The intrepid Varangian adventurers turned their sights east rather than west, navigating the Baltic Sea and the rivers of Russia to settle and trade in lands as far away as the Black and Caspian Seas. A keen eye for commerce elicits extra gold income from a variety of sources, while their cavalry, navy, and Varangian Guards are among the best in the business. Through trade, raiding, and settlement, the Varangians left a lasting influence throughout much of medieval eastern Europe.
Bonuses
Shepherding, fishing, and hunting also generate gold.
Bloodlines and Caravan effects increased.
Varangian Guards attack faster and generate gold.
Longships and Catapult Galleons attack faster.
Team Bonus: Knight-line increased damage vs. infantry.
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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.
Varangian Guards attack faster, generate more gold, and periodically hurl axes.
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.
Varangian Longships fire faster.
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
Jarl
Jarls were charismatic chieftains whose power often rivaled that of local kings. Paragons of Scandinavian warrior culture, they led by example on the battlefield, their deeds inspiring their warbands and demoralizing their opponents. The skeggox (“bearded axe”) was a versatile weapon that could be swung or hurled, and was specifically designed to hamper opponents by hooking their shields, weapons, or limbs.
Jarls are axe-hurling cavalrymen who are especially strong against infantry. Though hardy and swift, they are best used in combination with other soldiers.
Unique Technologies
Vendel Legacy
In contrast to the Norse and Danes, the warriors of Migration Period Sweden were skilled cavalrymen. Heroic epics, rich burial sites, and carved art emphasize armored cavalry, pointing to an affiliation with the war-god Odin, who famously rode a peerless 8-legged steed.
Effect: Knight-line deals trample damage.
Gothikon
A Byzantine account describes the Gothikon, a ritual dance that Varangian mercenaries dressed in animal skins performed as part of a war cult. Harnessing the power and ferocity of savage wild predators, whatever the martial effect, impressed allies and intimidated enemies.
Effect: Varangian Guards periodically throw axes.
Varangian Castle
The Varangian Castle, combining elements of Varangian forts and the Golden Gate of Kyiv.
Varangian Wonder
The Varangian Wonder, a jarl’s ship burial mound described by Ibn Fadlan in the 10th century CE.
Click below to access the Varangians Technology Tree!
