| 4th Cuirassier | 19 Jul 2022 5:04 a.m. PST |
So in about 1,000AD Leif Eriksen, having found north-east America, hears rumours from the sparse local populace of a mighty, rich, but violent empire to the south. At this time, and preceding the Aztecs (who conquered it), this empire wasd that of the Toltecs. This is music to Viking ears, so Leif gathers a fleet from home and sails south along the coast till he gets to Mexico. The Toltecs have swords, slings, bows, spear-throwers, and numbers. The Vikings have longships, big swords and axes, and are Vikings. What happens next? |
| OSCS74 | 19 Jul 2022 6:05 a.m. PST |
The plague. Most of the Toltecs will die within 3 years. |
| advocate | 19 Jul 2022 7:30 a.m. PST |
The Vikings are like the Conquistadors without gunpowder or horses. So perhaps less imposing, but they still have iron weapons.
In the long run, though, whatever happens, the Vikings can't maintain communications and die off in one way or another. |
79thPA  | 19 Jul 2022 8:04 a.m. PST |
The Vikings discover that their enemy is skilled and ferocious in battle. They also find themselves on the receiving end of guerilla warfare. They are amazed by the stone construction in this savage land. They don't like the climate and they are running out of supplies. The Toltecs are more trouble than they are worth, so the Vikings pack up and go home with a few baubles for their trouble. |
| Perris0707 | 19 Jul 2022 8:13 a.m. PST |
Well they were "persuaded" to abandon the attempt to colonize North America by the locals who were far less organized than the Toltecs, so I guess the attempt to settle in Mexico would have also failed miserably. |
| nnascati | 19 Jul 2022 8:21 a.m. PST |
Plus the alien overlords would have helped the natives. :) |
| 35thOVI | 19 Jul 2022 9:40 a.m. PST |
The Vikings raid, take some gold and slaves, head back. Too far away to do much of anything else. |
| Royston Papworth | 19 Jul 2022 11:15 a.m. PST |
Danegeld. They get bought off after some vicious fighting… |
| mad monkey 1 | 19 Jul 2022 11:40 a.m. PST |
Something in this vein:
link |
Old Glory  | 19 Jul 2022 12:42 p.m. PST |
"Vikings" in the 15th century according to book in above link ??? Russ Dunaway |
| 79thPA | 19 Jul 2022 1:07 p.m. PST |
It is an alternate history book. |
| SpuriousMilius | 23 Jul 2022 2:15 p.m. PST |
I've run a convention game a few times based on the runestone near Heavener, OK, being an authentic Viking artifact. A longship crew, having made the epic voyage up the Mississippi, is fed rumors of gold by the Native Americans to keep them moving north & west. They make it to the SE corner of Oklahoma before their determination is exhausted. Being Vikings, they've made enemies of the locals & must survive an assault on their stockade & protect their ship before embarking for Europe. |
| The Last Conformist | 24 Jul 2022 1:37 p.m. PST |
FWIW, here's an article arguing that the Toltecs did in fact not have swords: link |
| 4th Cuirassier | 31 Jul 2022 12:11 p.m. PST |
What I was wondering really was what the significant military advantage was that enabled the Spanish to overthrow the Aztecs, or rather if it was military at all. They had cavalry and firearms which the Vikings did not, but OTOH the Spanish and the Vikings alike would have looked pretty rational and reasonable compared to the incumbent bloodthirsty tyranny, so would the locals have risen against the Toltecs like they did against the Aztecs? @ The Last Conformist – interesting, thank you. |
| wballard | 03 Aug 2022 1:30 p.m. PST |
Read Barry Sadler's Casca book #2, God of Death, for one somewhat longer take on this exact topic. |
