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The Vikings (790-1280 AD)
DBA106a
"It was not as farmers or traders, nor for their arts, industry and domestic virtues, that the Vikings most impressed the ecclesiastics recording the contemporary scene in Europe. Of the five principal modes of making a northern living, by agriculture, fishing and hunting, following a craft, buying and selling, or robbing and fighting, it was the last which made the most spectacular impact on chroniclers abroad." Gwyn Jones, A History of the Vikings, (Oxford University Press, 1984).
Beginning in 793 AD with the sack of St. Cuthbert's Abbey at Lindisfarne, Scandanavians from Norway, Sweden and Denmark gone "a-viking" were the terror of the western world. Although often thought of as a rogue adventurer, the typical Viking was a farmer or merchant trying to make ends met who left home because of political disturbances, the desire for "elbow-room" and/or the lure of easy wealth abroad. Nevertheless, their ability to move swifty by water and their ferocity in battle made them the terror of the western world. The Vikings raided into and carved out kingdoms in England (the Danelaw), Scotland (the Hebrides and Orkneys), Ireland (Cork and Dublin), France (Normandy) and the east (Kievan Russ). They sailed south in their dragon-prowed longships to raid the Atlantic coasts of Frankish Acquitaine, Spain, and into the Mediterrean. Eventually, the Viking-descended Normans even found themselves with kingdoms in Sicily and Italy and crusading in Outremer. Over time, they were absorbed into their transplanted lands and are reflected in other DBA army lists such as the Anglo-Danish, the Norse-Irish, the Russ, and of course the Normans.
Composition
DBA Vikings are a powerhouse of close order infantry, with ten Blade elements accompanied by a lone Warband and the choice of either a Psiloi or Bow element to create the impression of variety.
The Blade elements represent the Viking leader and his loyal Hirdmen or bodyguard, along with a large contingent of free farmers or bonders (a.k.a. bondi, drengs, hauldr or thegns). Several Viking kings were not above drafting free men and captives into service against their will into Royal armies, but these are also treated as Blades in DBA.
The Warband represents the infamous Viking berserkers (i.e., "bear shirts"), who are also occasionally referred to as ulfbednar ("wolfskins"). Lycanthrope allusions aside, the berserkers were a group of especially warlike men that were apparently able to work themselves into a state of reckless battle rage. Theories about the berserkers abound, and include speculations ranging from the conclusion that they were social outcasts (i.e. Viking "bad boys") who made their living as mercenaries, to the possibility of psychotic affliction and/or the use of alcohol or narcotic substances to achieve the desired mental state.
As an aside, it was fairly common for Viking armies at home and on campaign to mount themselves for purposes of rapid transport but accounts of Vikings fighting as cavalry are fairly rare and are therefore not an option in DBA.
Tactics
With a battleline of ten Blades (more even than the Roman Legions of Marius and Caesar), there is little cause for subtlety in Viking tactics. A sure recipe for success is to meet the enemy in solid line of battle in good going and trust to the quality of your Blades (+5 vs Foot and +3 vs. Mounted) to prevail in Close Combat. Select the Bow element if facing an opponent with Knights, otherwise you will probably prefer the much needed mobility provided by Psiloi.
As befits their warlike nature, the Vikings have one of the longest lists of historical opponents in DBA, which includes Scots-Irish (#61), Middle Anglo-Saxon (#75b), Sub-Roman British (#82), Slav (#89), Welsh (#92), Later Frankish (#102a), Breton (102b), other Vikings, Leidang (#106b), Magyar (#107), Pre-Feudal Scots (#111), Norse Irish (#112), Anglo-Danish (#113), Scots Isles & Highlands (#128), Early Russian (#129), and Scots Common (#140).
Scots and Irish Warband and the Knight-heavy Franks can poke holes in the Viking line with a string of good luck, but generally the odds lie with the Northmen. Scots Common with their bristling wall of eight Pike elements can meet the Sons of Odin on more than favorable terms if they support their Pikes in double ranks, but are even less mobile than Blades and must risk their flanks to do so. The other armies are at a severe disadvantage unless they can draw the Viking Blades into rough terrain where Auxilia and Psiloi can challenge them on more or less equal terms.
If you play with a variant rule giving Knights a quick-kill capability against Blades (as in DBM), the Later Franks (with the option of fielding six Knights) becomes a potential nightmare opponent, while the Sub-Roman British (with their one Knight element) can cause difficulties.
Because of the plodding pace of Blades and the lack of a mounted option, a Viking commander should always be wary of the possibility that a foe with Light Horse or Cavalry will by-pass one or both flanks in an attempt to swoop down on a lightly defended camp.
Camps
Typical DBA Viking camps might include a beached longship or a hasty field camp with piles of booty (including strings of horses and/or a captured wagon(s) to carry it all). In home country, a stone or timber great hall or a section of a trelleborg-type fort is appropriate. A trelleborg fortress is comprised of a series of 16 long halls laid out in 4 squares of 4 halls each and surrounded by a 20 foot tall circular earthen rampart with pallisade and ditch.
Essex Miniatures has a line of Dark Ages ships that work well as Viking longships. They are scaled for 15mm gaming and can be employed as a DBA camp element or as a DBM naval element. A crew of oarsmen can be purchased seperately if you want to model it for naval engagements.
Luke Dowding adds: "You might be interested to know about a Viking longship I recently purchased from Hobbyco (I live in Sydney Aust.) that would be perfect (if you are using 25mm minatures). It is made by a Czech Republic company called SMER (unfortunately their address is not given on the box, nor do they have an E-mail address, but I imagine your local hobby store could order them in). The kit is plastic 1/60 scale and looks magnificent assembled and painted (actually it doesn't look too bad unassembled and unpainted!) and perfectly compliments my foundry Viking Miniatures, it even comes with a very nice vinyl sail."
Scenarios
Guthrum's Raid (circa 900 AD) -- Vikings (#106a) versus Middle Anglo-Saxons (#75b) .
Fuileach Rathad (943 A.D.) -- Pre-Feudal Scots (#111) vs. Vikings (#106a).
Maldon (991 AD) -- Middle Anglo-Saxon (#75b) vs. Viking (#106a).
On-Line Resources
Other Resources
The following Viking-related titles are available in the De Bellis Bookstore:
Barbarian Warriors : Saxons, Vikings, Normans (Brassey's History of
Uniforms), by Dan and Susanna Shadrake (Brassey, Sept. 1997). 144 pages, hard cover.
The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings (Penguin Historical Atlases), by John Haywood (Penguin USA, Sept. 1995). Softcover.
Saxon, Viking and Norman, by Terence Wise (Stackpole, Dec. 1984). 48 pages, softcover.
The Vikings (Elite Series), by Ian Heath (Stackpole, Aug. 1985). 64 pages, softcover.
The Viking Art of War (Greenhill Military Paperback) by Paddy Griffith (Stackpole, Oct. 1998). 224 pages, softcover. (Mini Review: Paddy Griffith's The Viking Art of War is an interesting, although occasionally controversial resource. Griffith goes to considerable length to debunk certain Viking myths, such as an alleged predeliction for administering the gruesome "blood eagle" on captives and the popular notion that Viking berserkers got themselves so worked up before battle that they actually gnawed their shields.)
Gamer Feedback
Jonathan Lim: The most notorious part of the viking army were these young fellows. They were reputed to be werewolves, turning into wolves at night, or were said to be possessed by Satan himself. The reason for all this fear and stuff was the little habit that Berserkers had of going into a state called Berserkergang. This is a German word, I believe, and could be roughly translated as "killing frenzy". In a berserkergang, the berserkers would howl like wolves - indeed, they even wore wolfskins - they would then drool, scream, foam at the mouth, and
even gnaw their shields in rage as they charged towards the now-ill-at-ease
foe. Some would even kill one another in their frenzied condition. Modern historians of couse try to explain this phenomenon away by reasons other than werewolfism. The most convincing theory is that they were the psychotics of the band, drawn together in one group to increase the effect. Another is that they were drunk, the usual explanation for rowdy behaviour (see Asterix and the Normans...). Still another theory is that they....er, ate some funny mushrooms before battle. Anyway, I think berserkers would be a most distinctive element in an army. Just get figures wearing wolfskins and gnawing their shields.
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Last Updated: May 2, 1999
Questions, comments, suggestions welcome. Send them to Chris Brantley, brant@erols.com.
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