| “ | Elite Marines trained by the Imperial Navy to fight both above deck, battered by adverse weather and raked by missile fire, and below where melee skill is key. | „ |
Nordland Mariners (Halberdiers) are an 
Empire Elector Count State Troop melee infantry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer II with The Empire Undivided Update.
Recruitment[ | ]
Reikland and The Golden Order
- Recruited with: Elector Count State Troops recruitment panel after unlocking them in the Elector Counts mechanic by occupying Salzenmund, Nordland
- The Huntsmarshal's Expedition
- gained from the Imperial Supplies mechanic and recruiting them in the Imperial Supplies tab
- Cult of Sigmar
- Recruited with: Elector Count State Troops recruitment panel after unlocking them in the Books of Nagash mechanic by collecing two books
Description[ | ]
One of Nordland's more celebrated regiments, the Seahawks comprised over two dozen companies at arms. The Seahawks were often the first regiment assigned to other states, and therefore received better weaponry than other troops, and drew higher pay. This was not an act of altruism on their Elector's part, but pride. The Count loathed sending forces to other lands, and was determined that his forces should outshine those of his rivals.
Attributes[ | ]
- Halberd Infantry
- ▲ Armour-Piercing: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
- ▲ Anti-Large: Anti-Large: Anti-large units have an advantage against targets that are at least as large as a horse. This advantage can be a damage bonus against large targets or an attack that focuses on a very small area. However, some units are simply better against large targets because their attacks are slow and easy to dodge by skilled melee combatants.
- ▲ Charge Defence Against Large Foes: When standing and bracing against a charge of large enemies (such as cavalry or monsters) this unit will negate the enemy's charge bonus.
- ▲ Aquatic: Where other units of small stature struggle to fight and move in shallow water, Aquatic units excel.
armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
Unit Abilities[ | ]
Passive Abilities[ | ]
Strategy[ | ]
Nordland Mariners are one of the best Elector Count State Troops units, which is seriously saying something given the competition. While no more durable in health or armor than regular Halberdiers, they have a wide variety of traits that make them much better and worth their much higher upkeep cost.
Firstly, rather than Charge Defense against Large, Mariners have Charge Defense against ALL, so not even other factions' deadly infantry can get the charge on them. Secondly, they have Rowdy, which as a skill gives them Perfect Vigour so long as their morale is up, which greatly increases their combat ability over the course of a battle. Thirdly, they have Aquatic, which is more situational but a very rare skill for Empire units, making them get bonuses when fighting in shallow water instead of penalties. If you need to plant a unit in a river or marsh to stop the enemy getting through, the Mariners are your men. Finally, they are slightly faster on foot -- 38 base speed compared to 32 -- which, while still not blistering by any means, does let them get into positions faster than regular Halberdiers and chase down some enemies they can't.
The Mariners' main flaws are their significantly higher upkeep, and the fact that they can only be recruited slowly via the Elector Count State Troops menu. Having said that, their benefits make them excellent contributors to any Empire army, and a very good reason to try to keep the Elector Count of Nordland intact and part of your empire as quickly as possible.