Cymry

I think I may be digging up old discussions here, but I'm more curious than anything, so forgive me.

I believe many have suggested a Welsh faction in the past, but it was declined for a specific reason.
What was that reason? Possibly historical (Although I find that not possible; the Welsh were very involved with the Saxons and Vikings alike)?
Are they just not popular enough?

It was probably declined because making and adding a faction costs a lot of time and effort on the part of the developers. Other factions had/have priority because they are more desired and perhaps because they are better documented.

Also, were such a faction to be added, I would opt to call them the Brithon (plural), as the native British were called back then (thus excluding the Germanic, Gaelic and Gaelified Pictish people of Britain).

Yes it would probably be something like Brithon.

I suppose I'll just keep dreaming of a Welsh faction.
A dominant archer force in Vikingr ... That wouldn't be received well would it? 

I suppose the leader could be called a Tywysog, the stronger warriors Teulu, and archers Saethwyr.

We'd have to dig up some Old Welsh...

Anyway, to what extent was archery prominent during the Viking era? I would have thought that was a later development.

There are many factions involved as much with vikings as Welsh people, and still missing in the mod Frisians, Balts, Obodrites...

AH that's it!
It was that there were enough factions in the British Isles but not in Eastern Europe yet.
Alright, that makes sense.

Still, perhaps one day Welshmen would be nice to see.
Well, now thinking on it, archery probably wouldn't be as powerful as it later became, but I think the Welsh would probably have superior bows.
But the proportions would make it so they aren't many archers anyway.
So the majority would be nobles ( probably Teulu or some sort) and Welsh spearmen.

wait, archer force? I thought the Welsh of this time fought mainly in shieldwalls as well. :O

I think if we keep adding new factions, at some point it will be necessary to split Nordmen into Nóregg, Svend and Dane factions, similar to each other in gameplay style (but not the same) with varied style and equipment.

That would be awesome.

NÓREGG ALL THE WAY 

Welsh, Byzantine and Balts faction would be intresting add to mod. Perhaps Finns also.

Not sure if Byzantine should be added before Pechengs and other Khazar Khanates I mean, there is a lot of awesome steppe people on the way to the Empire.

FrisianDude said:

wait, archer force? I thought the Welsh of this time fought mainly in shieldwalls as well. :O

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I never said they were a complete archer force.
They fought in shieldwalls like everybody else.
It's just that the archers that they did have were superior.

Oh. Okay. Were they?

I just contacted a particular user I know from the past to be very knowledgeable about Dark Age Briton peoples.
He was a historian for Song of Taliesin for M&B, and for the Rome Total War mod Arthurian Total War.
He hasn't been on for a month, and that insinuates a lack of activity from him these days, but hopefully we'll hear from him soon.

A Brythonic faction would be much easier and more suitable than a Welsh faction. If it where just Welsh then on the same basis for making a Welsh faction you'd have reason for a Cornish one, Cumbrian one, non-Gaelic Scottish faction etc... Whereas a "Brythonic" one would encompass all of these, where differences between them are few and far between.

Celtichugs said:

A Brythonic faction would be much easier and more suitable than a Welsh faction. If it where just Welsh then on the same basis for making a Welsh faction you'd have reason for a Cornish one, Cumbrian one, non-Gaelic Scottish faction etc... Whereas a "Brythonic" one would encompass all of these, where differences between them are few and far between.

Click to expand...

Fair enough.

Here I am, as requested

I am more a specialist of the early post-Roman period (5-7th century) than the later one (9-10th) but I hope this will help.
As suggested I think a Brittonic faction may be better suited than simply Welsh. You can call them Britons, they will encompass various Welsh kingdoms, Cornwall and Strathclyde which was a major power in Scotland up to the 11th century.

Emphasis won't be on archery. That's likely a later, high medieval development of Welsh warfare against the Anglo-Normans of the 12th and 13th centuries. In the early medieval period it is unclear if Welsh used a lot of archers, at least it is not depicted on stone carvings and not much quoted in textual sources.

Light infantry and skirmishers are a good guess. Welsh and Bretons were masters of guerilla warfare. Warriors with small round shields, javelins and spears, good both at range and when closing orders. Few or no armor.

Heavier infantry would be good, although they would be less heavy than Saxons or Viking counterparts. Some with helmets, other with larger shields, spears, swords and other melee weapons, but they can also get a few javelins to throw before melee fight.

Cavalry, both light and heavy. Light cavalry would have javelins, spears, swords, no or few armor, some with helmets, small round shields.

Heavy cavalry would be elite and bodyguards, the teulu, litteraly "family". They would have the best equipment avalaible, including mail and helmets. Otherwise swords, spears, roundshields, javelins. They would also be great to dismount to join the shieldwall (or you can do an infantry unit with similar equipment).

As for their look, go for long knee-lenght tunics, or shorter ones with knee lenght trousers. Cloaks are important and in battle they can be worn across the body for better protection. You can give some of them checkered patterns for a regional touch, but make sure not all garnments are checkered as that would be much of a cliché.

Saxon and frankish swords were used and imported. Helmets can also have cheekguards but would otherwise be quite similar to saxon helmets.
No more "roman conservatism" by then so if we can accept late roman styled helmets for late 5th-7th century Britons it is not true for 9-10th century ones.

There is a really good 10-11th century re-enactment group in North Wales, Cwmwd Ial. You can check photos of them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bledri/3209818091/
http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CD4QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FCwmwd-Ial-Inc%2F105023746205069&ei=cxu2UNirLvGT0QXqjoD4BQ&usg=AFQjCNFKlAkAchCLmaC8M63lwDbyf8OdEA
http://www.myspace.com/rhagner/photos/1097576

Sounds much like the current Goídil but with cavalry. Interesting.

Yes, and with very little - if any - Norse influance, but alot of Saxon influances, especially in regards to helms and armour. "Normal" clothes, tunics and such, would be very similar to that of the Goídil.

Thank you very much Morcant! I appreciate it a lot!