Hogun

**Hogun** is a Human Hero character encountered in *The Banner Saga* series.

## Background

Hogun and his brother Mogun have gotten the same question their entire lives. You don't find many twins about, and even fewer who know how to use an axe. Hogun tends to be the more level-headed of the two, which may explain why he ended up with a child and wife.

## Active Ability: Bloody Flail

The Thrasher strikes multiple times, randomly hitting his opponent for 1 strength or 1 armor damage. On the last hit, Bloody Flail damage is increased by one point for each ally standing adjacent to him. This last-hit differs from the respective ability in *The Banner Saga: Factions*, where there is a 33% chance of damage deflection; in the Saga, the last flail never misses!

Bloody Flail does direct damage, making it useful even when the Thrasher is near death. For this reason it also does a great job of taking out wounded enemies who still have a lot of armor by bypassing it completely.

**Rank 1**: 4 strikes total (4-7 damage)

**Rank 2**: 5 strikes total (5-8 damage)

**Rank 3**: 6 strikes total (6-9 damage)

## Second Active Ability: Choice

In the second part of *The Banner Saga*, when Hogun reaches Rank 6, he can choose a second active ability between:

* Stone Wall (Raidmaster), like Valgard, Egil or Gudmundr
* Run Through (Backbiter), like Onef
* Axe Storm (Axe Thrower), like Oli

## Passive Ability: Shield Wall

By standing next to an ally, the raider creates a Shield Wall, raising the armor of both himself and his ally by 1. This bonus remains until the Raider is no longer adjacent to the ally.

When multiple Raiders stand next to each other this effect is magnified as they grant each other their own bonus. Four Raiders standing in a square formation will each gain an additional 4 armor.

## Joining the Party

The twin borthers, Hogun and Mogun, live a farmer's life in a small unnamed village between Skogr and Frostvellr. Rook's caravan meets them in Chapter 2 and stirs the Thrasher in them. They will both join your caravan, forsaking their Town Leader's orders, unless you side with the villagers against them.

## Possible Death or Departure

#### Saga 1

* Hogun (and Mogun) will be killed by their former clansmen if Rook decides to help them but fails to win the fight.
* Hogun (and Mogun) will be slain outside the gates of Frostvellr, in the end of Chapter 2, if Rooks decides to loiter outside the city and fails to handle the ensuing mob-rising.
* In Chapter 6, if Rook chooses to cut through the Dredge at the Summer Path (instead of going around, via Haukstorp), and then does not retreat when given the opportunity after the first battle, Hogun will be killed.

#### Saga 2

* In Chapter 10, Hogun expresses that he and his family are at odds due to his dangerous and violent lifestyle and asks you for advice on what he should do. If you tell him to stop being a fighter and to spend more time with his family he'll seem relieved someone made the choice for him and hang up his axe. This will cause him to be removed permanently from the Roster.

#### Saga 3

* In Chapter 21, on the third return to Arberrang, Hogun will die if you force everyone to take a fair turn keeping a full watch after the Warped are unable to scale the black wall.

## Playstyle

Bloody Flail deals considerable damage even when the Thrasher is near death and completely bypassing enemy Armor. Make sure you always save some Willpower to use it. Hogun can capitalize on it, complementing it with the Raider passive, Shield Wall. This means that he should always be standing next to as many ally units as possible, granting a double advantage:

* He gains Armor bonus for each adjacent ally (+2 for a Raider ally, else +1).
* He gains +1 damage per adjacent ally, on the last strike of his Bloody Flail ability.

Pairing him with his twin brother, Mogun, and other Raiders can form an impenetrable front-line.