“Far in the north of Eä, there lies the continent of Mannheim. Ancient, savage and unforgivable are only some words that come to mind, when people in the Kingdoms talk about Mannheim and the people that call this their homeland. The Nords, people who are as rugged as their homeland, as savage as their dark forests and as stubborn and proud as their history. The Norsemen and their kin are feared all over the southern lands, capable of inflicting gruesome raids on the coasts of the mainland and boasting at home about their plunder and raiding.“
Welcome to some impressions about my chosen first army: The Nords!
At the beginning it was quite a simple choice for me: Which army has easy to paint and cool looking models, preferably some monsters and brutes and are those nicely bundled up?
And obviously now and in hindsight: Nords have and had amazing sets, pieces and miniatures which immediately drew me in. Those rugged Raiders, savage looking Werewargs and oafish bruetish looking Ugr, just perfect.
I am mainly focusing on having a coherent army look and am by no means an expert painter. The focus was pretty clear and simple, especially so because this is my first miniature wargame and I wanted to have a fully painted army for table play! So icey snowy bases paired with some blue-green color scheme with hints of other cold colors was my choice for the army scheme.
Ice Jötnar
The Ice Jötnar, one of my currently favourite miniatures. From his frosty gaze, to his embedded crystals and his old, worn armour and weapon. The giant oozes style and I am totally happy how he turned out. Great sculpt, easy assembly makes for a cool painting experience.
Jarl and Raider
The “basic” infantry and his leader. Raiding parties are the true Viking fantasy and they are led by their leader a Jarl and the miniatures are doing justice to those themes. A rugged raiding party ready to loot and plunder the coasts of those who are unlucky to meet them.
Steel Chosen
The backbone of the Viking style Nords army: Steel Chosen! Ready to raid and plunder, they are the bigger, meaner und much more deadly brothers of the Raiders. They also are looking their part! Huge axes, mean swords, and a grim face make for a good looking unit.
Bow Chosen
The elite Bow Chosen pound fear into the hearts of their enemies. They are equipped not only with their Einherjer genes, they also carry the gift of precise armor debilitating shots and even nature itself helps them find their target. I love the sculpts and miniatures, the details on them are amazing and the little ravens they have truly make them a standout regiment.
Valkyries and Volva
Valkyries were one of my favourite models as soon as I was aware they existed in the Nords army! They look awesome, give a strong and stubborn feel and play exactly like that on the table. They are a true brick, which is also ready to surprise regiments with their many attacks and strong support through their battle rows.
Add to that the presence of their spiritual leader the Volva: a blind seer who consults with the new gods and forces of Eä and you have a truly awesome looking regiment.
Sea Jötnar
Whats better than one icy Jötnar? Another one, but this time his brother from the sea! At the cost of sounding repetitive: the sculpt here is also truly amazing, his gaze and trusty anchor, all the small little barnacles on his body and even a little shipwreck where he stands atop the ocean makes him also a menacing presence on the battlefield.
Mountain Jotnar
Another glorious sculpt and miniature evoking the feeling of the shackled, bruteish and angry Jotnar who has to serve mankind of Mannheim now.
Konungyr
The king in the north! He overlooks his enslaved Jötnar, embracing the end of Fimbulvinter and the age of Men in Mannheim. The miniature reminded me of King Arthur and him getting the sword out of the stone: so naturally I got a scenic dinosaur head to strike fear into the enemy W’adrhun army!
Vargyr Lord and Goltr
First in the fray and ready to mow down the enemies! Aggressive postures and awesomely detailed models make for great regiment and feel on the table. Goltr are one of my favourite miniatures to paint: their fur, their weapons and their body make the paint flow easily and the results are amazing.
Fenr
The great wolves of the northern Wastes roam the tundra in the search of the ever growing bloodlust! Sleek and nasty combat techniques make them a great regiment in every army and the model range evoke the right feeling of pack wolves that are deadly if ignored.
Werewargs
Nords people know that those who changed form, through the blessing of Einherjer in the times of Ragnarök, are more often cursed than blessed. Werewargs are furios brethren of the Vikings in the north and roam the woods to find an kill stuff for their endless hunger.
Ugr
Blessed by brutish strength and the cunning of a field mouse are the Ugr: girthy and simple bruteish beeing who should not be underestimated in their destructive force. Great models, love each and everyone of the head option as well as the dull weapons and their pose.
Stalkers
Those who need pathfinding in the endless northern winter, through deep forests and woods, sometimes need the knowledge of those who are not welcome in society. Stalkers evoke the feeling of those that rather choose to live in the outskirts of villages than beeing in the society themselves. Great poses especially the dynamic shooting makes them good looking atop some terrain.
Trolls
Some say they are dumb, others they are not worth a second look, however the true strength of Trolls are their endless regeneration of deadly wounds. A missing limb is a minor inconvenience. Painting and assembling the models is a great pleasure with all the little details of missing arms, frozen rats as weapons and fodder!
Bearsarks
People of the northern continent who got some drops of blood of the Einherjer in them. The strength they channel makes them resemble wild bears in a blood frenzy: wielding those axes and destroying everything they see in a bloodlust is just the picture the models evoke when looking at them.
Ulfhednar
People of the northern continent who got some drops of blood of the Einherjer in them. Some get cunning and the hunting tactics of wolves in them, rather then brute strenght.
Mountain Jotnar
Another one of the enslaved Jotnar of the north, freshly coming with his chains broken and a small little Highland Cow (Bessy, 3D printed)
