Warhammer Army Project/Norsca
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Why Play Norsca?
Because you wanna play Vikings but don't necessarily want to sleep with daemons. Unfortunately, their weakness in having limited ranged combat still persists. Counter charge and Blood Rage also encourages more aggressive play, but will your formations apart and leave flanks exposed.
Pros
- Your rules give you all you need to be constantly offensive.
- You like werewolves, Not the twilight ones, but the Body horror kind.
- You like Space Wolves but wished there were less "everything if wolf"
- You like Space Wolves but wished they were chaos.
Cons
- You're the light-armored side of Chaos.
- You have pitiful shooting, with no war machines and limited answers to armor
- That aggressive playstyle may come back to bite you when your force counter charges an enemy and leaves their flanks exposed to a buddy unit.
- Crusaders has no sense of distinctions when dealing with heritics
Army Rules
- Counter-Charge: As a reaction to a charge to their front, the Norse can instead chargeback. Before charging, the unit test Leadership for your vikings to move up Random Movement(2D3). The enemy rolls their charge distance, with success letting both sides count as charging.
- a beneficial cavalry ability and most of your infantry to get off their charge abilities like impact hits, Lances, and Berserkergang.
- opponents will often not even want to fight you, even if you guarantee a useful charge. They would rather march towards your flanks or get too close for you to Counter-Charge.
- You will find, especially with faster units, that they prefer flanking, or you will be within their movement range after a round of marching.
- Blood Rage: Norscan units gain Frenzy on their first turn of combat following a charge. This translates to +1 attack and Immunity to Psychology for that turn's combat.
Equipment
- Fur Cloak: get the equivalent of a Lion Cloak, a natural armour (6+) against missile attacks. additional protection to get your nacked madmen to the target.
Sagas
Additional options for Kings and Jarl to spend magic items allowance on.
- Saga of the Fearless Leader: 35pts. Roll 3d6 discards the highest on character and unit Leadership tests.
- Saga of the Ever-Vigilant: 30pts. Model on foot with a shield only. gets parry(6+) for 5++ parry and -1 to hit.
- Saga of the Relentless Warrior: 30pts. +1 attack for every enemy in base contact.
- Saga of the Shining Hero: 25pts. gain 6" Inspiring Presence or 12" if the General
- Saga of the Beastslayer: 20pts. gains Immunity (Terror) and gain +1 To Hit and To Wound when fighting Warbeasts, Monstrous Beasts, or Monsters in close combat.
- Saga of the Eternal Warrior: 20pts. if reduced to 0 wound, on a 4+, character regains 1 wound, except against Killing blow and other instant kill attacks.
- Saga of the Glorious Hunter: 15pts. Model on foot only. gain the Witch Hunter ability to single out an enemy model and reroll re-roll all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls against it.
Artefacts of the Gods
- The Crusher: 100pts. Not Mjolnir. A giant-slaying Multiple Wounds (D6) Great Weapon that rerolls wounds. Once per game, you can also throw it to cause D6 S4 hit that ignores armour. Something for monster hunting and obliterating enemies in a dual.
- , The Swaying Spear: 85pts. Not Gungnir. A Spear + Javelin that always hits on 2+ and with Heroic Killing Blow. Another Monster/Hero killing weapon that leaves 15 points for your king to spend on protection.
- Tyrfang: 65pts. a +1 to hit Sword that ignores armour and Regen but damages the wielder if he doesn't make a kill in combat. keep in mind Most opponents will try to challenge him in a dual so the sword will finish him.
- Armour of Beowulf: 55pts. Medium armour with Regeneration(4+) and +1 wound.
- Shield of Svalinn: 30pts. Each time the bear makes a successful armour or ward save, the aggressor model will get defanged until the end of the next turn with -1 WS and A. Pairs well with other protections.
- The Leaming Torc: 40pts. +1 Ld, and all in B2B must pass a Ld test at the start of combat or else be unable to attack and attacks auto hit against them.
- Bone of Ulir: 15pts. once per Magic phase, your wizard can get one random spell from any available lore. Very flexible, but you may not get the spell you need or properly make the most out of it.
- Girdle of Might: 70pts. 2xStrangth, a Jarl with 10S!!!!
- The Hollering Horn: 50pts. Once per turn, at the start of your turn, all friendly units within 12" can Random Move(D6) towards the nearest foe, and enemies take panic tests.
- Raven Banner: 60pts. Banner gives Fear and friendlies within 12" get Immunity (Fear/Panic).
Unit Analysis
Lords & Heroes
Named Characters
- Erik Redaxe: 270pts. Here's a guy who's almost like a Chaos Lord in stats but with Valten's inability to die. Alongside that, he has the ability to make one enemy get struck with d6 S4 armour-ignoring hits while making missiles take -1 to hit him. His axe also grants him Ignores Armour and a 4++ Ward.
- Sturmjarl: 315pts. Here's a super-wizard on steroids. On top of being a CL4 Wizard with WS5, he also an additional die to all casting checks that can cause FUN to happen on a 1 (Ld check or miscast) and Runes to re-roll a casting or dispel roll each turn.
- Keorl Thunderhand: 210pts. This guy here's your beatstick +1. Throw him at a monster, he gets HKB. His weapon gives S8 and d3 wounds, upping to wound on a 2+ with d6 wounds and giving Fear when facing a dragon. And to top off the dragonfuckery, he's immune to fire and breath weapons with a chance to bounce it back on them.
- Styrmir Rimefrost: 465pts. King of the Frost Giants. While similar to his kin, he also has a weapon with HKB and heavy armour that renders him immune to ice and a 4++ ward against missiles.
- The Ravenswyrd: 260pts. You've got a loner of a guy who can never be general. He's flocked by a pair of ravens with WS3 S2. If he's ever hurt, he can roll a d6 to reduce his S, T, or A by -1 (and this can be recovered at the top of the turn with another d6 roll) but a 1 kills a bird-killing both sees him dead. In combat, he's no slouch either, with a pair of swords granting ASF, +1S in the first round, and Pierce 1.
- Drenok Johansen: 140pts. This guy's claim to fame is his big-ass axe, one that deals Piercing 1 hits and adds an extra attack for each model in b2b with him. His armor's not much to speak of, being a 6+ (5+ against missiles) armour save with FNP.
- Jora and Bjorn: 245pts. A woman and a bear teamed up not unlike Thanquol and Boneripper. They're both skirmishers with hatred against Chaos and immunity to psychology while together, but while Bjorn has regen 4+, Jora has a weapon that doubles all successful hits. Bjorn also acts as a meatshield for Jora, taking hits on a 4+. If Jora dies, Bjorn gets Frenzy and Unbreakable while Jora gets Unbreakable and Hatred towards Bjorn's killer if the big guy bites it.
Generic Characters
- Norse King/Jarl: Your classic beatstick HQ. Norse Kings got a statline slightly below the Exalted Hero of Chaos and Jarl are above Marauder Chieftain. Jarl can be a BSB, but you would prefer a Skald for a foot unit if you can afford it, as then the Jarl can take more magic items. They can use quite a variety of playstyles while also being great beatsticks.
- Vikti/Seer: The Wizards of the Norse. Their lores are Fire, Beasts, Heavens, Shadow, or Death.
- Skald: 70pts. A Norse Musician in the way that Wood Elves have dancers and also a BSB. They can become a unit's musician (letting you cheep out on 10 points) and can use one of three songs. Unlike the Warrior Priests, these are all single-use (+1 attack, Stubborn and Immune (Psychology), or +1 to wound rolls) per unit and last for a single round, use them wisely. Taking a Skald for an on-foot deathstar is points well spent.
- Valkyries: 70pts. The Mythical Warrior Maidens who take the slain up to Valhalla, aka what Valkia the Bloody is without the Khorne. Like Valkia they are fast-moving overseers, acting as a secondary general with 6" Inspiring Presence. Keeps army in line over a wider distance.
- Ulfjarl: 175pts. A lone werewolf with +1 S/T over his were-kin, he only keeps Frenzy and Regen (4+), but has the ability to hide in any unit like a Skaven Assassin, providing a frightful monster to an unassuming unit of Vikings. Sadly no magic items allowance.
- Beastmaster: 35pts. one the same reason you take Master Moulder in Skaven. Joins War Wolves, Ice Wolves, or Snow Trolls as Mixed Units, not only 8ld to a unit that not always near the general, but also giving them the Devastating Charge rule.
Mount
- Warhorse: A horse
- War Wolf Chariot:
- War Mammoth:
Core
- Bondsmen: Essentially Viking State Troopers. Average human states, these guys will tend to be your mainline troops as they have the best balance between combat and defense with shields as stock. If you play them aggressively and use Counter-Charge you may find them pulled out of position and have their flanks exposed. or you can go mass human bows.
- Marauders: your popular chaos boyz with that WS4, You've got Greatswords, but that with shield and armour sold separately. Even with light armour, fur cloak, and shield, they die quick but supply that needed sprinkle of WS4 S5 attacks to supplement your Bondsmen.
- Reavers: Trained Bondsmen, being truer Choas Marauders adding throwing axes to their arsenal, but are also Ambushers. They can either be used as upgraded Bondsmen or cover distances by coming on the board edge. Paired weapons are good for Fighting units, and can be used to do more damage on close-range charges.
- Whalers: Your Skirmish Javelin throwers. Likely to be in front of your army to pelt enemies. Their only means of protection are optional shields and loose formations.
- Thralls: Your trash unit but also for slinging. They're even poorer in combat than your other guys and have Expendable, so use them as the useless meatshields they are. Default with slings, and you can also give them other throwing weapons or spears depending on how you want them to die heroically. Slings are their other main use other than bodies as they have the second longest range in the army after bows, and they have AP.
- Norse Horsemen: Marauders as Fast Cavalry, their numbers are capped by how many Bondsmen, Marauders, and/or Reavers you pick up. This lets you get in your opponent's face around the first turn. They hit fairly hard with spears for their price (2 WS4 S4 I4 attacks per 14pts.)
- War Wolves: Like Vampire Dire wolves or Chaos hounds, they act as something fast and cheap charge blockers and chase away skirmishers.
Special
- Huscarls: Tougher Norse with I4 and S4 and a hero bunker. Besides Stubborn, have Shieldwall adding +1 to their armour against missiles from front or side (getting a 3+/2+ from shield and fur cloak and light or medium armour). With Shooting focused meta, the armour gets them though the trenches to deliver thier S6 Great weapon (if not, be a missele magnet).
- Berserkers: The crazy motherfuckers. They take Reavers, and add S&T4, Frenzy and Devastating Charge, Skirmishers optional. Their pitiful saves invite being shot to death. When paired with something to take the brunt of the damage, they can rip through most mortals.
- Shieldmaidens: And who said women couldn't join an army? The cheaper hero bunker as they reroll failed parry saves as proof of how skilled they are with their shields. If you want a bit of ranged support, then grab some javelins. Not as fighty as Huscarls and but same cost as Reavers, but they will live longer for their price, and your can divert points elsewhere.
- Hunters: The Empire's Huntsmen, but with +1 WS/I. These skirmishing scouts are every bit as deadly with a bow as they are with their blades. If you want them to do more combat, they can nab dual-wielding.
- Ulfwerenar: You have chaos werewolves. These fuckers are plenty threatening with M7 S/T4 and I5, and optional Skirmishers. with counter-charge, Fear, always have Frenzy, and Regen (5+).
- Skin Wolves: the result of a Ulfwerenar, so chaos tainted that the wolf burst out of the skin. Pay more than two Ulfwerenar with fewer attacks, but higher for higher unit strength and more wounds per model, so investment is lost each time the unit loses a wound. Ulfwerenar is best better-vanguarding in the face, while Skin Wolves are less of a point investment flushed away when shot at.
- War Wolf Chariot: 75pts. Your standard light Chariot but has Blood Rage and Counter-charge to make it batter at that role. The ability to get impact hits even if charged during the opponents turn is something any chariot would want.
- Ice Wolves:
Rare
- Werebeasts: 170 pts. The cheap small monster or make them tanker that can rip up ogres.
- Snow Trolls: A variant of the trolls seen in other armies, Frenzy, and Stupidity is not something easy controlled (Stupidity tests happen before Frenzy test, so not banking on that). They can smack around many armour units with their 4 attacks per model with Armour Piercing (1) rule, or the unit can troll vomit if that don't work, with the added bonus of them suffering Ice Attacks during the next combat.
- Frost Giant: 175pts. Unlike most giants, they are not drunken idiots. Get the normal giant Stubborn and immune to psychology. Your reliable big-guy-big-guy smasher. With a Great weapon, they will put wounds on monsters. if worried about being shot at, Medium armour and Shield will reduce damage, but nothing cures mass arrows.
- Cursed Ettin: 210pts.
- Ice Drake: 200pts. You have a dragon. Getting up close to him is a bad idea not only because of his breath weapon (forcing a Toughness test or else eating an armour-negating regen-annulling wound), but also because models in b2b with him eat -1 to Strength and Init.
- War Mammoth: 325pts. Yeah, you got your own giant war monsters. Their hugeness gives them immunity to psychology and 5+ natural armour, while their randomized attacks give them plenty of ways to manage the opposition without drawbacks.
Building your army
Buying Your Army
GW still sells the Vikings, along with some of the newer Warcry models if you want to be creative with your Northmen.
3d partys can give you more like Avatar of war. shieldwolfminiatures can be your supplier of dragons, trolls, and Mammoths.
Army Composition
Magic
- Fire:
- Beasts:
- Shadow:
- Heavens:
- Death:
Tactica
VS
External Links
| Warhammer Army Project Tactics Articles | |
|---|---|
| General Tactics | |
| Forces of Order | |
| Forces of Destruction | |
| Unaligned | |