A REAL BATTLE REPORT!!!!

Hello everyone,

 

I hope all is well on your respective ends. Well, as the title says, this post is all about battle reporting! Yup, it has been some time, but after almost a year I was able to get together with Mike and Duncan to get some proper gaming in. Given some of the homelife dynamics that we have to be careful of, the vaccine deployment has offered some relief on that front, so it seemed like the right time to hit the table!

 

Now as always, Mike has beaten me to the punch, so you can read his side of events here. 

Not only did this give me an opportunity to get a game in, but at Duncan's suggestion of SAGA it also gave me an opportunity to get my Viking Warband on the table...I've had these gents waiting in the wings for some time so just showing up was already a win-win.

Onto the reporting!

The table size was standardish size of the gamemat, I think about a 3x3 with some scattered terrain about the field...some trees and rock formations. Mike was setup on my left (Natives) and Duncan (witchcrafty/sorceror Norse Gaels) on my right, and I setup my Viking War Chief, the fearless Bohner Offheft, along with a Hearthguard, Berserkers, and 2 groups of Warriors.

The Setup:

Duncan’s Gaels…3 Hearthguards and a buttload of SAGA sorcery.

Mike’s warband…I think 1 Hearthguard and 3 warriors with some javelin throwers…so pretty much the only ranged capability on the table.

And my Vikings…Warriors centre and right, Zerkers on the left, Hearth just behind Bohner.

The Mixup:

Duncan leaps forward to Mike's leading warriors and makes some noise with them...

Moving up, Zerkers taking to the woods

Mike's warriors maneuvering...

Mike's warriors move to the edge of the woods, my Zerkers go...well berserk and charge into contact.

Much flailing and bloodlusting...each group fought to the last man.

Duncan moving Hearthguards forward, my warriors continue moving towards the clearing...some what line abreast...very organized.

My warriors leap from the hill crest and charge into contact with one of Duncan's Hearthguard.

 

After much bloodletting each group is down to one each...7 warriors and 3 heartguards to the end.

 Mike sitting pretty with 2 groups of warriors and his warchief

 

At this point, I rush my hearthguard forward to relieve the sole warrior and met out Viking justice...whatever that may be...sounds just like what I've doing...rush foward and bash! If I remember correctly, my hearthguard do their thing...kill Duncan's last guard, but then they get jumped by his Warchief and lose a couple of their number...but it forces Brodir back...and he takes some hits...

 

  Bohner rushes forward...I think he fights Duncan's warchief, gets him good and tired...and then Mike throws a javellin at him and kills him...sigh. My warriors keep up the pressure and rush the rock formation dealing damage to Mike's warriors and then push left to go toe to toe with his other grouping...

Bonher joins his warriors and Mike throws another javelin volley to reduce our numbers...he is successful and pulls out ahead for the victory.

Final view of the field of battle...not much left. I lost one group of warriors, my hearthguard, and berserkers...a great day for Valhalla, but not much combat power at the end of the game.

Overall a very enjoyable slugfest and great to have the gaming opportunity.

SAGA - Battle Report

Hello folks,

A couple of weeks back I had the chance to get a game of Saga in with Duncan and Mike...it had been some time since I had put a warband on the table so I was pretty pumped to get my Crusaders into the field.  Similar to last time, my force looked great, but hit the field rather horseless...that's okay, I haven't had a serious go at trying to paint horses yet and given where my painting is at these days I am pretty happy with my current warband.

Anyhow, the game went pretty smooth, luckily for me the guys have a great grip on the ruleset and battleboard which let me focus on trying to relearn as much as possible and get engaged.  If I remember correctly, the scenario was the multi-player scenario from the book (I think there may only be one) and it came down to collecting as many points as possible...the warlord collected points by making charges (a little tough for grunts, pretty cool for horse soldiers), survivability, kill numbers, and killing the other warlord.

At the end, Duncan came in first, I was second, and Mike took final slot...to be fair, Mike did an excellent job of placing his troops in very accessible positions.  So yeah, he generously set up his force equitably...and Duncan and I may have made some liberties with that.

I'll do my best to write some narrative as the pics go by...but please enjoy them nonetheless.  Cheers.

Initial setup...ish.  This is near the beginning of our first turn.  Duncan has deployed to the left, Mike is at top of the field with some of his force, the remainder is in mid-field mixing it up with my Foot Soldiers.  They took an initial charge from Mike's cavalry and some hits between his archers and my crossbowman. 

bit of a close-up...lost a couple of men, took an archer or two with them...

The battle board...some very awesome abilities there...the board feels very crusadery...very apropos...

The Soldiers take another round of hits...Mike moves his troops forward, Duncan harasses his lines with charges and special moves 

Mike's archers finally fall to my crossbowman...his cavalry take a beating from Duncan...and I slowly move my grunts forward with my Warlord prodding them along.

My lone Soldier squares of against the galloping horde...dies a true crusader death...

My warriors move forward and have varied success mixing it up...

The rest of the force make their way to supporting my crossbowman...

 the crossbowman join their crusading brothers in the light...between the pics, Mike's troops are taken apart piecemeal by both Duncan and I, his Warlord goes out swinging, and Duncan and I start getting some close range contact.  AND then we run out of time.  All in all, an other excellent game.

Past Games...Part 2 - Walking Dead and SAGA!

Howdy folks,

Another post, another new month, another snowfall, lol...I think we're supposed to get about a half a foot of snow today, and maybe some rain later this afternoon.  As promised from my last post, here are some more pics of games gone by...this time a little Walking Dead that we played in November/December timeframe and most recently some SAGA in the new year.

The Walking Dead was entertaining as usual; Duncan had an opportunity to showcase some more of his terrain...it looked very cool...and this time he tried out setting up some alternate objectives for each player rather than the usual slug/shoot fest.

The layout from my perspective...my crew (a lost family) had the task of searching for some family members who had become separated; we entered from the bottom of the table and headed towards the Blue Motor Inn.  Mike's team entered table right...I think they were a bunch of bikers, etc...and Ed's team entered table left, they were a bunch of rough and tumble convicts looking to make a break for it.

 

From this angle you can see Ed's crew decked out in orange...their leader looked a little rough so I immediately took the opportunity to put a few rounds into him. I think I put him down after turn 3 or 4...a little proactive defence.

 

From here you can see Mike's crew...if I recall, for the most part we kept each at length with no exchange of gunfire. The family makes its way to the second floor to look for their lost members.

along the way we find a supply cache with a desert eagle in it...good find!

We successfully find the twins in one of the rooms, but there are zombies to deal with before we can make our egress.  The twins take care of business and the family is reunited.  Over at the gas station, Mike and Ed are having a small tete-a-tete punctuated with shotgun and grenade blasts.

Final shot of the game before I departed...I had a party to get to at my house...Ed's cons rushing into the gas station and contending with some distractions at the same time.  All in all...a very good game.

Early this year, I had the chance to try out SAGA 2.0...it had been some time since I tried it out, but it was great to try the new rules and to get my Crusaders on the table again.

Initial setup...Duncan on my left with a very mobile cavalry type force (can't remember who he was fielding); MIke on my right with a mix of foot and horse (again, can't remember who he was leading); me occupying the difficult to pass "high ground" with my foot heavy force of Crusaders.  Crossbowman deployed in an L with apex facing the bad guys...hearthguard hanging with the boss behind them, and 2 groups of soldiers/knights armed with shields and one handed weapons.  No levies for me.

Looking right...

Looking left...

We really like this hill...

I mean, it feels very comfortable...

And funny enough, first charges and moves look to be directed straight at me...

throwing some bolts at Mike...taking some in return as well...Duncan and Mike sparing outside of my range but well in front of my line.  Mike pushing horse traversing my 6...

Duncan and Mike mixing it up at my 1 O'clock...my own knights mixing it up with Duncans troops as well pushing from our sacred hill...

troops moving back and forth...starting to get the hang of the battleboards...

Duncan getting ready to let loose with his cavalry at my stick of knights...

horse everywhere...some mutual swipes at each other...

Duncan heads his cavalry over to do battle with Mike's horse...via my lone stick of knights...it was a little punishing.

starting to take some noticeable hits...

Cavalry furballs behind me...

My leader and Duncan's leader drop the gloves and have a donnybrook! If I recall, I rolled fairly well for this and I took his horse and leader down...chalk one up to the grunts!

 

All in all, another fun go at SAGA...and two excellent games in the end and beginning of the years.

WHATS NEXT

1. some pics of the first painted figs of the year, completed in January and February

2. some pics of a new game I just picked up as well...