The Principality of Sturgia, or simply Sturgia, is a kingdom in Mount&Blade II: Bannerlord ruled by Raganvad Gundaroving. It occupies the snowy northernmost mountain territories of the continent of Calradia.
Overview[]
The principality's history began when Nordic traders and adventurers migrated from the northeast territories seeking land and wealth, and eventually formed diplomatic and marriage alliances with the native tribes of the Sturgian region, merging the two cultures together into something new, with a violent, warlike but also mercantile mentality.
Heavily armoured infantry bearing thick shields to form a shieldwall is the core of Sturgian military, although cavalry and archer units are also employed prominently. Their Cultural Bonus has their costs for upgrading and recruiting of infantry reduced by 25%. Also, their Armies lose 20% less daily cohesion. Their cultural Penalty is that relations get damaged 20% more when dissaproving in kingdom decisions.
173 years later, in Mount&Blade: Warband, the Sturgian empire has extended its holdings southward to some of the Empire and Battania, but the Sturgians have experienced a cultural split, with the Sturgian Nords living in the west and the Sturgian Vaegirs in the east.
Ruler[]
Grand Prince Raganvad |
|---|
Vassals[]
| Knyaz Olek Kuloving |
Knyaz Godun Vagiroving |
Knyaz Yorig Ormidoving |
Knyaz Vyldur Togaroving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knyaz Fafen Isyaroving |
Knyaz Vashorki Vezhoving |
Knyaz Tovir Ubroving |
Knyaz Rolan Kostoroving |
Official Description[]
| “ | The confederation of small kingdoms that is now the Principality of Sturgia came into being only a century ago. As boomtowns sprung up along the great rivers of the north, the local tribal leaders forged marriage pacts with Nords and other adventurers, hiring their swords to subdue their neighbors. Under pressure from the Empire, they elected a prince to lead them in war, and eventually the princes became a hereditary office. But the idea of a monarchy has never sat easily with the independence-minded boyars, and the potential for rebellion always lurks under the surface of Sturgian politics. | ” |
Lore[]
"The Sturgian forests are forbidding and cold, but great wealth lies within. Wild honey can be found, and bog iron, but the real prize has always been fur. For centuries, brave traders ventured there to buy the pelts of fox, rabbit and ermine from the tribes of the woods. As the empire expanded eastward, that trickle of traders became a flood. Great towns sprung up on the rivers. Fortune-seekers came from the coast, from the steppes, and most of all from the Nordlands. Tribal elders made alliances with the newcomers, sealed by wedding vows, and with their share of the trading profits hired mercenaries to subdue other tribes. Sturgia became a collection of principalities, then a kingdom, the great powerhouse of the north."
Economy[]
- Medium
- 7 towns
- 8 castles
- 32 villages
- Main products: fur (main producer), flax (main producer), cattle (main producer), fish
Tactics[]
Strengths[]
- Powerful heavy infantry options.
- Noble shock cavalry on par with other cavalry, and doubles as effective infantry as they have increased athletics.
- Axes are commonplace among troops, giving them a significant edge in melee combat.
- Most infantry posses throwing weapons, greatly offset Sturgian mediocre archers.
- Mounted skirmishers provide an effective counter to cavalry.
- Large Round shields making the Sturgian very resistant to missiles weapons in siege.
Weaknesses[]
- Mediocre archers.
- Lack of true mounted archers.
- Noble troops take a long time to level up into cavalry (tier five).
- Sturgian territory is stretched across a wide border, which can result in multiple wars fought on far away fronts.
- Unlike the Aserai, Sturgian suffer speed penalty on their home territories (snow) like everybody else. Making this faction slow to defend its frontier.
The shield wall of Heavy Spearmen and Heavy Axemen is the basis of Sturgian battle tactics. This formation, once set up, is nigh invulnerable to archer fire and cavalry charges. However, unlike the pikemen formations of Vlandia and Battania, it cannot effectively decimate enemy cavalry. So it is best used in conjunction with noble shock cavalry, using a hammer-and-anvil tactics: the shieldwall slowly advances and tanks the attacking enemy troops, while the mounted Druzhinniks attack from the flank or rear, and score kills.
The Sturgian light skirmishing cavalry is best used to harass, disorganize, and soften the attacking wave of enemy cavalry. Send it ahead early in the battle.
Troop Tree[]
Clans[]
| Clans of the Sturgians |
|---|
| Major |
| Gundaroving • Kuloving • Vagiroving • Ormidoving • Togaroving • Isyaroving • Vezhoving • Ubroving • Kostoroving |
| Minor |
| Forest People • Lake Rats • Skolderbroda |
Territory[]
| Territory of the Sturgians |
|---|
| Towns |
| Balgard • Omor • Revyl • Sibir • Tyal • Varcheg • Varnovapol |
| Castles |
| Mazhadan Castle • Kranirog Castle • Nevyansk Castle • Ov Castle • Takor Castle • Urikskala Castle • Ustokol Castle • Vladiv Castle |
| Villages |
| Alebat • Alov • Borchovagorka • Bukits • Chornobas • Dnin • Dvorusta • Ferkh • Forin • Glavstrom • Ismilkorg • Karbur • Kargrev • Korsyas • Kranirog • Kvol • Mazhadan • Marabrot • Nevyansk • Omkany • Ov • Radakmed • Rodobas • Safna • Skorin • Takor • Urikskala • Ustokol • Visibrot • Vladiv • Yangutum • Zhemyan |
Trivia[]
- The Sturgians are based on the Kievan Rus', a polity in medieval eastern Europe consisting of Slavic peoples and some Varangians, who were Norse and mixed Norse-Slavic traders, warriors, and adventurers. It was a loose federation of city states, most of whom were located in the area of modern Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.[1]
- They occupy the portion of the map that will become the lands of the Nords and the Vaegirs preceding the events of Mount&Blade/Warband.
- Leaders of Sturgian clans bear the title of Knyaz, a nobility title originating in Eastern Europe and particularly employed in Ukraine, Russia, and Hungary.
- Many Sturgian lords commonly use Noble Bows, two-handed axes, and lances as weapons. Most of them have the Brave personality trait.
Gallery[]
References[]
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