Feared across northern Europe for their aggressive expansion and brutal raids during the Viking Age, the Danes dominate the North Sea region with stout infantry and powerful siege engines. Centuries of coastal raiding makes them swift sailors, while a tradition of hunting, gathering, and farming makes their Fishing Ships and Villagers more productive at gathering food. True to their reaving nature, the Danes are expert pillagers, plundering gold and resources from every destroyed building.
Bonuses
Fishing Ships and Villagers drop off a small amount of extra food.
Barracks and Siege Workshop upgrades cost less gold.
Loot a small amount of the resource cost of each destroyed building.
Varangian Guards and Longships move faster.
Team Bonus: Siege weapons increased LoS.
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Regional Assets
Varangian Guard
A mercenary force in service to the Byzantine emperor, the Varangian Guard drew recruits from all over Scandinavia as well as England and Rus’ lands. After completing their service, grizzled veterans returned home fabulously wealthy in both riches and renown.
Trained at the Barracks, the Varangian Guard is a deadly shock infantryman who generates gold while fighting and excels at raiding and melee combat.
Danish Varangian Guards benefit from faster movement and cheaper Barracks upgrades. They also deal more damage as they lose HP.
Longship
Masterfully constructed to traverse any waterway with speed, the Longship was the most advanced and versatile warship in northern Europe through the end of the Viking Age. Rivals bemoaned the lightning-quick longship raids that terrorized coasts and rivers from the North Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean, Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas.
Constructed at the Dock, this swift warship fires a volley of projectiles and poses a severe threat to warships, soldiers, and buildings alike.
Danish Longships sail more swiftly.
Mounted Crossbowman
While lacking a tradition of horse archery, European armies soon discovered how much more deadly an armor-piercing weapon like the crossbow could be when made more mobile.
Trained at the Archery Range, the Mounted Crossbowman fires somewhat slower than its nomadic bow-wielding counterpart, but packs quite a punch. Mounted Crossbowmen are available to most European civilizations, which produce them instead of Cavalry Archers.
Unique Unit
Jomsviking
Sworn members of a sacred blood brotherhood, the Jomsvikings were professional warriors with a reputation for loyalty, ferocity, and fighting skill. Striking out from their base at the Jomsborg, the Jomsvikings terrorized the Baltic and avenged fallen comrades without fail.
This nimble raider carries a spear and a shield into battle. Jomsvikings hurl torches at enemy buildings and ships to set them ablaze, making them versatile as well as potent.
Unique Technologies
Hamask
To hamask was to enter the deadly battle frenzy made famous by the berserks and ulfhednar. The reflexive middle voice of this verb suggests that the warrior ‘brought himself’ into this state, or else was possessed by supernatural rage, perhaps aided by a patron deity.
Effect: Infantry deal more damage as they lose HP.
Northmen’s Fury
“Deliver us, O Lord, from the fury of the Northmen!” prayed the Europeans who frequently fell victim to Scandinavian raids. The reputation of these marauders was rightly fearsome: their ships could appear anywhere at any time, and even walls did not guarantee their prey safety.
Effect: Siege units and siege ships +40% attack vs. buildings. Mangonel-line and siege ships +1 range.
Danish Castle
The Danish Castle draws on elements from the Danevirke, Trelleborg, and Jomsborg fortifications.
Danish Wonder
The Danish Wonder, the fabled Yggdrasil World Tree.
