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HomeHome / Total War SAGA: Thrones of Britannia / Northymbre / Units / Royal Huscarls
Royal Huscarls NorthymbreNorthymbre Melee Infantry

Royal Huscarls

The Danelaw’s commanders are some of the hardest to kill on the battlefield for good reason.

Much like the Roman ‘comes’, in the Viking world there emerged a culture of heroic champions flanked by chosen companions. The ‘hirdman’ was the highest rank amongst such warriors, and in later times the rank carried with it a seat on the king’s council, enabling them to advise their rulers on non-military aspects of government. In Old Norse and Old English, the term translates to ‘household man’, originally referring to an armed retinue for a warlord but eventually morphing into ‘housecarl’ or ‘huscarl’, specifically referring to a royal guard. Following the ninth-century Danish settlement of England, huscarls also became an integral part of Anglo-Saxon armies, famously defeating their Norwegian counterparts at Stamford Bridge and protecting King Harold's body to the very last man at Hastings.

Hirdmen and huscarls were undoubtedly warriors of elite status, reflected in their superior weaponry and armour. Perhaps the most emblematic and imposing of all weapons they used was the two-handed broad axe, also known as the Dane Axe. As was the case for many who took axes into battle, it was often chosen for being a readily-available domestic tool, and it is certainly feasible that larger adaptations existed for chopping the bulkiest bits of wood. The shield-less warriors who wielded two-handed battle axes had a specialised place on the battlefield, entering the fray as part of a later wave to strike when enemy defences were down, causing skull-splitting damage to the opposition’s breached battle lines.

Royal Huscarls

Unit Name

Royal Huscarls

Main Unit Key

dan_royal_huscarls

Land Unit Key

dan_royal_huscarls

Naval Unit Key

vik_draca

Soldiers

100

Category

Melee Infantry

Class

Melee Infantry

Custom Battle Cost

1100

Recruitment Cost

0

Upkeep Cost

100

Melee Skill

49

Melee Damage

65

├ Melee Weapon

vik_dane_axe_elite

├ Melee Base Damage

25

├ Armour-piercing Damage

40

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Attack Against Cavalry

0

├ Attack Against Elephants

0

└ Attack Against Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

74

Melee Defence

49

├ Base Defence

49

├ Shield

vik_none

└ Shield

0

Armour

32

├ Armour

vik_mail_heavy

├ Armour Defence

32

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

100

├ Man Entity

vik_inf_2h_very_heavy

├ Man Health

100

└ Bonus Hit Points

0

Morale

54

Abilities

Royal Huscarls
  • Wedge
    "Let's break their line!"

Attributes

  • [[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]]Encourage[[/col]]
    This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
  • [[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 Professional Bodyguards Cost 150 Upgrade From Warlord's Companions