Norse Explorers

Grade: 1b
Source: Town Cryer #13, Border Town Burning (PDF)
Setting: Lustria
Author: Derek Whitman

Border Town Burning (1c)

There are two Norse warbands listed on Broheim: one created in Town Cryer for the Lustria setting, and then a slightly tweaked version that was in the Border Town Burning (BTB) supplement. There is only one difference between the two: the stats of the Wulfen/Ulfwerenar; which has an extra wound in the BTB version. The author for the Lustria warband confirmed the Wulfen in Town Cryer for Lustria was also supposed to be 2 wounds. It was a copy paste error by whoever did the layout.

Lore

The land of Norsca lies to the far north of the Empire across the stormy sea of Claws. This is a harsh land of snow and ice with mountains of Frost and Dusk that reach unto the heavens themselves and march right down to the sea.

The humans that live here are powerfully built, with large, well muscled frames and long limbs. The Norse are a bloodthirsty people whose society is based entirely around war and fighting. They make or produce very little in their inhospitable homeland and their attitude is to take whatever they need from the lands of others. Many a time their dreaded longships have brought terror and destruction to the lands of men and the other races.

The Norse people live in marauder tribes or clans much like the Unberogens who were, centuries earlier, the founders of the Empire. It is for these reasons that the Norse are seen as a very primitive and uncivilised race by others and indeed many Norse tribes openly worship the dark gods of Chaos as their own.

All Norse warriors are trained in the art of war at a very young age and become skilled in the use of sword, axe and shield for their’s is a brutal society where only the strongest survive. Probably because of their well founded fearsome reputation the Norsemen have few allegiances apart from to their clan and their ancestors and so make excellent mercenaries.

Despite their brutish behaviour the Norse make superb natural sailors rivalling even the High Elves and it was indeed the Norse who were the first humans to discover Lustria and the South Lands. In their longships, the Norse sailed from the Old World to Lustria, establishing the first colony, Skeggi. The Norse plague the coast of Lustria raiding many coastal settlements but it is their desire for riches and saga that have driven them further inland to pillage the temples of the Slann.

Special rules

Seafaring: The Norse are seafaring people and spend much of their time rowing boats. To represent this, all Norse warriors get +2 to Strength when they row a boat.

Seafaring

The usage of the Strength characteristic for rowing only comes up in the scenario The Script of Sigmar, presumably this was intended to be expanded upon later but this never happened.

Choice of warriors

A Norse Explorers warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold crowns available to spend. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15.

Jarl: Each warband must have 1 Jarl: no more, no less!
Berserkers: Your warband may include up to 2 Berserkers.
Wulfen: Your warband may include up to 1 Wulfen.
Bondsmen: Your warband may include up to 2 Bondsmen.
Marauders: Your warband may include any number of Marauders.
Hunters: Your warband may include up to 5 Hunters.
Wolves: Your warband may include up to 5 Wolves.

Starting experience

The Jarl starts with 20 experience.
Berserkers start with 11 experience.
The Wulfen starts with 11 experience.
Bondsmen start with 0 experience.
Henchmen start with 0 experience.

Norse Explorers Skill Table

	Combat	Strength	Speed	Special
Jarl	✓	✓	✓	✓
Berserker	✓	✓		✓
Wulfen	✓	✓	✓	✓
Bondsman	✓	✓	✓	✓

Norse Explorers Special Skills

Norse Explorers Heroes may use the following Skill table instead of any of the standard Skill tables available to them.

barbarian courage

As Norse warriors strive to die bravely in battle, they learn to fear nothing and embrace hardship. This hero never needs to take All Alone tests and may re-roll failed fear tests.

battle tongue

Only a hero with the leader skill may gain this skill. It allows models within 12" of him to use his leadership, rather than the normal 6".

berserk charge

The Norse are very skilled with weapons that many other races see as primitive and savage. When this hero is armed with an axe or double handed weapon, he may re-roll all failed to hit rolls when he charges.

crushing blow

Norse warriors train in almost all of their spare time. They are expert fighters and learn to put all of their strength into very powerful attacks. No enemy may parry an attack made by this hero because it strikes with such great power that it pushes right through a buckler or sword.

shield master

Norse warriors begin training with shields when they are still children. Some warriors become so skilled with these weapons they can block almost any blow against them. When this hero is armed with a shield he may parry with it in addition to getting a 6+ save.

Norse Explorers equipment lists

Pricing:

Hero equipment list

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Club, Mace or Hammer	3 gc
Axe	5 gc
Sword	10 gc
Double-handed weapon	15 gc
Flail	15 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Throwing Axes (Throwing Knives/Stars)	15 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Shield	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc
Light Armour	20 gc

Henchmen equipment list

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Club, Mace or Hammer	3 gc
Axe	5 gc
Sword	10 gc
Spear	10 gc
Double-handed weapon	15 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Throwing Axes (Throwing Knives/Stars)	15 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Shield	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc
Light Armour	20 gc

Hunters equipment list

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Club, Mace or Hammer	3 gc
Axe	5 gc
Sword	10 gc
Spear	10 gc
Double-handed weapon	15 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Javelins	5 gc
Bow	10 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Shield	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Heroes

1 Jarl

70 gold crowns to hire

The Jarl of a Norse warband is the most battle hardened veteran of his group and often a lesser clan chieftain of his tribe. He has seen many battles and is used to the bloodshed. While some Jarls choose to command their forces with strategy, most just run into the fray with the rest of the warriors. However the Jarl decides to run his warband, all of the other warriors respect him and look up to him.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	4	3	4	3	1	4	2	8

Weapons/Armour: Jarl may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hero equipment list.

Special Rules

Leader: Any Warrior within 6“ of the Jarl may use his Leadership instead of his own when taking Ld tests.

0 – 2 Berserkers

50 gold crowns to hire

Berserkers are some of the most ferocious warriors in any Norse warband. They have proven their worth over countless battles and have learned that death is nothing to be feared. They charge into battle without any regard for their own safety and are really quite demented.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	4	3	4	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: Berserker may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hero equipment list.

Special Rules

Berserkers: Berserkers are subject to as detailed in the Psychology section of the Mordheim rulebook.

0 – 1 Wulfen

90 gold crowns to hire

Wulfen are Berserkers with a very rare mutation. When there is a full moon, or when blood starts flowing on the battlefield, the mysterious and deadly Wulfen turn into blood hungry beasts, part man, and part wolf or bear. These creatures are known and greatly feared as werewolves to most Old Worlders. To the Norse they are Werekin, monstrous beasts which can tear through flesh and armour with their huge claws and massive fangs as they go on the rampage.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	6	4	0	4	4	2	4	2	7

Special Rules

Fear: Wulfen are terrifying creatures to behold and cause .

Bestial: Wulfen are ravenous beasts and therefore immune to psychology. Also despite being greatly revered by their barbarian kinsmen, Wulfen are too feral and uncontrolled to become the leader of the warband.

0 – 2 Bondsmen

15 gold crowns to hire

These are young fighters who are still inexperienced. They are bonded to their Jarl by the oath of servitude.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	3	2	3	3	1	2	1	6

Weapons/Armour: Bondsman may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hero equipment list.

Henchmen

(Bought in groups of 1-5)

Marauders

25 gold crowns to hire

Marauders are the standard warriors in any Norse warband. They have experienced bloodshed and have been trained to fight since they were children. Marauders are so named as they are pirates and raiders.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	4	3	3	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: Marauder may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Henchmen equipment list.

0 – 5 Hunters

25 gold crowns to hire

Hunters are expertly skilled in stalking the wild game of the Umbra. When warriors are exiled from a tribe they become renegades, following Norse champions on epic voyages to offer ranged attacks as well as their exceptional hunting skills.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: Hunter may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Hunters equipment list.

0 – 5 Wolves

15 gold crowns to hire

The harsh lands of Norsca are inhabited by a great many ferocious beasts: massive woolly mammoths, vicious polar bears and wolves far larger than those encountered elsewhere in the world. Norse hunters capture and use these beasts. Properly trained they make formidable foes.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	9	3	0	3	3	1	3	1	5

Weapons/Armour: Wolves have very sharp fangs. They never use or need weapons and armour.

Special Rules

Animals: Wolves are animals and thus do not gain experience.

Pack Leader: Wolves are feral animals that only respond to the strongest in their pack – the Wulfen. In the event that no Wulfen is included in the warband due to a death or an injury, the wolves cannot be used until the creature is replaced.