«The sea spewed forth floods of foreigners over Erin, so that no haven, no landing-place, no stronghold, no fort, no castle might be found, but it was submerged by waves of Vikings…»

This entry in the Annals of Ulster, dated 820 A.D., vividly depicts the overwhelming sense of horror many of the inhabitants of the British Isles must have felt at the coming of the raiders from the north. And, rather aptly, that may also be a fair description of the state of your mind should you play one of the factions pitted against them in the fantastic ‘Viking Invasion II’ modification – a recreation of the legendary expansion by the same name for ‘Medieval: Total War’. Of course, you could decide to play as the heathen Norsemen instead, pillaging and raping as you conquer the lands of the followers of Hvitakristr. Take heed, though, as you may come across this bloke named Ælfred, the only English king to become known as the Great!

‘Viking Invasion II’ requires ‘Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion’ v1.6. The VI2 map covers the isles and western lands of the Norwegians, Jutland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, & England, and it is populated by eight factions: the West Saxons, the Mercians, the Northumbrians, the Danes, the Norwegians, the Welsh, the Men of Alba, and the Irish.

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Tags: Creative Assembly, Historical, Rome: Total War, Total Conversion, VI2, Viking Invasion II

If you own ‘Civilization III: Conquests’, and you’re an aficionado of anything that is even remotely related to the Middle Ages, then you might want to keep on reading. ‘Medieval European Mod II’ is a total conversion spanning four eras and roughly nine centuries, from the early 8th to the late 16th. Thirty-one states are playable, including England, France, the Byzantines and the Fatimids, which should be enough to keep anyone happy. The mod contains three maps (regular, random map game, a map of Europe for 31 players, & one for 21 players), but five additional scenarios – such as Crusader States & The Hundred Years’ War – are downloadable from the mod thread.

Included in MEMII:

• 31 playable medieval states, each with some unique features as well as differences based on religion, culture and historical location.

  Northern Group: England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Rus, Novgorod
  European Group: France, Burgundy, Castile, Portugal, Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania
  Mediterranean Group: Aragon, Italy, Sicily, Venice
  Byzantine/Balkan Group: Byzantines, Bulgaria, Serbia, Armenia
  Muslim Group: Khazaria, Turks, Tatars, Abbasids, Fatimids, Cordova, Almohads

• Tech tree spanning four eras, from 700 to 1550 AD, with some civ- and religion-specific branches.
• Over 120 different buildings/wonders, over 100 new units, rules and victory conditions modified to match medieval times, full civilopedia etc.
• Simulation of crown succession / vassalage – conquered enemy capital cities can now function as additional Palaces, but you need a proper government that allows specific vassals.
• Loads of custom artwork, old and new, by numerous CFC contributors

Thanks to WildWeasel for letting us know about the mod.

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Tags: Civilization III, Historical, Medieval, Medieval European Mod II, MEMII

‘Unique Armoury’ is a small mod for the brilliant independent game ‘Mount & Blade’, made by Turkish developers TaleWorlds (originally a husband and wife team). Set in the pseudo-Medieval world of Calradia, the game has some of the most original and involving combat ever seen in an RPG. And while more illustrious developers fail abysmally at making mounted combat anything other than a cringeworthy affair, this is arguably the best and most exciting aspect of TaleWorlds’ gem of a game.

The mod, made by Talak and currently at version 0.8, adds unique historical and semi-historical armour & weapons to the original game. From the famous Sutton Hoo helm found in a mound in Suffolk, England and dating from the early 7th century, to the German Katzbalger of the Renaissance, all the items are beautifully modeled and textured.

Items included in the mod:

• Bastard Sword
• Buckler
• Crowned Helm (plain & ornate)
• Estoc
• Flail
• Great Helm
• Jomsviking Axe
• Jomsviking Shield
• Katzbalger
• Morningstar
• Nordic Axe
• Spangenhelm
• Sutton Hoo Helmet
• Warhammer

A trial version of ‘Mount & Blade’ v1.003, which allows you to play up to level 6, can be downloaded here. The full game can then be unlocked by buying a license or purchasing the full game from a retailer.

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Tags: Action RPG, Armour, Historical, Mount & Blade, Mounted Combat, TaleWorlds, Unique Armoury, Weapons

The Middle-earth: Total War team has just announced the release of METW v1.0. The mod is still in BETA, but the campaign works, with the exception of the Elves and Gundabad factions. The team is working hard on fixing all issues and polishing the campaign, and the current release should provide lovers of Tolkien’s works with countless hours of fun. Forth Eorlingas!

Middle-earth: Total War - Gondor Faction

Middle-earth: Total War is a modification for Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion v1.6.

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Tags: Lord of the Rings, LotR, METW, Middle-earth: Total War, Mod, Modification, Rome: Total War, Tolkien