Nordmann Melee Infantry

Alban Axemen

The early medieval Highlanders of Alba were a cultural mix of Gaelic, Celtic, and other peoples, who had much in common with similar groups in nearby Ireland and northern Britain. Centuries of encounters with invading Romans and the sporadic infighting that followed meant that militarily, they were well-prepared. Organised under local commanders and lords, most males were expected to be ready to fight, but when they were not being called upon to defend their land or clan they farmed and fished alongside their women. Their climate made them particularly tough, readily fighting into the depth of winter when required. Even the Vikings were fearful of the Highlanders of northern Britain by their own accounts – the classic Icelandic saga ‘Islendingasagur’ warns other Norsemen to approach parts of the Scottish coast with caution, lest it cost them their lives!

The warriors of Alba were generally made up of territorial units of fighting men. 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 Alban Axemen

Main Unit Key sco_alban_axemen

Land Unit Key sco_alban_axemen

Naval Unit Key vik_draga

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Melee Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 500

Recruitment Cost 500

Upkeep Cost 135

Melee Skill 34

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 36

Melee Defence 49

├ Base Defence 34

├ Shield vik_small

└ Shield 15

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 45

Abilities

No Ability

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

Faction Availability
Thrones of Britannia	Airer Goidel Athfochla Circenn Fortriu Scottish Rebels Circenn Usurpers Scottish Usurpers

Faction Pool

Pool
No.	Pool	Faction	Initial Unit Count	Chance To Replenish	Max Replenish Per Turn	Max Count
1	scottish	Airer Goidel Athfochla Circenn Fortriu Scottish Rebels Circenn Usurpers Scottish Usurpers	1	0.1	1	2