SOLDIERS OF NORSCA

You will also find notes on the famous Swine Array, a formation that has been used to great success in the armies of Norsca.

SVYNFYLKING (SWINE ARRAY)

The Norscan army uses a special wedge formation known as the Svynfylking, or Swine Array.  This can be used either singly or with several wedges connected at the base forming a line that resembles the teeth of a saw.

When arranged in the Swine Array, the unit's leader is always placed in the front.   If the unit is led by a character then he must take the front position.  The formation will be as follows:  There will be one warrior in the front row, two in the second, three in the third, four in the fourth, and so on, with each row wider than the row in front of it.  There may not be sufficient warriors to fill the last row.   If this happens, place what warriors you have at the outer edges of the row, leaving any gaps in the center of the row.

Maneuver and Moving:

The Svynfylking can maneuver by wheeling.  It cannot turn.  When wheeling, measure from the widest rank.  Otherwise, when moving, the unit make all measurements from the front model in the formation.

Close Combat:

In combat, the Svynfylking formation is positioned against the enemy unit with the leading model in contact and the wedge arrayed behind him.  This represents the moment of contact.

All the models at the edge of the Svynfylking can fight if there are enemy directly in front of them.  All enemy models directly in front of the wedge can fight back.   All fighting models are considered to be touching the enemy.

Rank Bonus:

In a Svynfylking formation the warriors get +1 combat bonus for each full rank behind the first, up to a maximum of 3 extra ranks (+3 combat bonus).  A rank which is not full does not count.

Flanks:

A Svynfylking formation has no flanks.  An enemy is not permitted to lap onto the sides of the formation.  An enemy charging the sides of the Svynfylking does not count as charging the flank of the unit.  No bonuses are earned on the combat results and no Panic test is required for a flank charge.

If a Svynfylking is already engaged in combat, and it is charged from the side, the enemy is aligned against the side of the Svynfylking formation.  In this case, models aligned against the side are allowed to fight and models directly in front of the Svynfylking can fight as normal.  The warriors facing both enemy units can fight either the original unit to their front or the unit to the side and they can divide their attacks if you prefer.

Casualties:

Casualties are removed from the rearmost rank in the usual manner.  If a character is slain, his position can be taken by another warrior once the combat is over.

Combat Results:

After combat is completed, warriors can maintain their Svynfylking formation or immediately adopt a regular formation of one or more ranks.

Warriors in Svynfylking formation cannot lap around an enemy's flank as a regular unit can.  However, if warriors adopt a regular formation, they can lap around that turn, assuming, of course, they won the combat and their new formation extends beyond the enemy's flanks.

If the Svynfylking formation succeeds in breaking the enemy unit, the warriors can either maintain the Svynfylking formation or adopt a regular formation as they either hold or pursue.

Archers may fire their bows from the Svynfylking formation as follows:  Every Archer on the edge of the formation may fire their bows.  If the Svynfylking remains stationery, all of the Archers may shoot, including those in the center of the unit.

If standing and shooting against a charging enemy, the Svynfylking can shoot with all of its Archers, including those inside the formation.

WARRIORS OF NORSCA

The armies of Norsca include a great many warriors.  The most common among these warriors are the Bondi, the Huscarls, and the Thralls.  These warriors are led by the great heroes and Jarls of Norsca.

The Bondi make up the Great Fyrd, which is the bulk of the army.

Thralls are slave troops owned by the Jarl.

The Huscarls make up the Select Fyrd, which is the Jarls’ personal troops.

Heroes are warriors of exceptional prowse and courage.  They have gained much fame and fortune with their skills, and are often sent to lead small bands of warriors into battle.

A Jarl is often the leader of a Norscan army.  He is usually the most powerful and skilled warrior of his lands.

ELITE FIGHTERS OF NORSCA

Within the Norscan army there are a great number of elite troops, dedicated to a particular form of fighting.  The most famous of these elite troops are the Huntsmen of the forests and the warrior women known as the Shield Maidens.

The Huntsmen are the professional hunters and foresters of Norscan. They are skilled at moving silently and using cover to keep from being seen. They are the finest trackers and scouts in the land.

Shield Maidens are women warriors who for one reason or another have chosen the warrior path.

BERSERKERS OF NORSCA

Whenever the armies of Norsca march to war, they take with them the Berserkers: fanatics who have dedicated their lives to battle and hope to one day sit at Odin's table in Valhalla.  The Berserkers of Norsca include both the Berserkers and the Ulfhednars.

Berserkers are battle fanatics dedicated to Odin.  They fight in the great armies of Norsca to prove their worth to the gods, so that they may have their place in Valhalla when their time comes to die.

Ulfhednars are the wolf-skinned ones.  They are dedicated to battle and they live only to die gloriously and be chosen to sit at Odin's table in Valhalla.

OTHER RACES IN THE NORSCAN ARMY

Within the land of Norsca, many different races live.  Foremost among these races are the humans.  But no less important than the humans are the Ogres of the North, the Dwarfs from the Northern Mountains, and the Great Juten, the Giants of Norsca.

Ogre bands are often recruited into the Norscans' armies, where their great strength is highly valued.

Dwarf Warriors are grim and determined fighters. Being extremely stubborn they refuse to run away in all but the most desperate circumstances.

Dwarf Berserkers are strange and extremely dangerous fighters.  They seek a glorious death in battle, in an effort to secure their place in the drinking halls of the Afterlife.

Juten are Giants from the land of Norsca.  They are much more intelligent than normal Giants, and often use an axe to fight with.  Sometimes they even wear light armour in battle, giving them some extra protection.

WAR MACHINES OF NORSCA

Sometimes when the Norscans march off to war they bring machines of destruction with them for battering down city walls or smashing their enemies' battle lines.  The Ballista and Catapult are two such war machines.

GODI OF NORSCA

The Godi are the only true Priests of the Norscans.  They are fighter priests and accompany the armies when they go to war.  They invoke Odin's blessing for the coming battle and they administer the warrior rights to the fallen so that they will pass on to Valhalla.

MAGIC USERS OF NORSCA

The land of Norsca is filled with the powerful Winds of Magic.  They flow through the land while making their way from the Realm of Chaos to the rest of the world.   Many different magic users have emerged in Norsca, ranging from the Wizards and Runecarvers to the Shamanesses.

Within the lands of Norsca there are many wizards of various sorts.  Sometimes they have training from a College of Magic, but mostly they are trained in their art by the spirits of their ancestors.

Runecarvers create magic runes for use by the heroes of Norsca.  They also use these runes to cast complex spells.

Shamanesses weave the more primal Winds of Magic that flow through Norsca.   They are more in touch with the nature spirits than the Runecarvers or Wizards of Norsca.