3 replies to this topic

[Lieutenant_Az_Barag]

Ive been writing a history paper on Norman Britain and have been thinking of a new unit for the dwarfs and I came up with the idea of Housecarls.

The core of the English army was made up of full-time professional soldiers called Housecarls. They had a long-standing dedication to the King, and would fight to the last man if necessary. Their armour consisted of a conical helmet, a chain mail hauberk, and they carried a circular shield. Their primary weapon was the Danish battleaxes which they wielded with two hands, although every man would have carried a sword as well.

Using this I came up with the following profile

Dwarf Housecarls

WS BS S T W I A Ld
5 3 4 4 1 3 1 9

The champion has 2 attacks

Weapons:

Gromril armour
Housecarl Shield
Great Weapon

Special Rules

Shield wall
Stubborn


Housecarl Shield
The warriors have trained in fighting with a double handed axe as well as making use of their shield, in combat they gain the +1 AS but NOT the parry bonus, they are good but not that good.

Shield wall
The warriors use their large shields to overlap and create a wall of shields to stop the enemy charge in its tracks, it may be good defensively but it stops the warriors attacking very easily. On the turn the the unit is charged the player my opt to form the shield wall, as long as the uni passes a leadership test then the shield wall is formed, the unit adds +1 to its AS for the first round of combat but suffers a -1 to hit. However if the Leadership test is failed then the unit does not gain the +1 AS but STILL suffers the -1 to hit. After the first round of combat then the unit reverts back to normal rules.

I have no idea of points for these guys
What are peoples thoughts?

Lt. Az

[Thoin Ironfist]

This unit seems pretty interesting!
Would the Housecarl shield work something like a buckler shield?
Also I think the shield wall rule is also pretty cool, and well developed. I would appraise these (and this is a noob's rough appraisal) at 15 pts per model. They have the armor of the Ironbreakers, the rules of the Hammerers, and two extra benefits. So though 15 sounds high for Dwarves, I would think it would be a great point cost.

[mitchell93]

I like them allot.

Are they rare?
Also I would give them heavy armour and not gromril because otherwise they will be so powerful people will avoid them. I would say they can only be fielded if there is a dwarf lord in the army and say that a character with RoBrotherhood can join them because otherwise the shield wall would have a weak point in it.
Or just no shield wall if there is a non brotherhood character in it.

[Bolgain Bolgson]

Actually the current hammerers are already remind me of saxon housecarls - elite and professional infantry usually forming the bodyguard of the lord. Stubborn and immune to fear when defending their king. Either fighting with great weapon or using the short sword with shields.

Now the shield wall rule has been around in Warhammer Historical for quite some time. It basically gives additional +1 to AS (both in CC and against missiles) to the front of the unit if the unit has not moved. This bonus is active until the unit moves or loses the round of fighting. And such rule would be a nice addition to some dwarf units (but perhaps ironbreakers would need it more to justify their otherwise too high point cost).