Archaeological finds show that the Viking ships were not standardized. The Viking longships were powerful naval weapons in their time and were highly valued possessions. The longships dimensions are 20-30m in length 4-8m in width 3-4m in airdraft and the mast measures in at 15-30m One longship in particular can be seen in Oslo, Norway in The Viking Ship museum. The average speed of Viking ships varied from ship to ship, but lay in the range of 5вЂ“10 knots (9.3вЂ“18.5В km/h) and the maximum speed of a longship under favourable conditions was around 15 knots (28В km/h). Later versions had a rectangular sail on a single mast, which was used to replace or augment the effort of the rowers, particularly during long journeys. Longships were fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself. Longships were also double-ended, the symmetrical bow and stern allowing the ship to reverse direction quickly without a turn around this trait proved particularly useful at northern latitudes, where icebergs and sea ice posed hazards to navigation. The ship's shallow draft allowed navigation in waters only one meter deep and permitted arbitrary beach landings, while its light weight enabled it to be carried over portages or used bottom-up for shelter in camps. The longships were characterized as graceful, long, narrow and light, with a shallow- draft hull designed for speed. They were all made out of wood, with cloth sails (woven wool) and had several details and carvings on the hull. The particular skills and methods employed in making longships are still used worldwide, often with modern adaptations.

The character and appearance of these ships have been reflected in Scandinavian boat-building traditions to the present day. The longship appeared in its complete form between the 9th and 13th centuries. The longship's design evolved over many centuries, and continuing up until the 6th century with clinker-built ships like Nydam and Kvalsund. Originally invented and used by the Norsemen (commonly known as the Vikings) for commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age, many of the longship's characteristics were adopted by other cultures, like Anglo-Saxons, and continued to influence shipbuilding for centuries. Longships were a type of specialised Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC.

They were not always equipped with shields. So I get something that is almost like the formation I wnat to have, but tthe Companions and Infantry always end up in front of the main line and not behind it.Schematic drawing of the longship type. My companions form their own division that I assigned as my bodyguard, so they usually end up left and in front of the main line. Usually my troops deploy alright: Spears up and centre, behind them skirmishers and archers, horses at the back. Horses somewhere in the back to run down stragglers afterwards.

Companions left and slightly behind the mainline, Infantry to the right and back. So, spears up centre, behind them Skirmishers and Archers. I thought I had got the hang of them, but I can't make them work quite right it seems.

so I'm worried about doing this again and on my own.ДЄnd another thing that I wonder about are formations. So how many troops (and what type) would I reasonably need foor such an ambitious undertaking and how should I go about it? I only initiiated one siege so far (the one the story required) and that gave me nightmares: I decided to starve them out but ended up with starving and deserting troops myself, had to mount a direct assault and lost most of my men. I was thinking about invading Friese, as they are out of the way and should be the easiest ones to conquer. So far the lack of money wasn't much of an issue, as I only had 3 or 4 ships anyway, but I guess if I want to conquer my own kingdom after the story is over, I guess I need more of them. However, I only have investments in two cities, averaging about 1000 pennings/week (brewery and something else), so investing in more of those seems reasonable.Д«ut I'm also not sure how big my army should be and what troop types it should contain. Sometimes I manage to have enough money for a few more (for instance while I held a few villages and one castle as fiefs), but mostly I'm strapped for cash. I never seem to have enough money to keep more than around 100-150 troops in the field. I have played through the storymode of Viking Conquest and I am now close to finishing it (as a Christian, so no pillaging monasteries).

Viking conquest troop trees