SAGA - Varangians vs. Welsh, Escort

Lonely Viking bannerman...

Got a game going last Friday night with Spencer. We decided to use my quasi new (finally finished painting them) carts and goods figures painted. Old Glory WOR-24 Civilians with Ox Drawn Cart:

They are heavy! I based them with Renedra bases, gave them a good base coat, finished with a quickshade of AP Strong Tone. I store them in a Chessex small case with the middle insert pulled out, all 3 figures fit perfectly in that.

6 point Welsh v. Viking (with Harald and Varangians) Escort, random terrain, we rolled to see who got to escort and also go first.

Welsh:

Warlord

Bard

x12 mounted Hearthguard

x10 warrior

x10 warrior

x4 warrior

Viking:

Harald Hardrada

x12 Varangians (axe) and Bannerman

x8 warrior

x8 warrior

Vikings won the coin toss to get the carts and Escort them across the board.

l-r: Cargo to get across, warriors (my freshly painted Pagan Rus Warrior point) Varangians and Harald, warriors

Harald surveys his charge

Welsh behind the trees, always behind the trees.

This was our very frist game playing Escort Scenario so there was a bit of a curve to get over. The "escort's" mission is to get 2 of 3 of their while the "attacker" mission was to destroy 2 of the 3 baggage figures.

Baggage figures generate Saga dice, as well as 3 attack dice, move like Hearthguard (M movement and all 3 dice activate), and have armor 5 or 6 against shooting. No board abilities may be used with them - either side.

My, Harald's, big plan was to hug the extreme right of the board and screen and fight my way through, and it almost worked!

The Welsh's big plan, from Harald's view, was to harass from the trees and make a grand move with the mounted Welsh Deathstar and kill 2 of the carts. That DID work.

The Welsh go first and send 12 well-equipped riders down Harald's left flank.  Harald, in turn, sends the carts forward and set's up his warriors in a rear and left screen.

These Viking Warriors held true, very well as a matter of fact, in round 2 as the Welsh went full in on javelins and melee, and I only lost 1 warrior and Welsh lost one as well. The errant cart was pulled off the line by a Welsh ability - which was later recanted as we both forgot board abilities could not be used on carts (for or against). This did not prove to be a game wrecker.

Harald's Varangians hit the tree-line hard and fast occupying the dozens of Welsh ambushers and met the leader of the raiders face to face. The first cart and some hunters with a pig pushed forward under the protection of Harald and his friends from Kiev.

Some of those Kievans fell to Welsh javelin barrages . Many warriors in the rear finally fell to javelins and spears of the persistent Welsh horsemen; only 2 surviving the 3rd attack and pulling back.

The Varangians surged forward and, with Harald, attacked the wall of shields and javelins before the Kievans and baggage. They hit the Welsh and hit them hard but not enough to wipe them out. Of the 10 Welsh in the way 1 survived and was forced to pull back.

The Varangians went back to work on the force of Welsh in the woods. One mistake was made though - the Kievans did not redeploy as needed to create a second screen for the Welsh on ponies coming up from the rear.

That is exactly what the Welsh did - captured the rear 2 baggage figures and sealed the win for the game.

Harald and the carts got SOOOOO close to a win! My biggest mistake was not following through with my plan - which was:

If the horsey dudes shoot down my left flank than I will deploy the First group of warriors as a screen. If they fail (and they did by round 3) I will deploy the second group to screen the rear. 

I did deploy them but as a back up to the Varangians that were doing well against the Welsh in the copse of woods. I didn't even realize my mistake until it was too late and I was going, "Where is my second warrior screen?"

The game ended with Spencer putting all his activation dice on his (now) 11 man Welsh mounted Hearthguard and marched them right up the rear and took out a cart and my hunters, giving him the win. Good game!

Thanks for reading.