Picts Pounce on Viking Raiders in the Orkneys

Picts gather their forces to repel a Norse landing in the Orkney islands at our 1st game day in 2022

From the shelter of the trees, Drust watched the Norsemen begin to deploy in their battle lines. Their scouts must have spotted the presence of his Pictish warband. Either that, or they heard the baying of his hounds. Perhaps this time the dogs would do more than mark their territory in the trees! He was paying their pack master well, so hopefully the man and his hounds would earn their silver this time. Drust noticed that the rain clouds continued to gather and darken overhead, which was not ideal for his archers. He would need to start the battle soon, before the rain began to fall and affected his archers' bowstrings. Drust ducked back beneath the branches and summoned his nobles to give them their orders.

    Viking and Pictish warbands arrayed after my first turn of Pictish movement and shooting

We had an odd number of players for our first Saga game day in 2022. So, I helped organize the matchups then recorded all of the strategic actions, as we were starting a Saga campaign (see the post Strongholds Saga Campaign Underway in 2022) that meeting. I also recorded which player was attacking who, and what scenarios they chose to play. However, about 15 minutes after the games began, we had a brand-new player arrive at the Guardtower East who'd learned about our game days from our Saga Ohio Facebook page. He knew Andy S from other games (mainly Flames of War WW II), so I offered to teach him the game. I lent him my other Viking army (my two Viking armies are my most common loaners) and ran him through the Saga basics -- troop types, Saga dice, the turn order with Orders, Activations, etc. Once he seemed comfortable with the mechanics, we set up a simple Clash of Warlords game against my Picts. I explained that my army was heavily dependent on terrain, so urged him to cut off placing terrain at 3 pieces (I was Player 1, as it turned out). Our battlefield was a large circular woods in the center, a small fields he placed on his left, and a small woods I placed on my own left.

    A great opening shot by my levy javelin men transfix three of the six Viking elite hearthguards

I decided to give the war hounds another try ("Molossian" mercenaries from Age of Invasions). I figured the Viking's Odin ability would cut down on my shooting, so another Warrior unit would be better than a third levy one. I deployed my archers so I could rush them forward through the large woods in the center, my javelin men were placed in the left hand woods. I "refused" on the right flank where Daniel N (the new player) had placed his own levy bowmen. The three warrior units and the dog pack were deployed in a second line to support the levy. Daniel N deployed one of his 6-man hearthguard units opposite the javelin men, and an 8-man warrior unit opposite the center woods. I had a feeling he was going to advance them aggressively and try to take out my shooting units. With the Viking battle board's Odin ability, I knew I had to strike fast with my shooting. 

    In Saga, for every success there is a failure - such as the archers' lack of hits on these hearthguard

This was actually one of the times when being Player 1 was a benefit. No Odin to deal with on Turn 1 -- I could shoot to my heart's content without having to worry about being Exhausted by the one-eyed one's wrath at our cowardly archery! And even more luckily, I rolled a Stag (Rare) die for one of my three Saga dice I received as first player. I placed it on Scouts, which allows two (when using a Rare) units to move a Long distance -- the move not being reduced by terrain or fatigue. The archers and javelin levy raced forward just far enough so that all figures were within range. The archers shot and scored only one hit on the warrior unit opposite them. However, the javelin men -- eager to please their warlord Drust, the king's son -- transfixed three of the heavily armored Viking huscarles opposite them. Of course, they were given a bonus 3 attack dice with Stalking, but what a throw...er, roll!

    The 3 remaining hearthguard drive off and kill half of my javelin men in revenge, losing one

As Daniel rolled his first-ever Saga dice in battle, I talked him through, giving suggestions. I showed him how he would need two moves to reach my javelin men. He understood that would have them enter battle with a fatigue, but I pointed out how the Vikings' advanced Saga ability "Frig" would allow him to remove that before I could use it to reduce his armor or increase mine. I pointed out my 12 levy javelin men would roll only four dice in combat, so perhaps "Heimdall" would be worth it. It would lower HIS armor by one, but give him five more attack dice. He took my suggestions, finished placing his dice on his board, and waved forward his Vikings and launched his attack. The depleted, 3-man hearthguard unit cut down six of my 12 javelin men at the cost of only one man of their own. Revenge for Daniel!

    This was NOT going to be pretty: 6 Viking hearthguard charging a unit of Exhausted levy archers

On his left, he moved his other 6-man hearthguard unit to enter the woods and prepare to do the same thing to my archers next turn. He ended up with an empty battle board except for Odin -- which I stressed he should queue up as often as he could until my shooters were no threat anymore. On my turn 2, I decided to pull my archers back out of the woods and then shoot them at his advancing veteran hearthguard. I played "Stalking" for three more attack dice, bringing me to 9 dice. I talked him through the timing of when to play Odin. First, he used my leftover fatigue from turn 1's shooting to raise his armor to 6. This would leave them Exhausted and vulnerable next turn. My archers' shots must have all been deflected by the branches, because I scored no sixes and thus no hits on my nine dice.

However, on my left flank, I decided to take out his remaining two hearth guard in the woods. I advanced one of my Pictish warrior units and then charged them in with a second move. My board was loaded up for melee -- including Frenzy (plus 2 attack dice and re-roll all misses) and Ambush (+4 more attack dice). Daniel decided to close ranks in hopes of weathering the Pictish onslaught. He just missed doing so with his saving rolls. The Vikings were down an entire 6-man hearthguard unit at the cost of only one warrior and six levies, so far. And the woods on the left were ours again!

    With battle board loaded, a unit of Pictish warriors drives off the Vikings and slays all but one

The inevitable payback came on Daniel's half of the turn. His hearthguard charged into my Exhausted archers. He wisely played abilities that gave him lots of attack dice and managed the fatigue so that I could do no damage to him and he could kill as many of my levy as possible. One of the strengths of 12-man levy units is simply their numbers. The Viking hearthguard ended up rolling 13 hits -- yikes! Luckily, I rolled 3 saves, which meant my unit was not eliminated. The pair of surviving archers skedaddled towards the rear. 

    Finally - the war hounds see some action! The pack gallops in and tears the last Viking to pieces

This game was definitely one of charge, push the enemy back, then suffer the opponent's riposte. The counterattacking unit would then be vulnerable and attacked themselves. His remaining 6-man hearthguard was alone on my half of the with five of my units within striking range. How to deliver the death blow and kill all of them? Drust was VERY tempted to send in the dogs first to soften them up. One of the Molossians' advantages was that a combat with them gives two fatigues, instead of one. Then I could finish them off with a warrior unit. However, I knew that an eliminated mercenary unit provides the opponent with a bonus two points in scoring at game's end. So, I decided to load up my board for that one combat, including Sacred Tattoos (+4 defense dice). My tattooed and tartan-clad warriors charged in and slew five of the six Vikings. What was even more amazing was we took zero casualties doing so! Daniel's attack roll was awful. At this point, Drust motioned to the war hounds pack master. The baying of his hounds filled the air and they bounded into the woods, tearing the terrified Viking to pieces. The dogs had done their work!

    The struggle for the woods on the left see-sawed back and forth all game as we both fed in fresh units

Meanwhile, in the woods on the left, the tit-for-tat continued. A unit of Viking warriors charged my Picts who were occupying the woods, driving the Orkney men back. He followed it up immediately with another charge by the same unit. This time, I had my Picts close ranks. Both of us rolled dismally, and no casualties were inflicted. The frustrated Vikings backed off. On the following turn, I sent in another fresh warrior unit. Their charge shattered the Viking warriors, and hurling them out of the woods once more.

At this point, with one more turn to play, we decided to call the game. I was comfortably ahead on points, and would use my Turn 6 Saga dice rolls to back off out of his range. He would then be unlikely able to mount an effective attack on his turn as both hearthguard and one of his warrior units destroyed and the remaining severely weakened. His archers were out of range to do much. So, it was an obvious Pictish victory.

    With nearly every unit fatigued, the Picts still hold the field over the depleted Viking warband

Daniel had picked up the nuances of the game very quickly, I felt. It was fun teaching a new person the game and seeing how he was excited about the possibilities. He dissected the strengths and weaknesses of our two battle boards, and was intrigued by the four "Age of..." books and the variety of armies available. I asked the players if my game with Daniel should "count" as a campaign one, and they all agreed that it should. Daniel said he was interested in playing in the campaign, so we became the 9th and 10th players. 

Drust patted the head of one of the packmaster's hounds and congratulated him on the dogs' performance. Behind him, he could hear his warriors jeering at the Vikings as the Norsemen began withdrawing to their longships. With all of his elite oath men slain, the Norse jarl would doubtless think twice before sailing to the Orkneys again to raid. Just as importantly, Drust's name remained secure. He would continued to be the prince and his father's heir apparent -- Drust son of Drust, of the Orkney realm...