5th July - Saga vs The Brother

Two weeks in a row! Such a thing is unheard of, but it's true. So this week we got together again at The Brother's house and pushed some minis around again, this time Saga. My Vikings took to the field again against a changed Welsh line up. The previous game ended in a victory for myself with a last turn push over the river in the Cross the Ford scenario. This time we decided to play just a standard Clash of the Warlords game.

The other big change this game was the size of our forces with both of us having more options available. This time we played a full size six point game.

Vikings

One Warlord

One choice of Beserkers (Special Hearthguard)

Two choices of Hirdmen (Hearthguard)

Two choices of Bondi (Warriors)

One choice of Thralls w/- Bow (Levies)

Welsh

One mounted Warlord

Two choices of mounted Teulu (Hearthguard)

Three choices of Priodaur (Warriors)

One choice of Bonnedig w/- Bow (Levies)

I deployed all my choices as standard units, four for hearthguard, eight for warriors and twelve for the levies. The Brother set his up in larger blocks with one massive eight man hearthguard unit and two twelve man warrior units and again his levies as a twelve man block.

Bird's eye view of the battlefield

Welsh battleline

Viking forces

The forces lined up across the table with The Brother winning deployment thanks to his much grander facial hair (damn tied roll rule). However at the end of deployment I managed to grab the first play and we got down to business.







Both of our first turns saw abysmal rolls with the saga dice so all we had was both of us moving up towards our opponent.

The centre of the field as the action begins

The Thralls soften the Teulu

And the Beserkers take their toll

The saga dice must be cursed! Another terrible roll on my part, but I could still get some moves out. Pushing the levies up into range of the Teulu. Taking a fatigue I then ordered them to fire. The shafts flew true but some hastily raised shields met the fall and but a single man fell from his saddle. Using the Warlord's 'We Obey' rules my Beserkers head toward the mounted men. A second activation see's them head in to cross blades. As they clash the fatigue seems to melt from the frothing Viking hearthguard thanks to Frigg and they fight with ferocity, just not the ferocity I was hoping for. One warrior falls, but they manage to pull two men from their lofty perches and hack them as they lie upon the ground and their comrades pull back.

Did I mention cowardly dogs?

The Brother responded in cowardly Welsh fashion hurling Javelins at the Berserkers cutting them all down using The Deadly Strike from distance before galloping to the edge of the battle field to rest up. He then pushed his right flank forward with the centre of the field now left hollow.

It was turn three I began to question the validity of a Levy choice for this particular scenario. Yes bows can be nice but, no in a scenario where the opponent can use hit and run tactics with particularly with mounted troops they just don't justify themselves. So I pushed them into the centre of the table and left them there for chance. It was also about this stage I realised that I would not be killing his Warlord (the scenarios victory condition) and needed to focus on getting a mass of kills for victory points. In view of this I began to push forward in order to get stuck in and get some kills. I did fire off a shot at his more central Priodaur mass but failed to get a single kill.

How could any red blooded warrior just
stand and take such taunting?

Did I mention cowardly Welsh tactics yet? The Brother began with Taunting my Bondi on my left, drawing them forward with rage but leaving them short of actually coming to grips and proving their manliness on their jeering foes. Then again a volley of javelin fire and a hasty retreat left me with another dead Viking. On the other flank he moved forward but was unable to get into range.

The Welsh line advances

The fourth turn for me was about positioning. I pulled back on the left to try to conserve casualties and to force The Brother to gain fatigue if he wanted to reach me in a single turn. On the right I pushed the Bondi out and around to get them ready for a hit at his Bonnedig. My Hirdmen pushed toward his Priodaur but due to some Holy Ground failed to make the distance falling just short. For him his right flank rested and on the left the Priodaur pulled back under covering fire from the Bonnedig but they were unable to fell any of the brave Hirdmen.

The aftermath of a truly epic melee

I began the fifth turn with my Bondi moving up toward the Bonnedig in an attempt to draw what The Brother would of course save anyway for the Hirdman, with them again finding Holy Ground between them and the Priodaur but the gap was closing. So the Bondi smashed into the Bonnedig filled with the power of Thor and Frigg and after an epic two round melee (which I of course got caught up in and forgot to photograph it in it's stages) left the young untried men decimated felling eight men at an admittedly high cost of four of themselves. The Brother began moving up into range, but the current victory total sitting slightly in his favour and having the last turn I think he felt confident enough not to push his forces opting to keep them fresh for a last turn push.

Turn six, do or die for me. Loading up my battle board I pushed the Bondi into the Bonnedig aiming to finish off the unit easily. Disaster! All four of my supposedly seasoned warriors fell to the bow wielding Welsh rabble only managing to take two of them out with them. Now trailing slightly my last hope was a change of Hirdmen into the Priodaur block, finally there was no Holy Ground to save them. A huge amount of blows struck true on both sides, but some how the Welsh armour proved to be the sturdier with all my hearthguard laying dead on the field with but an equal number of warriors joining them. I honestly don't think it could have been a more disappointing last turn for me.

More Welsh cowardice

The Brother smiling moved in for the kill with his mounted Teulu but despite two rounds of javelin fire including one with The Deadly Strike (which I admittedly countered with my Asgard ability) he only managed to take on more Viking out before the game ended.

The day closes and both sides
prepare to withdraw from the
field

The Brother took the day this time with a thirteen to eight victory. It was a hard fought game and well won in the end with his hit and run tactics clinching the win. I really enjoyed the game and I've got an idea of how to counter the tactic next time we clash, the Gods (Dice) willing.

Perhaps next time these two may cross blades.....

Check out his companion post for another view and a few more pictures of the game.