Idea for new Norse ship (not playtested)
Norse Knarr – Independent
Cost 50 points

This is Norse ship used as principally used as a freighter. It is similar to a Norse longship, except that it can also carry cargo such as cattle, and has fewer crew.

It is shorter and wider than a longship, but has a larger draft, so cannot navigate shallow waters as well as the longship or kingship can.

If a Norse Knarr passes over any part of a sandbank, rocks, a coastal section or an island it must end its movement for that turn and you must make a below the waterline saving throw. If you fail, you must roll on the following table.

Roll Damage taken by Norse Knarr
1-3 2 below the waterline hits
4-5 1 below the waterline hit
6 No damage

Unlike the longship, the mast is permanently fixed to the keel, therefore below the waterline damage also affects the ability to move by sail.

Being shorter than the longship, the Knarr is well suited to ocean travel and rough seas. As such it is immune from the effects of any spells such as Blizzard and Hell Storm.

Norse Knarr are always crewed by Ulfwerener (Wolf Warriors)

Its use as a freighter to carry cattle provides some additional capabilities.

Like Norse longships up to three Norse Knarr can be lashed together to act as one for boarding purposes. In such cases they can only move by sail with a maximum sailing speed of 4" (if all ships have 1 below the waterline hit, then this reduces by ½).

Characteristics:
• No ranged weapons
• No High or low locations
• Crew 2 Ulfwereners
• Move Oars 4" (6"), Sail 6" (9")

Locations
4 Bow (save 5 or 6) – ½ movement by oars lost
3 – Cargo deck (save 4, 5 or 6) (cargo lost)
5 Main Mast (save 5 or 6) – Mast lost. Cannot move by sail. Any further hits do not cause critical damage
6 Stern (save 5 or 6) – ½ movement by oars lost

Below the waterline
1st hit: ½ movement by sail lost
2nd hit: sinks

At the start of the game, the Norse player rolls (1xd6) on the following table to determine what cargo each Knarr is carrying. This result is valid for the remainder of the game, until the cargo is destroyed.

6 No cargo aboard the Knarr (no effect)
5 the Knarr is carrying wool (no effect)
1-4 – The Knarr is carrying Cattle

If the Knarr is carrying cattle then there is a chance that the animals may be carrying a disease that will affect the opponent during boarding actions.

This has no effect on the following races who are not affected by any such disease:

Dark Elf, Orc, Norse, Nurgle, Slanesh, Khorne, Tzeench, Chaos Dwarfs,
Undead

For other races and monsters roll on the following table. Since animals carrying disease may or may not have an effect, this should be rolled on for every boarding action (including where the attacker, defender presses on with an attack).
5-6 The disease has no effect
3-4 The disease makes the crew of the opposing ship violently ill – lose -1 in boarding action
1-2 The disease kills a crew member of the opposing ship – lose 1 crew prior to boarding action.

In addition the presence of cattle can provide some protection for the crew during boarding by other ships. Where an attacker wins a boarding action against a Norse Knarr containing cattle, on the roll of a 3, 4, 5 or 6 by the norse player, the cattle and cargo deck are destroyed instead of losing a norse crew member. Once the cattle are destroyed there are no critical hits from further boarding actions, and the norse player would lose a crew member in the usual way.

For the cost of an additional 50 points, one Norse Knarr can be captained by Leif Erikson as one of the crew. Leif is an exceptional explorer, and his presence allows the ship to move twice as well as make a boarding attack per turn. This can be either move, move, board, or move, board, move. If a crew member is lost, then on a roll of a 1-3 (1xd6) the crew member lost is Leif Erikson and any additional movement gained by his presence is lost.

Scenario
One player has a norse fleet (may be entirely norse or norse plus allies). The opposing player can choose any fleet and must defend a coastline. The objective is for the norse player to land one or more ships on the coastline so that the Norse crew can pillage the land. 1 battle honour for each ship that successfully lands on the coastline.