Today glima is most accosted with a highly specialized form of Icelandic wrestling. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in a broader combat form of glima, and attempts to understand what it may have looked like when used as a means for training and to control foes on the battlefield when the only weapons that remained were one’s hands.
Developed by vikings over a thousand years ago, glima translates to flash, which encompasses the mindset of the warrior; act with maximum aggression, making every action a potentially lethal one. When used as a method of training, Glima hones reflexes and teaches the viking warrior how to either finish a foe immediately, or obtain a dominant position in order to end the battle. (Modern Glima takes the goal of positioning forward in this unique grappling style.) In combat though, Glima focuses on terrain, and leveraging the tools they might find for maximum effect.
Associated Weapons: Axes, Rocks, Shields, Swords
It is believed that traditional glima used open hands, and avoided striking with closed firsts. Modern recreations often show combatants in a coil-like position with feet planted to control one’s center of gravity. The lack of dominant foot may imply a slower style, but the fighter’s body position allows them to close rank to break past an opponent’s guard. This focus on aggression can leave the warrior open, as they trade defense for power.
Notes:
- Glima is a grappling style. However, the focus is not on holds, but rather disadvantaging foes to remove them from combat with fatal accuracy. When translating this style to Metahumans Rising, the Trip Combat Maneuver more accurately represents this form of grappling.
- Known for using the terrain to their advantage, characters can use Wisdom + Survival instead of a Lift roll to identify an “improvised weapon” to drop a foe onto with a Trip Action. Once the terrain feature is used, the character must make a new Survival roll to reposition to use it or another feature again. The improvised weapons still suffer the normal -5 Attack Penalty, and bonus Damage determined as if it was a Lift. Scrounging can still be applied to this roll.
This video represents a more modern take on glima as a combat style. Glima as used in the Age of Vikings was likely far more aggressive in nature as the mindset and goals were different.
Author’s Note: All builds presented in this series should not be taken as the only way to interpret a given style. Players and GMs are encouraged to treat these as a framework to build their own character’s style.
Style Progression – Fast
Fighting Style: Viking Glima
- Parent Attribute: Strength or Fortune
- Primary Role: Offense
- First Secondary Role: Support: Initiative
Common Specialties:
- Heavy Blow
- Improvised Weapons
- Prone Opponents
- Trip
Common Combos:
- Bring Down: Heavy Blow – Trip
- Guard Break: Interrupting Attack – Trip – Set Up
- Intercepting Throw: Interrupting Trip – Attack
- Stay Down: Trip – Heavy Blow
Key Talents:
- Discipline
- Intimidation
- Intuition
- Outlast
- Scrounging
- Survival
- Extreme Elements
- Study: Norse History
Additional Boons
- Advantaged TY
- Critical Skill: Intimidation MA
- Languages: Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian,Old Norse, Swedish MA
- Intuition Supports Offense when at 0 Stamina or Below TY
- Survival Supports Improvised Weapons TY
- Surprising MA
Super Style – Viking Glima
Vikings are steeped in legends, and their fighting prowess plays no small role in this. Whether armed or bare handed, nothing stands in the path of the glima fighter. The warrior brings down their foes with raw strength only to finish them off from their weakened position.
Example (Classic Power Level)
Viking Glima 12
- Parent Attribute: Strength
- Primary Role: Offense
Devastating (Boost Devastation, Total Devastation) MA3
Secondary Role: Support Survival MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Absorption: Physical MA
(S) Guard Break 4
(S) Heavy Blow 7
(S) Stay Down 4
(S) Trip 7
Death comes for everyone, and a warrior deserves to die in battle. Pain is not your concern, only victory. The glima practitioner will tear themselves apart to obliterate whoever they face. Taking physical harm only fuels their unstoppable force, as they topple opponents before finishing them with brutal efficiency.
Cost 1 Power + 12 Selections + 11 AP
Boons
Advantaged TY
Combo: Guard Break: Interrupting Attack – Trip – Set Up TY
Combo: Stay Down: Trip – Heavy Blow TY
Critical Skill: Intimidation MA
Languages: Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian,Old Norse, Swedish MA
Intuition Supports Offense when at 0 Stamina or Below TY
Survival Supports Improvised Weapons TY
Cost 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 9 AP
Use In Conflict
Glima is all offense, even their defense, is more offense. After taking down a foe, don’t be afraid to sacrifice accuracy for more powerful Heavy Blows using Willpower to offset the penalties. Taking Physical Damage only helps to rebuild your pool of Willpower allowing the martial artist to keep the pressure up. This brutally efficient offense does come at a price, trading hits, and delivering Unbound strikes can sap Stamina quickly. Focus on the greatest threat, and greatest glory, and let lesser foes cower as you break your enemies.
