If you had asked me a few months ago if I would be playing ancients or even painting them I would have looked at you, cocked an eye and said “are you kidding? no way” In fact I had just sold my last Ancient army (only ever had two!) A beautiful “Tactica” Late Roman army composed of Essex figures. I had kept that army on display for 15 years without using it…..

SAGA’s Basic rules are all you need to start.

So when I started hearing the buzz about these “SAGA” rules I didn’t take much notice, ancients rules come and go all the time…. but then a few people I have a lot of respect for started to talk about them.

When the email list of my old gaming group the “Dogs of War” started to buzz about it and they began to play SAGA on their traditional Saturday game days coupled up with my job preventing me from playing up in my area on Fridays nights I decided to make the 20 minute drive down to the “Dog Pound” to see first hand what the “buzz” was really about. ( in the fishing world this is is where the bait has hit the water and the gets the fishes attention)

Saturday morning was hectic and I got a late start down to the “Dog Pound”. When I arrived I found Tim had designed a scenario for SAGA, a large one that he wanted to play test. The battle already had a full roster of players so I decided to just sit and watch the action while catching up with fellow “Dogs”. Tim’s scenario was beautiful with a nicely airbrushed games mat and a brand new scratch built “berg”? or stockade in the middle. The sea shore of England formed one end of the mat complete with dock and 2 Viking longboats! The opposite side was a huge forest. The scenario involved Ragnar Lothbrok being trapped by approaching Normans and trying to make it to the boats. The Normans started along the northern edge of the battlefield, played by Galen and Clark (Clark’s frikken 7 and a better player than many a gamer I know) Ragnar and the Bergs occupants were controlled by Chris Armstrong, with the dubious Anglo Danes controlled but Frank V. coming to help him…. The battle progressed slowly and as a first time “look see” was not that appealing. (The fish is just not liking the presentation of the bait) Well just as I was about to pack it up Chris A had to leave and as he walked out the door shot me a glance and said “your Ragnar!” crap I’m thrust into the roll of the main character in the battle and I have no idea on how to play the game, much less how the scenario is to be won!

Additional “expansion sets” allow you to field other armies as well as ad in some variables to game play.

So after being guided through a few turns, finding out the Normans can shoot further than me and are content to just sit outside and slowly pummel me with arrows I can’t return I ask Tim “just what is Ragnar’s mission?” Tim replies “to get to the boats and escape”. Ok great, now rather than wait till the Normans weaken me further I decide to have Ragnar (whose own rescue Viking force has moved off the boats and arrived at the gate) make a run out of the Berg and to the ships…. I did not trust the motives of the Anglo Danes as they seemed reluctant to close with the Normans and I suspected treachery.

So out of the gate flies Ragnar and his bodyguard, “charge” cries Clark to his Norman Knight’s (who knew they could go so far!), Ragnar takes cover behind a group of stout looking lads, wait that’s not armor their wearing but pig dung covered jerkins, “what? Those are levy? They die on a what” crap! The Norman Nights crash home, dead Levy, dead bodyguards, dead Ragnar, game over….. After a lot of ribbing and what were you thinking I pack up my pride and go home… (Fish swims away from the bait)

So the next week I’m a bit deflated about my intro into SAGA and wonder if its for me…I see from emails there will be more SAGA next weekend and decide to go early and see if I can get in a small one on one learning game in. (fish swims around pond hungry and still thinking about that bait…..fish decides to swim back there and give it a second look)

So arriving early to have a bit of time to kibitz and peruse one of the club copies of SAGA I talked with Chris Snell and Galen Yee about SAGA warbands and what miniatures they recommended. We were supposed to start to play at around 1pm but due to one of those all to frequent LA freeway disasters (insert picture of overturned tanker truck here) Tim and wife Jennifer were about 2 hours late! Now this was bad for them but equally bad for me…two hours of looking at all those beauty full 28mm miniatures…both on the internet and in the GIANT dog pound permanent collection (the fish swimming up was liking the look of the bait…but was it more than he could chew?)

Tim wanted to do his large scenario again but the turnout at the pound was light this Saturday and I mention I would like to do a small learning game….Tim was happy to oblige…(Tim being a good fisherman knew when to make a second cast and try a different presentation)

I was soon in command of a 6 point Viking force. While the “Dogs” have lots of the SAGA army’s I felt the Vikings were the “vanilla” of warbands and probably the best with which to get a good impression with. Tim made it even better by taking a mirror image warband that would allow me to learn from his moves how to handle my army warband as well. We deployed and with Galen kindly acting as my “Aide de Camp” and helping me with game mechanics as well as pointer on what I might do during a turn soon had me handling some task alone. The game lasted only about an hour and a half and I was dead, again, but this time having felt that I had a least had a chance and learned much about the mechanics of SAGA. (The “fish” is getting interested in the bait and lured in….)

The Warbands face off trying to gain an advantage on the flank

Wait, didn’t this unit have 12 archers a minute ago? Tim’s Archers fall to my good rolls and battle board dice reducing his armor and increasing my attack dice.

Having enjoyed the small game and all of us ready for a bite to eat we decided to go for some true “Viking” fare so went to the Japanese place around the corner. After a lot of dinner chat about SAGA we returned to the pound where Tim made a final cast and lured me into another game of SAGA…. (Many times when fishing and having a slightly hesitant fish, anglers will retrieve the bait before the fish strikes making it worried at missing the meal, a mad fish has less hesitation the next time bait is presented….) This time the game went quickly and bold moves were made on both sides, I felt I had learned enough to put some simple strategy together using the battle board and dice. The dice gods were rolling my way and good timing and shooting soon caused Tim to alter his battle plan and counter strike my attack in the center that was close to destroying his second full unit. He sent in his Warlord and Berserkers hoping to stop my Warrior unit in its tracks. No dice! Meaning I got the dice and Tim didn’t….. It went down to the wire and I had one more hit on his Warlord than he could save, dead Warlord, game over, I had won! ( this was the part were after grabbing the bait  the fish realizes he has been “hooked” and sees, to late, the net about to scoop him up….)

So after some post game kibitzing I said my goodbyes and thank you’s to the group and headed home feeling like a child before Christmas with thoughts of shiny new rules and great additions to the “lead pile”

Nice job Tim and the rest of you Dogs……..

This picture says it all, Tim wondering what happened…. his Warlord with only one Beserker left (at lower left) facing my band of Warriors is about to die.
Of course this might also be Tim trying to cover up his “smirky smile” from knowing that he’s truly hooked me…..