Saga - The Battle of Seacourt Anglo-Danes v. Vikings

Friday night wargame night at Spencer's. We decided on my Vikings vs. his Anglo-Danes. THE VIKINGS WIN this time... my first "clean" win. (my rules on "clean" being experienced opponent, no major rules "oops"). The scenario used was "Challenge", warlords get 12 wounds and start in the center of the table while armies start near the edges. Killing a warlord is victory or warlord with most wound points left at the end of 7 rounds is the winner.

Being used to Clash of the Warlords scenario I did not immediately see much of a difference in tactics and strategy. I was wrong.

The lineup for the night:
VIKINGS
Warlord
Val'Serkers
Hirdmen x8
Bondi x10
Bondi x10
Bondi x4

ANGLO DANES
Warlord
Hearthguard x6 (Dane axes)
Hearthguard x6
Warrior x12
Warrior x12

Drink of the night - Red Hook Long Hammer. 91 degree day = need for something refreshing.

We set up terrain, an easy hill on Viking left, a rock quarry on the Viking right, pretty open field. Warlords, as per scenario rules, set up center while our respective armies set up along long edges of field.

Anglo-Danes way back there, my Vikings in the foreground. Warlods front and center face to face.

First, I'm experimenting with making a more detailed after action report here. I took most photos after every player's turn and also took notes round to round. I hope these pics and my notes are able to translate onto this blog and give a detailed account of how and why things happened. I love to read other blog's AARs but they seem to lack in details on how and why things happened which is what I need to learn to be a better player. Well, that and playing.

Spencer and his Anglo-Danes went first.

Round 1

Anglo-Dane Warlord immediately broke negotiations and pulled back one move. His large Warrior units moved forward and the AD WL's retinue of Huscarls move up to screen the chief.  

On the hill on my left flank were his banner and the other Hearthguard unit. ADs were nearly center field.

The chess game begins - Anglo-Danes move forward with intent to menace.

Vikings also move forward and adjust, bringing their Warlord to the rear (angered that he could not open with a few licks on the AD Warlord) and matching the AD line.

Jealous the ADs took the hill, Viks react and mirror.

Round 2

ADs adjust more. Played "Trapped" on my Viks and handed out some fatigue. WL and his HG move compleltey behind his large line of warriors.

Viks shift to their right and forward and get ready for a wheel maneuver as the AD warlord has shifted left. Expecting an attack by ADs.

More Chess Moves!! The Viks hunger for blood!

Round 3

AD shifts line AGAIN and dresses up their shield wall. Uh Oh.

Viks dress up lines via War units. Make a shield wall. WL, Val'Serkers, War screen unit move right. Vik Hirdmen with banner pull a grand move and go right leaving the hill to the ADs.

 

Round 4

ADs sit and wait defensively. WL and Huscarls move left a tad.

Viks play Njord and drink up some of that fatigue. Viks send right flank of warriors into the AD flank opposite and get creamed. x10 War unit now down to 4 (lose 6) while AD War unit of 12 loses 0. Viks use both Heimdall (3 more dice) and Ullr (reroll misses). ADs use some defensive Saga abilities that just beats all the hits the Viks score. x4 Vik War disengage and retreat to center.

Left flank Vik warriors move forward just short of engagement hoping to pin and screen opposite AD War unit. To make up for hole left by right flank Hirdmen move forward and Val'Serkers move left to prepare for launch.

Forward! Attack!

Yaaa! Clangity bang pow!

CRAP!

Round 5

ADs take the offensive after kicking Vik ass. Left flank ADs attack my left flank, warrior vs. warrior. My warriors were outnumbered but held out exceptionally well. ADs lose 3, Viks lose 2. ADs must disengage. They attack a second time and fail even worse with ADs losing 5 and Viks losing 1. ADs disengage and his Huscarls fill the gap.

Viks use defensive dice to lower the attack dice and raise the amount of dice in the defensive pool. This works to Vik's advantage.

AD Warlord and his axemen attack and do some damage band wipes out the Vik Warlord's retinue of Hirdmen. Attacked surviving Vik Wars disengage to center... leaving Vik Warlord open!!

Viks Counter attack with Hirdmen unit. Straight dice used, no Saga abilities. I lose 2 Hirdmen, AD loses 9 warriors. A major success but still no wipe-out. Vik Warlord is exposed.

Vik Val'Serker unit waits for orders as the time is near.

NOTE: I am failing to mention how Spencer's Anglo-Danes are judiciously using Trapped (handing out fatigue) and the other AD power of canceling activations. I counter with judicious uses of Njord (activate and take off a fatigue from Warlord and all units within 6 inches of him). I am finding little to no use for abilities that increase attack dice finding Ullr, re-rolling misses, WAY more useful. 20 dice can still come up misses. 10 dice with 2 chances to roll hits is much better in my opinion and experience.

Round 6 - AKA "let's get some hits on them Warlords now that rank and file soldiers have been thinned out."

ADs have successive attacks on Viking Warlord and his new bodyguard unit of 5 warriors. Things work out well for Viks.

Now, things get kind of mixed up, my notes tried to make sense of it. Let's just say the Vikings tried all kinds of moves to close on the exposed AD Warlord. The first few attacks flop ( I lose a unit of 4 warriors to the AD Warlord). ADs use abilities to hamper movements as well as spend fatigue but I, LUCKILY, am still able to get my Val'Serkers and Warlord into the fray face to face with the Anglo-Dane Chief!

It was a glorious fight.

Val'Serkers activate Ullr to re-roll all misses of there 16 attack dice. The Vik Warlord will add his 5 attack dice to the mass. The results?

Count them up, that's 17 hits total - 15 (of 16) hits from the Val'Serkers, 2 more from the Vik Warlord. Fatigue was spent to get the AD Warlord's armor down to 3. AD Warlord saves 5 of them hits. He ends up losing his Huscarl bodyguard except the one that was out of range and taking 9 wounds bringing his score down to "3".

Viks lose 2 of the 4 Val'Serkers. Vik Warlord loses 0 wound points. 

Round 7, the last round

ADs know that the score is AD Warlord 3, Vik Warlord 12. He's got to muster up what he can and do as much damage as he can. AD Warlord musters up his remaining Hearthguard and attack. AD's Saga dice were not the best though, leaving him with restricted activations. The ADs attack the Vik Warlord with 2 Val'Serkers nearby to help soak some hits. Many hits are scored - Vik Warlord soaks one, sacrifices his last Val'Serkers, and takes 6 wounds.

The score stands at Viks 6 - ADs 3. ADs just don't have the activations to pull off more attacks as well as the Vik warlord disengaging next to his last 5 Warriors. 

Viks, being wise, roll Saga Dice (3) and decide to do nothing ... winning the game 6-3.

Yep, that's right. I won a game fair and square. I'm happy.

Again Ullr proved way more useful to me than any ability that adds attack dice. I'd rather have more hits with 10 dice than less hits with 20 dice. Njord, the ability to drop fatigue, came in handy against the pesky fatigue handing out Anglo-Danes. Many of my moves were cancelled also by AD ability but I for-saw that and put up extra Saga dice to cover that situation.

Edit:
Almost forgot that Spencer wanted to start naming our battles. I think a fair way (and historical) to do it is let the winner name it. So, I named this The Battle of Seacourt. I edited the title to follow suit.