Club Night 8th February - Saga

This week was supposed to be the start of a FoG game but we put it off because the club is having roof work done and we didn't want figures left out on our table while builders might be traipsing in and out. When we want something quick that needs no planning we normally turn to Malifaux or Saga. Saga it was then.

We've only played Saga perhaps three times before, with months between each game, so we can never remember the rules. (We abandoned one game because we cocked it up so badly!) To keep things simple we went for a 4 point game.

Keith (Viking filth) and I (noble Anglo-Danish) both went for Warlord, 2 Hearthguard and 2 Warriors for 6 dice. I took one lot of Hearthguard (Huscarls) with Danish axes.

We think the terrain generation rules in Saga are the biggest pile of crap ever so we just agreed on a table set up that was pleasing to our eyes. This meant that we'd ruled out a couple of the scenarios so we chose the standard 'Clash of Warlords'.

I won the role off to start deployment and here's what we ended up with...

Whole table from South

Anglo-Dane left flank then right flank

Viking right flank

Whole table from North (showing Viking left flank)

At that point the batteries ran out in my camera... Bugger!

The Vikings went first and swept forward along the whole line (though rather slowly through the wood). This allowed one of my Huscarl units to hit a Bondi unit in the flank but although the odds were in my favour some freaky defense roles led to a draw and the Huscarls falling back. It was my Anglo-Danes who made most of the offensive actions throughout turn two too but no real advantage was gained either way. The Viking Warlord hung back and hid like a big girl and would continue to do so for the whole game.

I went on to the defensive in turns three and four and a Bondi unit followed by a Hirdmen unit discovered the potency of Shieldwall combined with Hard as Iron. This left us both with one good unit each (he had more Hirdmen, I had Ceorls) and our Warlords as well as scrap ends of other units.

My Warlord had been left dangerously exposed as his Ceorl ablative shield died around him and finally succumbed to a charge by the Hirdmen, he took three of them with him but took five wounds himself (all in the front). Instant victory to the Scum from the North and their pansy hide at the back Warlord. Great fun and I don't think we got any rules wrong this time.

Only snag is I now have a yearning for some Byzantines...