Resistance is Futile

I couldn't resist the title (see what I did there...twice even!)  This stack of figure sprues has been haunting me like the hive-minded Borg on the desk since The Gonk gifted them to me.  Of course they came wiht the disclaimer that I had to paint them, I had to.

These are historical Dark Age figs suitable (most likely) for Saga but there's a myriad of other fantastic rules sets out there calling out to these guys.  It's a good mix of armored and unarmored dudes and a good number overall to boot.

Well, time to make the doughnuts.

SAGA: Last Warlord Standing

Before I even begin to get into the newest game we added to the ranks, Gripping Beast's Saga, let me just say I am not going to be winning a lot of these games. Or at the very least my warband leader, known as the Warlord, won't be surviving too many battles. Case in point, the opening photo of this post.

Saga is the Dark Ages skirmish game that is making its rounds. The name of the game says it all, "Saga". It straddles the two worlds of semi-historical and the epic battles of legend. If you're looking for a historically correct game, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a fast, fun Dark Ages game with great rules, you've found it. If you're looking for another point of view of the same night, look here at Little Lead Heroes. Way back when a gaming buddy of ours, Brian, who has since moved away started looking into Saga as well, it's just taken me this long to get a game in!


Saga is about the heroes and the warriors they lead, so that's why my Warlord is going to be leading the charge time and time again. The gates of Valhalla only open to the bold. The rest of my warband will be tasked with two things in a battle, defeating the enemy of course and just trying to keep up with their leader. To me this is the only way to play the game!


Shown here are the Normans, who were allied with two Viking warbands for this battle. On the other side of the table were an allied group of Anglo-Danes and Welsh. Being our first intro and test game, there were some initial set up rules we overlooked but overall I don't thing they messed things up. Warbands are generated simply enough with four or six point warbands being the norm. A leader is free, each unit after that costs a point. Your units can be from small, elite groups, up to large peasant-class levy troops.

Welsh javelin-armed troops about to get trampled by Norman cavlary

Viking levy archers

The base game, $40 bucks by the way, has army info on four separate forces, plus the rules themselves. You also need some game-specific dice to go along with it, which can be pricey but there's all kinds of inventive work-arounds to that. This is where the game takes a fairly serious detour from other skirmish games.


Each force has a battle board, each of the four boards wholly different and unique to that specific army. This is where the game gets even more cool. You roll a number of dice each turn based on how many units you have on the table. Then you allocate those die rolls to your battle board. If you look at the top left of my Viking board you see "Hirdmen". If I want to activate my Hirdmen at all this turn, I need to allocate one of my die rolls and place it there.

That's the normal stuff, each force has its own flavor in the form of special abilities, like "Odin" that needs two dice to work and changes and enemy's shooting turn into a move turn instead. The other trick is you're not guaranteed these very time, obviously. So if you get two sixes and are able to charge up "Ragnarok" you may have to leave the dice there for a turn or two, which you can, but that's going to be two less dice you're able to roll the next turn.

Two warlords clash...and kill one another simultaneously


I mentioned Repple Depple's Brian in the beginning of this post and it was because of him and all of the Pig Wars enthusiasm before he moved that I painted up my Viking horde. We have played a Dark Ages game or two since he's moved off, but the Viking wargaming potential that was about to explode died with his egress. I am hopeful however that these rules, which I enjoyed immensely, will turn that ship, err, longboat around.

The Bride and the Booty

We played a "big dang" Viking game last week that was a lot of fun. We were using a highly modified set of the Might of Arms rules (so modified it's actually a completely re-written and unpublished set to be called Clans and Companies). Bob was running and hosting the game and it's a test drive for one of the many games he'll be running at this year's Fall-In. So if you like what you see here, you can get in on the action there.


There are games I don't mind just showing up at and rolling dice, but there are other times where I really want to contribute. The latter was true for this game and my 39-strong Viking Warband made the trip and joined the fray.


This was a great scenario and the table was quite the spectacle. There were no fewer than five factions at play, each with their own objectives and secret agendas. Sure, you could ally with another player if you wanted, but would it last? The scenario, as the title states, dealt with the impending wedding in the region and those faction who wanted to stop it (or support it), or just plain wandered into the middle of all of this and haven't decided whose lot they'll throw in with. We played on a somewhat sparsely terrained twelve foot table with over a hundred figs running around and a river running through the center.

Fjord this!

There was a good mix of troops; mounted, foot, heroes, skirmishers...

The action came to a boiling point in the center of the table


My warband's primary objective was basically to steal the bride. If the wedding goes through, my clan's power in the region is going to be greatly diminished, and we can't have that. Maybe a little friendly princess-napping and subsequent ransoming will let the powers at be know that we aren't to be trifled with.


Near the end of the game we had a big, beautifully chaotic mess on our hands. The bride's wagon train moved fast across the table so all the sides were scrambling to keep up and defend, or snatch and grab. Other factions present could care less about the politics of the wedding and just wanted to nab some livestock or other treasure. Unfortunately for my warband, the bride was able to be whisked away to safety by her future husband's retinue.


Here are the player handouts with the factions on them. I think we got some solid playstesting of the scenario down and any tweaks that were needed fixed whatever small gaps that might have cropped up during play. Besides that, it was just plain fun, which is what it's all about. Like I said, Bob plans on running this same game at Fall-In, it might be in the events listing somewhere. Tell him Mik sent you since I can't attend this year!

Motivational Monday: That's a Lot of Lager

I had these particularly large cans of Yuengling at our last Viking game, coupled with the excellent sculpted pose of the wee Viking in the foreground and voila!

This is my humble tribute to Meatball's longstanding Motivational Mondays of My Dice Hate Me. I figured we needed at least one more to kick the week off right.

The Viking Horde

I was prepping my Vikings for game night (de-mothballing is more like it) and I realized I never had a true muster pic of them finished and all together. So here they are! It's a motley lot indeed with a real mix of figs in there including a certain seven foot tall barbarian more at home in the Forgotten Realms than on a historical tabletop (he's easy to find). I've also got more than a couple GW figs (can you spot them?) in there as well as a very dated Ral Partha fig (good luck with that one). I'm quite pleased with how they all turned out but there is one problem, there's only thirty nine of them, I think a nice round and even number like forty would be better suited! I'll let the rest of the pics do the talking, enjoy!

Ragnarr's Revenge

I saved the best for last of the three BrianCon battles. This of course is hard to say when all of the gaming were in and of themselves awesome, every one of them! To conclude the day we broke out Pig Wars and kicked it into Viking gear once again. I'll let the photos do most of the talking here, suffice it to say we had six full-sized, fully painted warbands on the tabletop as well as some amazingly cool terrain and scenery. I pasted the text in places below that details the overall scenario of the battle, special rules used in conjunction with the stockade, and each individual player's goals and initiatives. Brian did a great job on these, and even though it was technically three versus three, players on the same side quickly found that their own goals ran in direct opposition with their allies. Onward!



No Good Deed Goes Unpunished:

After getting into a feud with the clansmen of Erik the Vain, who Sigmar accidentally drowned while trying to baptize, Sigmar is on the lam and has requested Christian charity and succor from the tenants of an Irish rath settlement. Sigmar might not have been entirely honest with his hosts as to the size of the band pursuing him, but it’s too late now, as Erik’s clansmen have surrounded the fortified farm. One of Sigmar’s men went for help and Sigmar’s clansmen are may be on their way.

A fairly empty stockade, as most are out working in the fields...

Irish scouts call everyone to action as they take refuge in the fort

CHARGE! Ragnarr leads his band of berserkers and warriors to the walls

Ragnarr Ketilsson's Mission:

At last. Your people are awakening to the danger the men of the cross pose to your people and their ways. The murderer Ignolsson must be punished with death. Leiknarr is weak to even accept an offer of cattle for his son’s life and place in Vahalla. Imagine how the Gods must laugh at a death by drowning while bowing to a god of peace. You will not suffer such a fate! You’ll die a warriors death, but not before earning as much glory as you can.

Forces: one 140 point Viking band – must have berserkers.

Goals:

Personally slay more enemy than any other leader on the table

Kill Sigmar Ignolsson

Kill any priests you encounter

End the game with more warriors + cattle or slaves than you started with.

Brothers of Ragnarr and their Missions:

Skógi Ketilsson

With Erik’s “untimely” death, you are next in line to inherit Leiknarr’s wealth. It would be a shame if the old man died on the battlefield today but even if he doesn’t, your time will come soon enough. Of course, you must do your part to restore the clan’s honor or your men will abandon you. It would be a shame to simply kill Ignolsson when you could extract a reasonable price in cattle from him. Vengeance is fleeting, but wealth lasts. That unstable lunatic Ragnarr would also be trouble…

Force: one 140 point Viking band – may include berserkers

Goals:

Survive the encounter

Extract a blood price of not less than 30 head of cattle from Ignolsson

End the game with more strength than Ragnar

End the game with more warriors + cattle or slaves than you started with.

Leiknarr Ketilsson

Pah! What a mess. Serves your idiot son right for defying the old gods and hanging around with that defiler Ignolsson. Still, honor demands that your son be avenged or that Ignolsson pay an appropriate price. Fortunately you have friends in the Thing that were agreeable to the price you suggested. Once he is desperate enough, he’ll find a way to pay the price… or he’ll be dead. Either way is good for you.

Forces: one 140 point Viking band – may have berserkers.

Goals:

Survive the encounter

Kill Sigmar Ignolsson or extract a blood price of not less than 40 head of cattle.

End the game with more warriors + cattle or slaves than you started with.

Scenario Special Rules (Pig Wars system):

Scaling the stockade

To climb the stockade walls, a model draws a card and consults the table below.

Unarmored 8 or better to successful scale the wall

Partially armored 10 or better to successfully scale the wall

Fully armored Q or better to successfully scale the wall

A model may be helped over the wall by up to two friends. In this case, draw a card for each man and choose the best one. A model may not use a shield during a turn spent climbing or helping another model climb. The suit of the card drawn determines how the model lands. On a red card the model lands on his feet and is ready for action. On a spade, the model has fallen clumsily and is stunned. Place the model prone. Anyone attacking the model treats it as a rear attack until the prone model’s next turn during which he may stand and act normally. If the card is a club, the model suffers will suffer a wound if it falls the entire height of the wall. If being helped over the wall and he model failed his climb test, he will instead fall on his helpers, cushioning his fall, but stunning all of them as above. If the model is climbing the wall at a place where there the fall would not be great, they are stunned instead. If the model’s card exactly equals the required card, they are caught halfway and are perched precariously atop the wall until next turn. Next turn draw a new card to determine how the model lands. A model may not scale the wall at any location that could be defended by an enemy model.

Hard Cover

A model with at least 2/3 concealment behind an obstacle that would provide hard cover and stop a missile may save against missile attacks at two levels higher than normal.

Ragnarr and his elite berserkers

I was playing Ragnarr's band, which is why they got top billing, and I made the most direct attack on the fort, but that was just a small part of the overall battle. There was action occurring all over the table! Getting into the fort was hard enough, but more Irish were coming out of woods and attacking our flanks and rear. It was very exciting to say the least.

My goal was to get in there and crack some skulls, very straight forward, but Andy (my ally) was trying to parlay first in order to get some cattle for the loss of his son. That fell through, and he joined the fray after all. Ken, the last brother, was embroiled in no-man's land between the archers and slingers on the stockade walls and the Irish coming out of the woods.

At one point, the Irish in the fort who had been sheltering Sigmar (Brian's warband) decided it was no longer worth it, and Bob's warband (Sigmar) was in dire straits indeed, and didn't have an ally in sight! Tom played the Irish coming out of the woods, and his morale checks didn't fair too well. I guess I wouldn't either if I returned from hunting to see my home absolutely swamped with berserkers!

Ragnarr's dead filled the woods

The remaining agendas and goals for the rest of the players:

Brion Mac Domhnaill

You have offered Sigmar protection and can hardly go back on your word to protect a fellow believer from the pagans. However, it seems your guest has been less than forthright about his predicament. Your lookouts have spotted Sigmars men approaching. Hopefully you can hold out until they arrive.

Forces: one 140 point band, a small group of non-combatants (all unarmored militia with improvised weapons), and 20 cattle and assorted livestock.

Goals:

Survive the encounter

Protect the non-combatants and if needed, see them to safety

Preserve your livestock

Preserve Sigmar

The Irish start the game in their rath. They may bring any and all livestock into the rath or have it hobbled and hidden in a wooded area. Anyone moving within 6” of the woods will hear mooing and if they enter the cattle will be revealed. You may also choose to hide any of your men you wish in any of the wooded areas. They will be revealed only if an enemy enters the woods or when you choose to place them on-table at the start of any of your moves (required to move or fight with these models). Most of the non-combatants were sent away, but a small number remain inside the fort. You may arrange any of the provided barrels, wagons, etc. in any way you choose.

There is a souterrain under the floor of the larger hut with a passage out of the rath that exits at the large bush on the north side of the mound. Four models per turn may move from the rath to the exit.

Sigmar Ingolsson

Damn Erik and his ridiculous vanity, demanding to be baptized in his armor. Now his father is demanding 50 head of cattle to satisfy the blood price. A ridiculous sum, but the pagans take their feuds seriously. You have 20 cattle, but not 50! Hopefully your men will reach this place in time…

Forces: one 140 point Viking band. Christian – may not take berserkers

Goals:

Survive the encounter

Either kill the leaders of the Ketilsson clan or negotiate a new blood price that you can afford.

If the end is nigh, find a priest to receive last rites

Sigmar starts the game in the rath with the Irish. He is accompanied by up to 4 of his followers, which can include no more than 2 veterans and cannot include the standard bearer. The standard bearer and the rest of the followers will enter from a pre-determined table edge on turn one.

Gunnvaldr Ingolsson

You have followed your brother’s lead and accepted the Christian faith, but with less gusto and more trepidation than your brother. This episode with Erik seems like a message from the Old Gods and many of your men agree. Still the bonds of clan must be satisfied and destroying the Ketilsson clan strength would improve your own position. Perhaps if they can be reduced in strength, a bargain can be struck for your brother’s honor. Of course, if your brother were to die in battle you would be left to lead the clan…

Forces: one 140 point Viking band. Christian – may not take berserkers

Goals:

Survive the encounter

Either kill the leaders of the Ketilsson clan or negotiate a new blood price that you can afford.

End the game with more strength than your brother and with the Ignolssons stronger than the Ketilssons

Enter from a pre-determined table edge on turn one.

Flotsam and Jetsam: Pig Wars Batrep

The coast is not so lovely this time of year...

Last Friday saw another "big ole" game of Pig Wars. This time, I am proud to say, I showed up with two complete warbands totaling 39 models altogether. I really had to shoehorn one of those warbands in points-wise to make it fit, so most of the figs were militia quality. We had five total players, two represented Northern Vikings (the Dubh Linn'ers), two represented rival Southern Vikings (the Wexfordians), and the last group represented the shipwrecked survivors from the Church and the band Irishmen sent out to rescue said survivors.


Tom's Wexford Vikings arrive and head straight to the Irish rescuers


Bob's Wexford Vikings spy the makeshift shore camp and set phasers to pillage


On the opposite side of the table were mine and Ken's two warbands, the Northern Vikings. We came in together along the shoreline and split up after that. There wasn't really a plan, just go whack the other guys in the head and take their stuff, pretty standard.

As you can see from these pics, the table really makes the game. I love the touch of all the broken up timbers washed upon the shoreline. Having all painted armies kind of goes without saying too, but it's a standing 'rule' (for lack of a better word) around these parts anyway. Also, as is my usual M.O., I get the luxury of posting cheap camera phone pics quickly and being completely fuzzy on any semblance of historical context or scenario details.


My Dubh Linn Vikings scavenge coastal wreckage looking for loot


The shipwrecked survivors erect a makeshift fortification


As the Vikings approach, the Monks close ranks


First contact with the survivors was made by my warband. Up top, by the makeshift rampart you can see the devastating charge of my Beserker, felling two defenders before they were able to react. This of course exhausted him, and he collapsed from fatigue the next turn.

Meanwhile, Bob's warband was closing in fast on the other side of the encampment. Had we been allies, it would have been a nice pincer strategy. As it was, he was just one more headache to worry about. There was no love lost between the rival bands, and while I had men engaged with the shipwrecked, he charged in as well, attacking both the embattled groups. It really all came down to morale checks (and subsequent rallying) as well as that all-important initiative draw. Had a couple of these gone differently in the last turn or two, my warband's dismal performance may have been able to be redeemed by the end of the game.


Our homemade saga cards add that extra little bit of flair to the game, and this time I made sure my warband had plenty of build points to pick up three of these. Every warband also got a bonus saga card in the beginning, so I was starting out with a whopping four cards. Looking at these cards you can get a good feel for the enhancements they bring to the table.

Swift of Foot: Allows one model to move as if they're encumberance rating was one level 'lighter'. Basically a mailed/shielded model could move as if they were mail only, etc. I gave this card to my single Berserker model who was mail only. So he was now moving as if he was unarmored, which was great, a whopping 12" per turn for the big guy.

Great Coat: This is basically an heirloom level mail hauberk. I immediately gave it to my warband's leader. Since the figure has a pronounced, ahem, codpiece, which I painted a bright, vivid gold, he didn't have an heirloom hauberk, but a vintage codpiece.

War Leader: You get to give your high hold card to anyone needing it within LOS, pretty good stuff. I never actually used this during the game, but had to give it to my leader model as well, if for no other reason than he was, duh, the warband leader after all.

Heimdall's Horn: This one affects the standard bearer of the warband, of which is a compulsory troop selection anyway. It always you an automatic rally of a routing unit, which given the nature of all our troops running away all game long, is very handy. Unfortunately, my standard bearer bit the dust pretty early in the game (my own mistake) and I never got to use this card. Ironically, I think I failed a morale test and routed because my standard died!

Overall I'm not going to say anything I haven't already; the game was fun, the terrain was beautiful, the scenario was inventive, and the company enjoyable. All in all, a Friday night well spent. There were legitimate digital cameras in attendance (with mini-tripods), so I suspect a proper batrep may show up on Repple Depple at one point.

The Last of the Vikings

Eli had joked with me, even my non-gamer wife was incredulous, but yes, this is the last of Project Viking! Now I know what you're saying, "Seriously? You're a gamer, how can you be done DONE?" Well, you've all seen my immediate queue, that's not going anywhere. Plus that queue doesn't include the recently built Deathwatch, or the incredibly massive, jaw-dropping huge Flames of War army that is en route as we speak! So yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm done painting Vikings, at least for a good, long while. Forty should suffice.


Byrnjolf, the all-father

This one is my mythically huge, non-historical helmet-wearing über Viking. We use Pig Wars, but with just that 'touch of epic' I've mentioned, so his size and brawn won't be exactly out of place on the tabletop. I love the figure, just not happy with my color selection.


Baldur the Brave

You may know this guy as Felix, but I'm going to call him Baldur the Brave, Wearer of the Golden Codpiece. I was doing the usual, rooting around a bits box and found this guy, partially primed, and wanting to get on the tabletop. The addition of a plastic shield and he is good to go. It's a fun model, and with the clean-shaven (but scarred) face, and the cool sword with the dragon pommel (heirloom weapon anyone?) he really stands apart from the rest.


Hæfnir the Swift

My unobtrusive standard bearer was a late-minute addition. In Pig Wars a standard bearer is pretty much compulsory, but I didn't have one handy. This guy is a basic spearman, which I glued on a low-res printout of a banner. He should be able to get the job done.


Torsten, the White Wolf

You know how I track the yearly totals up in the top right? Well you'll see I've only bought one figure in 2010 (so far), and you're looking at him. I just liked him, I think it was the large fur cloak he had, or maybe the padded armor. Anyway, I bought him off Bob for less than a buck, which was money well spent! He'll be the leader of my peasants and farmers.