

Housecarls
Well-trained, armoured, and fiercely loyal to their last breath.The Scandinavian housecarls or huscarls were professional, trained soldiers in service to a lord or king - the word literally meaning 'household man' or, more crudely put, 'manservant'. They were retainers to their lord or king - his personal bodyguard who fought close to and protected him on the battlefield in the same way as the 'hearth friends' of old Celtic and Germanic 'barbarian' Europe. Relics of the time now unearthed, such as the Turinge Stone, carry inscriptions calling these men the "best in the land", again reinforcing their elite status. Following the conquest of much of central and northern England by the Danes during the 10th century, huscarls also became an integral part of Anglo-Saxon armies. As such, they famously defeated their Norwegian counterparts at Stamford Bridge and held the line at Hastings, protecting King Harold's body to the very last man.
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Unit Name Housecarls |
Main Unit Key cha_vik_housecarls |
Land Unit Key cha_vik_housecarls |
Naval Unit Key cha_longship_transport |
Soldiers 160 |
Category Melee Infantry |
Class Melee Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 1100 |
Recruitment Cost 1100 |
Upkeep Cost 100 |
Melee Attack 75 |
Melee Damage 50 |
├ Melee Weapon cha_dane_axe |
├ Melee Base Damage 20 |
├ Armour-piercing Damage 30 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Attack Against Cavalry 0 |
├ Attack Against Elephants 0 |
└ Attack Against Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 95 |
Melee Defence 25 |
├ Base Defence 25 |
├ Shield cha_none |
└ Shield Defence 0 |
Armour 60 |
├ Armour cha_mail_heavy |
├ Armour Defence 60 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
Health 100 |
├ Man Entity cha_infantry_very_heavy |
├ Man Health 100 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Morale 54 |
Abilities
Housecarls- Douse Fire
Sacrifice your ship's mobility for a short time to focus effort on putting out the blaze. - Wedge
The unit moves into a wedge-shaped attack formation. - Use the Whip
Improved defence and fatigue resistance for a short time at the cost of overexertion.
Attributes
- Disciplined
This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often. - Encourage
This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies. - Resistant to Fatigue
Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit. - Hide (forest)
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
Strengths & Weaknesses
No Strengths and Weaknesses
Faction Availability | |
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Age of Charlemagne |