Saga Club (Return to)

I have not played Saga in almost four years, but given good reports about the second edition, and being aware of an active play group, I decided I would rather play frequent, short, small miniature games, than not play at all.  Plus, good way to meet new players, try different venues, etc.

Black Tree Design Saxons, prepped and glued to squares of cereal box cardboard for painting.

I've owned the above Black Tree Design figures for over four years and never got around to painting them.  I had not sold them because I always though they were nice sculpts and you never know.  In the intervening four years I did, however, sell quite a few painted Saga warband figures (all my Welsh), and others I used for Saga were rebased on multibases for use in Late Roman/Arthurian games (early Saxons and Irish).  This cleared the runway for the Black Tree figures to finally be painted. I remembered to take progress photos this time...

Figure primed with thin coat of gesso. I really like this pose.

Figures block painted but prior to a wash with a matte medium/water/black paint mixture.

Some figures after applying the wash.

More figures after applying the wash.

Still more figures after applying the wash. The draco figure originally had a cast banner pole. I trimmed that off, drilled out his hand, added a steel wire pole, and topped it with a plastic draco from an old Wargames Factory sprue.

Completed figures out on parade on my gaming table.

Figures in the rear are the Eureka Miniatures' "Beowulf Retinue" set. I painted those years ago but touched them up (as well as 8 Crusader Miniatures' Saxon axemen) to get this warband to over 50 figures.

With the new Saxon warband painted up, I set a game with Pete and we met on Friday after work. I used the Viking battleboard and ran six points of all warriors in five units. Pete ran Pagan Rus, with three warrior groups and a eight-figure hearthguard. 

Pete spent the first two or three turns backpedaling or keeping his distance while I crawled across the board.

Finally there was some action in the center which his Rus got the better of.

To be honest, up to turn 4 out of 5 I was starting to feel that the game was a bit rubbish and maybe I had made a mistake in trying to get back in. We'd been playing for almost an hour and the majority of figures had not been in combat yet. But then on the last turn I rolled two rare symbols and got to play the Ragnarok ability, which gave all my units a free charge activation, so there was melees all around. I was already losing at this point (somewhat badly, at that), but some decent attacks made it respectable.

I need to remember to take more of these low-angle shots as they look much better. The "table overview" shots in these skirmish games look rather bland...

We'll see where this all leads but I have low expectations. It was simply nice to meet someone for a quick in-person game after work.

LizardRat War

I swear I've either been painting this army on and off forever or finished painting it forever ago, but as the fall wargaming season lurks upon us I finally played a game of Dragon Rampant, Dan Mersey's fantasy spin-off of Lion Rampant.  I was running a Ratpeople army of figures by Games Workshop, Black Tree Design, and Reaper Miniatures.  Gabe was running Lizardmen from a similar field of manufacturers.

We started off playing the 'hunt-for-crystals' scenario but using sheep instead of crystals, but quickly realized that my preference for 4'x3' play-spaces caused that objective to be accomplished with absolutely no one getting in combat at all - not even any harsh language!

So we just added the 'Bloodbath' scenario objectives on and kept playing.

My big moment then finally arrived! My summoner conjured the demon Orcus to appear on the battlefield!  I had not told Gabe that I had purchased or painted this model so that was a fun surprise!

Less fun but also a shock to both of us was that greater warbeasts like Orcus and a hydra can kill each other really fast or weaken each other really quick!  The hydra dispatched Orcus back to the helldimensions, but some determined ratpeople managed to eventually slay the hydra.

Many slayed figures later, Gabe cakewalked to the win, having achieved the bloodbath objective and several self-imposed objectives as well. Me? Well the ratpeople stole more sheep so that's something!

Land Wasters and Raven Feeders

Tried Dan Mersey's own Arthurian/Dark Age Britain variant of Lion Rampant.  Same rules, just some units renamed, some not available.  We set up 24 points per side, "Britons" (a mix of Welsh and Romano-British figs) vs. Saxons.  Each side has 2 units foot Companions ("men-at-arms" in Lion Rampant) , 2 units Warriors ("fierce foot" from LR), and 2 units of skirmishers ("Bidowers").  Scenario was "Hold on Tight" from LR, which I assumed would move us to a quick conclusion.

The central piece of terrain each side was trying to hold was the rock-strewn ford of the river.

I was playing the Saxon dogs and was perhaps to hesitant.  I could have easily dropped a unit of companions on the crossing early on but instead tried to set up a situation where my warriors could stream across either on their own or via wild charges.

Instead what happened is the Briton companions got there first. And then the Saxon warriors who were all in position to attack those British companions got shot to pieces by British skirmishers and broke and ran.

On the other flank British and Saxon warrior wild charged each other in the river and both units broke and limped off home to lick their wounds.

The British Companions, meanwhile, were racking up the five points necessary to win the scenario by just always starting their turn at the crossing.  The Saxon warlord and his personal bodyguard (the other unit of companions) risked an assault, and were repelled, the fifth and final point went to the Britons.

This game was ridiculously fast.  Somewhere between and hour and 90 minutes long.  Recommend!