Norscan Warhounds and Skald

“In Norsca, wolves and hounds prowl in the flickering shadows of the campfires made by the barbarian tribespeople of the frozen lands. The further north the tribe dwells, the more likely it is that the hounds that follow them will be mutants, their bodies swollen by the energies of Chaos. Brutish and bloodthirsty, the Warhounds of Chaos are natural killers built of muscle and fang that prowl the wilderness in ravening packs. They will even charge a spearwall with total abandon, their only concern the moment when their slobbering jaws sink into juicy, yielding flesh.”

In Total war – warhammer, the warhounds are a big part of the Norscan rooster, so I figured I needed few units of these to support my raiders. Since I had a bunch of GW chaos warhounds laying around, it was not hard to knock out a couple units of tundra wolves. To make them a bit more organic and even more chaos-y looking, I added fur to them with static grass. While the fur ended up a bit more messy than I intended, I am overall happy with the effect.

The units are based to look like they are roaming the fields and countryside outside the settlement, spreading fear, confusion and terror amongst the population. A poor messenger could not outrun the slobbering jaws of these dogs.

In the game, tundra wolves, while expensive, are pretty good chaff. 10 attacks with TC1 combined with speed 9 and nimble make them dangerous, and the good 11/13 nerve makes them hard to remove immediately with shooting. I changed my two bloodsworn hordes into warbands, which freed up 120pts, allowing me to fit one unit of tundra wolves in my list. The wolves have done very well, often getting into flanks supporting the fallen.

I also managed to finish a miniature that has been almost finished for months, my Norscan Skald / Battle standard bearer. He is a converted chaos hero. I am very happy with how contemptuous he looks, and his pretty features even netted me a monthly painting contest win.

Skalds are nice heroes, they give the option to switch out the Magus with a cheaper bane-chant / inspiring hero if I need to find some points. With Varangur nerve, he can even block weaker units for several rounds if they are unlucky.

“Skalds are keepers of Northern lore, and chroniclers of the histories of the Norsemen. Part entertainer, part warrior, these individuals are held in high esteem by Norse Jarls and Kings for their wisdom and knowledge. These men recount the sagas and the deeds of the ancestors and the Dark Gods themselves, often also composing new sagas out of the feats and exploits of contemporary heroes to add to the collective history of the Norscans. As they are skilled and powerful warriors also, many Norse warleaders find it prudent to have a skald in their cohort. When the call to war is sounded, these men have the honour of bearing their leader’s own standard into battle.” – Tome of Corruption (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition)