The Varangian Guard

[Tolstoyevsky]

I was wondering if, while playing the Byzantine Empire, one will be able to recruit or hire the Varangian Guard.

Their fascination derives chiefly from the incongruity of finding such men - a warband of lusty, hard-fighting, hard-drinking vikings ("wine-bags" some sources call them!) from the far North of Europe - serving the great Emperor of Byzantium, amidst the pomp and decadent splendour of the dazzling courts and sparkling palaces of the Holy City of Constantinople.

 

[unmerged(1180)]

Oh, yes, I want to unleash them too!!

 

[Sute]{h]

I hope so... but then again I'm properly biased...
The vikings really scared people down there, the only way to be safe from them was to hire your own.

 

[Vandelay]

I think mercenaries are in the game so if you can name your troops I guess you could call them The Varangian Guards.

Cheers,
Vandelay

 

[unmerged(9622)]

Originally posted by El Chupacabra
I was wondering if, while playing the Byzantine Empire, one will be able to recruit or hire the Varangian Guard.

Their fascination derives chiefly from the incongruity of finding such men - a warband of lusty, hard-fighting, hard-drinking vikings ("wine-bags" some sources call them!) from the far North of Europe - serving the great Emperor of Byzantium, amidst the pomp and decadent splendour of the dazzling courts and sparkling palaces of the Holy City of Constantinople.

Hire Rus, it's cheaper in money and wine terms, they drink just vodka

 

[Tolstoyevsky]

I thought the Rus were the Varangians...

 

[Nikolai]

I don't know for the Rus, but Vikings DID serve the Emperor. However, as the Viking age ended around 1030(at least the Norwegian part, and we all know that is the major part...), I doubt they will have much impact on the game. The Norwegian king in 1066 had a past as this, but the bloodlust of the Vikings really faded after this century AFAIK.

 

[Tolstoyevsky]

"I think mercenaries are in the game so if you can name your troops I guess you could call them The Varangian Guards."

The Varangians weren't just any mercenaries, there were elite troops in the service of the Basileus.

 

[Snall]

I don't see why you would be able to rename some merc company...

 

[unmerged(18477)]

Vodka did not exist 1066-1453/ It was invented much later

 

[Tolstoyevsky]

That explains it: they fought, 'cause they couldn't drink

 

[Vandelay]

I don't see why you would be able to rename some merc company...

All armies in games based on the EU engine have names. Since HoI allows you to edit these names in-game I guess/ hope you can do the same in CK.

As the Varangians certainly aren´t troops raised in a specific province (as other CK armies are) the only way to represent them in-game are as mercenaries.

The Varangians weren't just any mercenaries, there were elite troops in the service of the Basileus.

I know, but no interview on- or FAQ of CK mentions "elite troops" AFAIK.

/Vandelay

 

[Conrad]

El Chupacabra wrote:
_____________________________________________
I thought the Rus were the Varangians...
_____________________________________________

"Rus" had started to change meaning, and is not so relevant as referring to Swedes in the CK time scale.

The Varangian guard constisted mostly of Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and from 1066 and onwards Englishmen (who didn't approve of William the Conqueror).

 

[Snall]

ummm...elite troops...you have a province with a ton of noble support, you get very powerful, but less numerous units from it in their regiment, IE a lot of knights, which can scatter a horde of peasents...this is my understanding of the game..

 

[Vandelay]

The Varangians weren´t knights, nor were they raised in a certain province, but mercenaries/ bodyguards (unless you make it possible for any holder of Constantinople province to raise Varangians which would be too simplistic I think for CK).

/Vandelay

 

[unmerged(8913)]

Originally posted by Snall
ummm...elite troops...you have a province with a ton of noble support, you get very powerful, but less numerous units from it in their regiment, IE a lot of knights, which can scatter a horde of peasents...this is my understanding of the game..

Yeah, but that really wouldn't be the same thing as the Varangian Guard for Byzantium. When you think about it, the Byzantine Empire really doesn't follow a lot of the patterns set by Western Europe at that time. I wonder if the game will just try to use a Western European system in Constantinople.....

 

[Earl Uhtred]

I did me dissertation on the English Varangians. Fascinating tale.

 

[unmerged(9622)]

Originally posted by WanV
Vodka did not exist 1066-1453/ It was invented much later

Oh, come on it could be medovukha

 

[Damocles]

From my limited understanding of the Varangian Guard post 11th century, they consisted mainly of anglo-saxons with very few 'Scandinavians' remaining. Even Rus and Germans. They also fought on foot and tended to wield heavy longswords, axes and mauls. They were utilized as heavy infantry. I also believe that by the 12th century, they didn't really exist anymore...After having been almost entirely annihilated in a battle with Guiscard.

 

[Conrad]

http://www.geocities.com/svenskildbiter/NVGInc/index.html

"Scandinavian involvement revived during the Crusades, and indeed, the heyday of the Emperor's Varangians seems to have run from the late 11th to the mid 12th century.

After the destruction caused in the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204 A.D., the Varangian Guard continued to exist in name but became a hereditary ceremonial guard, largely drawn from internal Byzantine sources."