A Day of Saga

Mark B made his gaming room available so we could play a few games of Saga to celebrate a visit by Paul. 

We had with four players and decided to start easy with four point armies, in paired set of the Clash of Warlords scenario. 

We were using the new Saga rules which Mark B had, that Olivier claimed to have read and that I am indifferent to (Saga in general, it's not really my thing and besides my army has never been successful).  At least Paul knew the rules (mostly, we had to look a few things up).

My Vikings turned into Saxons and fought Paul's Moors. 

My warband advancing

My warband full of doubt facing the Moors.

After six turns of mostly doubt, it was a draw.

At least we had had one combat.

While our game was progressing, Mark B and Olivier were also playing, but struggling with the rules.  Paul helped adjudicate and they got a few moves done before we broke for lunch.

 Then it was time for A Feast of Crows.

Olivier was desperate for a four way.

My Vikings continue their dismal time as Saxons (lower right).

Next is Olivier's shiny Pagans.

Then Mark B's slightly less shiny Crusaders.

Very top right hand is Simon's Spanish doubling as Moors,

 run to start with by Paul, but ultimately Brendan.

Simon and Stephen N were spectators.

 The Pagans kept teleporting into this wood and I spent time hunting them down.

 Target rich environment for my levy.

(Annoyingly when I took this photo they were meant to be in focus 

with the semi painted figures in the blurry distance.)

 Some of my Saxons stripped down ready for action.

(Again this photo has reversed the intent, perhaps that's a good thing).

 Climax of the battle as the Moors charge the Crusaders.

 My Saxons warriors keep looking for Pagans in the woods.

The final position.

The Moors finished on 9 points, having avoided most of the fighting as befits their limited army configuration.

The Pagans and Saxons were each on 10 points having mostly fought each other.

The Crusaders had a mighty 15 points (and by far the largest remaining force). 

Thanks Mark B for arranging this enjoyable day and to Paul for providing the incentive.

My Vikings need Ullr

Last night Gerry helped me out by playing yet another game of Saga with me in order to complete this leg of the Six by Six challenge.  There is now just one DBA game to go and I intend cashing in my Father's Day present to achieve that.

The Scenario we went with was Clash of Warlords.  Sadly my Vikings were back to their old form.

 My first attack had the advantage, all I needed to get hits were 3s or better.

I lost five men, the dwarvish Scots just two.

 My attempt to get ascendancy on my left was a failure.

However I was happy with overall deployment.

 Then I launched three attacks on the right.

All were beaten off.

 I regrouped ready to attack again.

 I just needed 4s or better...

 In frustration I sent in my berserkers.

It was a bad move but I was sure I would get a few 5's or 6s.

I got one.

Then I was down to my Warlord.  

Luckily I had remembered the Ullr ability that allows my army to reroll misses on the attack dice.

No Warlords were hurt in this engagement, but I went down, 40 to 33.  If my last attack had been a bit more lucky...

Sacred Ground

Finally my Vikings get a win.  With this scenario it paid to go first and get an early victory over the enemy.

 The Vikings moved up to the sacred hills, but did not dare set foot on them.

 But when the Scots trampled on the sacred ground, the Vikings attacked and flung them off.

 The Vikings were then in a very strong position, points wise,

having all their men up on the hills.

The Scots had two units left and sent them in.  

The Vikings repulsed them after some hard fighting.

While the centre hill had to be abandoned,

the Viking Warlord still got to celebrate a victory.

This is the first victory for my Saga Vikings.  Also the first time I can recall playing this scenario.  Also first time not using the levies.

The Saga of Vikings versus Scots

Last night at the club Gerry and I had a friendly game of Saga.  It was my Vikings worst performance ever, couldn't hit, couldn't save, could die in droves.

 It was scenario 2, Battle at the Ford.

My thralls were placed in the middle and did very little.

 I got in first sending in  party of warriors to take the right hand bridge.

They did no good.

 The short Scots then attacked and wiped them out.

 I tried something different on the left hand bridge.

I waited for them.

It did no good.  My warriors were again slaughtered.

On both sides I had bands of hirdmen who I then sent in, hoping they would be able to beat the slightly reduced Scottish warriors.  They couldn't.

Then is was time for the berserkers.

They had limited success, at least wiping out a band of Scottish warriors, 

before being destroyed by a party of Scottish hearthguard.

 At least my opponent enjoyed the game.

Normans and Vikings

Brendan suggested I use his Normans and he would use my Vikings.  Sounded good to me.  After reviewing the many scenarios available, we settled on the old favourite, Clash of Warlords.

The Viking levy hide in a wood

The Viking warlord has one band of warriors (12) backed by some hearthguard (4)

And the same again on the other side.

I put the peasants behind the swamp and sergeants with crossbows in the front,

ready to unleash a storm of arrows.

Then I send in one of my eight man units of mounted hearthguard.

They wipe out the Viking warriors,

 but are assailed and in turn destroyed by the other unit of Viking warriors.

Then the Viking warlord leads an attack on the sergeants.

They are also destroyed but the Viking warlord is left exposed.

My warlord sees his chance.

Charge!

One dead Viking warlord.  I think this was my first Saga victory.  Sadly yet another loss for my Vikings.

Twin Saga

Yesterday Simon and I played two games of Saga back to back.  My Vikings against his Normans (occasionally disguised as Andalusians).  Just four points aside as I was rusty and this was Simon's first game(s) of Saga.

First up we did Clash of Warlords

I had success with my Hirdmen against some Norman Sergeants.

Although I ended up having to swap them out with some Bondi

But my Warlord had the ultimate success.

Then we tried the Sacred Ground scenario.

I seized the hill.

Some of my Bondi sneaked a look into the adjacent field.

While my Thralls attempted to put a few arrows into the enemy on their way to the wood.

Being on the hill was all very well, but I was not getting enough VPs.

My first attempt to capture the field was repulsed with heavy loss.

So in went my Warlord.

My other unit of Bondi entered the wood, but didn't attempt to evict the enemy.

My Warlord fought valiantly and died.

Both games were very successful and lots of fun.

oldSarges Wargame and Model blog: Saga Helper Cards

oldSarges Wargame and Model blog: Saga Helper Cards: "Facebook has become a source for me at least a great place to find gaming ideas.  Here is a set of SAGA cards for just about all the main fighting factions.  Check out the link. SAGA cards"

This post from Old Sarge takes you to here: http://www.lowkemedia.com/saga.html

These summary cards look great and I am sure will be very helpful.

Saga Three Ways

Paul with his work in progress Vikings, Stas with his Pagan Rus and my Vikings met in a Feast of Crows.

The Pagan Rus

Bungled photo of my Vikings

The Other Vikings

We all had similar sized forces with no missile troops and hearthguard at least fifty percent.

Pagan Rus as seen through the blood mist of berserker rage 

(No idea what happened to that photo)

Another weird photo as my guys go into the woods.

The Rus hit the other Vikings.

A bunch of my warriors eye the opposition.  The snow looks deep.

While some of my hearthguard look at the opposition on the other side.

My beserkers take out the Rus warlord.  For once they rolled good, real good.

The other Vikings attack, but my Warlord resists.

The Pagan Rus moving up to attack.

We hold off against the other Vikings.

But are pushed by by the Rus.

We maybe few, but at least I kept my Warlord, the other Viking's Warlord having fallen to the Rus.

Stas won by a long way (26 points) and Paul and I effectively tied (at around 13 points) when Paul's use of Valhalla was properly accounted for.  I claimed morale victory as only my Warlord still stood upon the snowy landscape.