Preview: Rhovanion news - DCI: Last Alliance mod for Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms

Warda Spearmen

From childhood the Northmen is put to the task of guarding the farmholds from animals, and growing up all abled young men are given training how to handle the spear. To hunt wild beast, or to protect land and property from predators who walk on two legs.
Called together by their chieftains the younger and older peasants form the Warda, the Guard, ready to make use of their basic gear, and hard earned experience, to protect their lands and homes. Their carry a simple shield from home, but it proves adequate to form a sturdy line of spears, and hold it. As Warda spearmen have littled training they should not be expected to challenge trained foes.

Freiswair Warriors

The sturdy peasants, proud Freemen, are hunters of beasts and raiders of livestock as much as plowmen and shepherds. Boldly they put their skill with the spear in the service of their lords.
Freiswair use speed and agility to harass the foe with mighty throws, while lightly armoured with helmet and shield they should not be expected to hold for long against more professional opponents in close quarters.

Mahr Scouts

Among the traits and skills of the Northmen no one surpassed the recognition of the Dwarves as that as tamer of beasts. The horse, mahr, was greatly praised and made the Dwarves tie close alliances with Men, to use them as scouts and rapid messengers. While that union broke down after the War of the Elves and Sauron this traditions live on among the Northmen to high praise.
Farmers who can afford to hold horses, as well as sons of their households, and shepherds deploy in the service of their lords as the Mahr Scouts. Armed with lances they can bring true destruction upon a foe, but lacking protection they should avoid prolonged close combat and the arrows of enemy archers.

Riggswair Companions

The foremost warriors among the common Freemen are the Riggswair, the Fiercemen. They are often younger sons to landholders and have little land to inherit but great ambitions to fulfill. Therefore they form bands of companions in search for wealth. Armed with axes they have a great capacity to charge enemy lines and get at armoured opponents, but lacking armour themselves, beside their shields, they favour any chance to strike at enemy flanks.
In difference to their fellow landtillers the companions have no or little land to return to, and are not eager to leave the service of a lord trough whom opportunity to allowance or plunder can make way for a better future.
For a prince of Rhovanion this is a long term opportunity and if the need arise he may provide the Riggswair better armours to make for a tougher force in battle.

Original:

Upgrade #2:

Harjis Spearmen

The Princes of Rhovanion face much peril and hold honour in defying anyone opposing them: Orcs and trolls, Avari, Easterlings, or not seldom their own kin, Northmen of other regions and principalities. Therefore the princes of Rhovanion has made sure to always have a body of skilled warriors to raise at need: the Harjis, the Army.
Donned in a simple but effective mail, with helmet and round shield, the Harjis spearmen are well trained and though soldiers, ready to hold a line against any enemy or charge with the points of their spears at hostile cavalry.

Baúrgs Longbowmen

The towns and homesteads of the land are required to provide the princes and the king with skilled longbowmen, hunters since childhood and trained with the greater bow when coming of age.
Light as they, are the Town Bowmen should be kept away from the fray, but the task to keep them safe is an honour to any Northman soldier, who praise the sound of bow strings and whirl of feathers when they sing in their meadhalls during winter nights.

Marh Archers

During the alliance between the Northmen and the Dwarves that kept both folks prosperous during the first half of the Second Age, no fighters among mortal Men were higher esteemed by the Khazad than the horsed archers. In great numbers they would oppose the armies of savage Orcs, pepper them with arrows and bolt away from vain attempts to catch them.
Nowdays the princes value this skill in turn, a skill that comes from a shepards lifetime on the horseback and daily training from hunting, games and real combat. The Horse Archers are lightly armoured, but maintaining the old traditions of skirmishers only enemy cavalry or archers may pose a true threat to this formidable addition to Rhovanion's fighting forces.

Marhdrauht Lancers

Lesser nobles and wealthy Northmen Freemen can afford to don the armour of a warrior and sit up at horseback, eager to charge enemy ranks for land and lord. The Horsewarrior Lancers impact is significant and this has played an important role in making Rhovanion's horses a sign for why the Northmen are respected, as well as a most appealing ally to the Númenóreans in Exile.

Harjis Swordsmen

The greatest of footmen in the regular fighting forces are the Army Swordmens. Their ranks consist of younger sons of nobles, recognised veterans and other professional soldiers who can afford, or are granted by chieftains and princes, fine mail and great shields. Skilled with the sword they are a challenge to any foe, disciplined and undaunted by hostile numbers.

Gafaúrd Housecarls

The elite infantry of Rhovanion are the Chief Council Housecarls, handpicked men who make up the princes and chieftains personal guardsmen. They wear the greatest avilable armours to protect themselves, even crafted by the Dwarves on occasion, and bring vicious two handed axes into battle, weapons that can penetrate armour in mighty strokes.
Lacking shield these men are deployed on the battlefield not to hold a line but to breach it, tearing down enemy formations, encouraging the friendly forces who follow in their steps. Holding their honour higher than anything and eager to outshine their fellow housecarls in deeds of valour they often prove the last to leave a struggle, dead or alive.

Harjis Longbowmen

The finest marksmen among the Baúrgs Longbowmen are selected and equipped with mails and bows of highest quality. The honour that comes with this rank strenghten morale, and the allowance they earn enables a professional lifestyle.
This include training in close combat arms, making the Army Longbowmen able to hold their ground against melee attacks to some degree.

Marhdrauht Archers

Perhaps no symbol underline the proud independence the Northmen of Rhovanion fought for and earned as the heavy Horsewarrior Archers. Professional soldiers in service of mighty princes they excel in bringing defeat to the enemy.
In them are the skilled rider combined with both the keen eyed marksman and with the heavy infantry. For as long as possible or appropriate they send arrows into the enemy host, only to when need be or fortune present itself charge into the fray with battle axes, ready to cut heads from shoulders.

Fráujam Horsemen

The higher nobility upon great steeds is a sight to admire and fear. Clad in excellent armour, often provided by Dwarven traders, and with a lifetime of training they come with earth-trembling thunder and aimed lances upon Orcs or Men or whoever is wittless enough to challenge the might of Rhovanion.
The men who form the Lord Horsmen also follow their prince or king into battle as bodyguards, turning him into a force of nature out of steel and flesh.

Captain

General

(ignore the graphical glitch on the sword hehe)

Credits

Credit to Taro for his bag of tricks, sword model for the general/captain, shield belt and a strap model.
Septa scarabs texture pack from the mount and blade forums.
Huge credit to Rusichi TW as they work was used as the basis for all these units.
Also to KK and the rest of the team for making TATW. Warda Spearmen, Freiswair Warriors, Mahr Scouts are TATW units with some edits, while Baúrgs Longbowmen and Fráujam Horsmen are unaltered.
Our friend Marcus for the 3-head-horses shield image.
Hopefully we haven't forgotten anyone