How in the world do I live while fighting Nords?

[Schemer]

Their throwing axes kill my horse and then pierce through my armour, taking away half of my health. I run away and kill a few, but a huscarl kills me with another throwing axe. How am I supposed to live in battles against Nords? My troops can defeat them, but these throwing axes are my bane when I'm trying to kill them personally.

 

[zimbabwe]

Stay close and use a shield if you're a toe-to-toe type. I prefer to stay out of axe range (which is fairly short) and use a bow instead.

 

[The exceeding arrow]

The Swadian charge will rule the world, let your heavy cavalry take care of the huscarl. (lord usually don't have many) They get distracted, you get a kill.
Sounds fair right?

 

[nikosierra125]

recruit your own hurscarls!!!!!

or if ur really desperate turn down the difficulty (dissapointed look)

 

[gypsydevil]

Full swadian knights or mamluke

 

[JaimeLannister]

stab them in the face with a sword. 

 

[lancecor]

mamelukes are the way to go, best cavalry against nords, swadian knights are decent but mamelukes are faste and more deadly against them.

 

[MagnaSonic3000]

mamelukes are the way to go, best cavalry against nords, swadian knights are decent but mamelukes are faste and more deadly against them.

If you get the 81 new units mod though the Sawadian Bodyguards kick even their ass.

 

[sirinan]

but these throwing axes are my bane when I'm trying to kill them personally.

Dangerous. Don't try to kill them personally. Those axes hurt.

I have had some success in simply riding around their lines at the limit of their axe range until they run out of axes (they don't have many) but this still requires a flat map, a horse with decent armour, and not too many of them.

 

[Sammyboy]

feint a few times to get them to throw their axes before you charge straight at them. They only got 4

 

[iffy]

Don't go straight at them.  Keep turning.

 

[waggywags]

I've taken to fighting quick battles more often due to time recently, so what I do then is usually:

SIEGE:
Get melee and cavs to hold some distance in from entry point. Get archers on the towers besides the ladder and entrance, even better, crossbowmen. That has always worked for me. But if the castle does not allow this, just force a situation where your ranged troops can fire unblocked by shields and un-harassed at the Nords. So far, I've yet to meet a Nord who shielded above as he fought at the front lines.

OPEN BATTLE:
I really rely on ranged a lot, just line them up, distract the Nords with your other men, tada. Assuming you don't have them, depends on the calvary and infantry you have. Heavy calvary, let them rip. Light calvary, have them circle around if possible(By being cav yourself and getting them to follow), and hitting only from behind. Will cost you lives. Light infantry, I recommend sticking close to the archers, dashing forward and holding them off for a bit. Not a good idea to use light infantry, though. Heavy infantry, meattank while you send another group to cut them up from behind.

CLOSED BATTLE:
Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

[Rephikul]

In open field, have your army hold position and you personally charge in and run a few rings around their main army just inside throwing weapon activation range. Throwing weapon are heavy, slow, and are carried a handful. It takes little time to deplete their ammunition. Only, after that, tell your men to attack while you keep on galloping around them, causing great distraction. This greatly reduce the amount of troops your army have to deal with, and thus greatly increase their combat effectiveness.

 

[Maksim125]

Well me I use vaegirs first tell the cavalry to follow you and you go around and around and around and around and around and around them until they run out of axes and javelins then tell your cavalry to charge, position the archers on a hill facing the nords and tell infantry to charge so they will kill the remaining men, also add some rhodoks in your army (preferably spearmen).

 

[Remedius]

Had you tried investing in the highest resistance sheild like a steel reinforced one and making a charge with any horse troops  - your shield will only have to resist several hits before your on top of them - a lot will depend on your army backing you and - as ever h cav rule - if you have enough just fall in behind them as they charge.

I like to play the caring commander and draw fire from my men weaving to range and out

 

[Manic Oppressive]

I've never had any difficulty when I run a full army of Swadian Knights. 4-5 casualties at most from the Huscs that get lucky.

 

[Knighttemplar12]

join them don't fight them or get a bow hit them from a range and have your troops distracting them. What I do is, for an army, I get 20 Nord Huscarls, 20 Rhodok Seargents, 10 Swadian Knights, and then for archer's I'll usually get either Khergit or Vaegirs only reason I don't get Nord archers is because they're not very accurate at the size I get them at the beginning. Later on I'll increase the size of the Knights once i get 10 archers. This usually can take care of most armies but I need to know if I can get them into formations.

 

[nikosierra125]

ive found that vaegirs are really good against nord armies, get in a few swadian cavalry and sarranid archers.
also if u have lots of money and little men just stock up on mercenaries, missile troops are good against hurlscarls if u go ahead and let them chase you and this lets ur archers get a few kills in.
if you have ur own kingdom a good thing to do is hire loads of mercenaries while ur starting up and then give them to ur vassals as they come in (they cost too much so let them take care of it and increase their army at the same time!!)