been already widely available as domestic tools. Various adaptations of axes were used in battle, such as the smaller throwing francisca made famous by the Franks, and the slightly larger versions primarily used as part of axe-and-shield war getups. Axes granted a unique form of damage output – although swords were ideal for slashing and stabbing, an axe could hack and chop with relatively less effort, and in the right hands was particularly useful for piercing armour, decapitation, and dismemberment.

Unit Name Axe Hersir

Main Unit Key vik_axe_hersir

Land Unit Key vik_axe_hersir

Naval Unit Key vik_dreki

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Melee Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 700

Recruitment Cost 700

Upkeep Cost 200

Melee Skill 36

Melee Damage 32

├ Melee Weapon vik_axe

├ Melee Base Damage 13

├ Armour-piercing Damage 19

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 0

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 38

Melee Defence 66

├ Base Defence 36

├ Shield vik_medium

└ Shield 30

Armour 22

├ Armour vik_mail

├ Armour Defence 22

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 100

├ Man Entity vik_inf_med

├ Man Health 100

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Morale 47

Abilities

• Shield Castle
  "Heads down, lads, things are about to get a little hairy around here!"
  Units cannot move in this formation.

Attributes

• [[col:yellow]]Expert Charge Defence[[/col]]
  This unit’s melee attack and damage are increased against charging enemies.
• [[col:yellow]]Disciplined[[/col]]
  This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• [[col:yellow]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• [[col:yellow]]Raider[[/col]]
  This unit may set buildings on fire, cause more fire damage with torches and capture faster than other units.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses

Recuitment Requirement
Required Technology Cost 150 Upgrade From
Upgrade
Required Technology Cost 150 Upgrade To

Faction Availability
Thrones of Britannia	Dene Dubgaill Finngaill Haeden Jorvik Nordmann Norse Viking Rebels Viking Usurpers Wicing