Hlymrekr Melee Infantry

Eastmen Axe Warriors

In the centuries following the eighth-century appearance of the first recorded Viking raiders in the Irish Sea, those of the Norse who chose to settle in the region came to be known as the ‘Ostmenn’, or more literally, ‘the men of the east’. This was how the settled Norse-Gaels contrasted themselves from the native Gaels, who they referred to as ‘Vestmen’, unsurprisingly, ‘the men of the west’. Combining local traditions with their own, the Norse-Gaels were culturally distinct from both the Gaels and their Scandinavian forefathers. Their hybridisation of traditions took place against the setting of their coastal defensive strongholds, many of which were the nuclei of the powerful independent kingdoms of later years. Norse-Gaelic powerbases would eventually be established in places like Dublin, Galloway, and Mann, amongst other places.

As with many facets of their culture, the martial traditions of the Norse-Gaels retained both Viking and Gaelic elements. 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 Eastmen Axe Warriors

Main Unit Key est_axe_warriors

Land Unit Key est_axe_warriors

Naval Unit Key vik_dreki

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Melee Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 450

Recruitment Cost 450

Upkeep Cost 100

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 15

├ Armour vik_leather_helmet

├ Armour Defence 15

└ 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	Dyflin Gallgoidel Hlymrekr Myrrborg Orkneyar Dyflin Usurpers Sudreyar Usurpers Sudreyar Vedrafjordr Veisafjordr