Saga - Round Robin

Game 1: Byzantine Vs Carolingian 

This game was a big disappointment. Having set out the terrain and rolled for deployment method, both sides positioned their armies. After a few cautious turns it became apparent that the Carolingian player had no means or incentive to break into the strong byzantine defensive position, nor the byzantine player to leave their redoubt. It may be down to our inexperience, but it felt here like the basic scenario really let us down. Neither side had any reason to advance, so we called it a draw and packed up. Fortunately we had the book of battles on hand, so the rest of our games were played using randomly chosen scenarios drawn from there.

Game 2: Carolingian Vs Rus

In this game each side is trying to claim victory points by destroying enemy units, but the points they can earn are capped. To raise the cap they must destroy the relics littered about the board (in this case... yes they're washers). The Carolingians get first turn, load up their battleboard with proelium and dash  their hearthguard forward toward one of the relics. 

The Rus spend their first turn stationary and loading up on abilities, just using Frozen wind to tire out the Carolingian warriors. The Carolingian bowmen advance and lay down a withering volley using Ardour and enhanced with Vinco to flatten the steppe nomad mercenaries. 

The exposed milites tempt the Rus warriors forward, but their tiring double move plus the Carolingians Defensor ability makes the attack inconclusive

The Carolingians launch an immediate counterattack and chop down 3 warriors before using Ardour to retreat to safety.

The Rus player rolls some of the worst dice we've ever seen and loses a whole unit of hearthguard to deadly Carolingian bowfire, despite taking the precaution of advancing through the 'safety' of the trees. 



The Rus warlord gets his revenge, booting the bowmen off the hill using Wrath of the east, White wolves and Black bears to knock down five of them.



Choosing his time to shine, the Carolingian warchief charges out to cut down the enemy leader



The last intact Rus unit charge up the hill into the enemy warriors in an almighty clash of shield walls. Low on saga dice and with both sides stacking defensive abilities they bounce off without recieving or inflicting any casaulties

Another unit of Carolingian warriors tag team the beleaguered Rus, killing three and pushing them off the hill. Meanwhile the hearthguard at last sally out to destroy a relic, allowing the Carolingians to claim a major victory.


Game 3 Rus Vs Byzantine

For this finale round each side earns points based on the size of units they have parked on each objective, these must be uncontested by enemy units and the points awarded for them increases each turn. On the left the Rus and Byzantines both have units already positioned on an objective, whilst on the right their main forces are concentrated to push onto the two objectives between the rocky ground and brush.

The Byzantine hearthguard race down the flank and smash into the steppe mercenaries. With extensive use of the activation pool they are able to get enough saga dice to inflict some nasty casualties, before the Rus player has even rolled any saga dice of their own! The rest of the byzantine force cautiously march forwards onto the objectives and bag a few victory points. 

The bulk of the Rus force advances together as one, stacking up their saga board and claiming victory points from the objective. They use Biting cold to keep the byzantine bowmen down to just 1 activation. 

Nonetheless the Byzantine bowmen shoot down three of the four Rus hearthguard, then brace for the warrior's counterattack. Their Disordering volley negates the Rus khagan and White wolves, and they suffer just a single casualty. 

The byzantine javelinmen pick off a few Rus warriors, whilst the hearthguard finish off the steppe nomads. Unfortunately for them they take a casualty, meaning their 3 man unit can only claim 1 victory point from the objective.  

The lead warriors turn on the levy and butcher a handful of them, pushing the byzantines off the objective and bringing them up to a tie on points. 

Meanwhile the Rus warlord see's a chance for victory, with both sides having cleared their battleboard's its an even fight against his opposite number, with just a slight fatigue advantage to the northman. Sadly its not to be and he is forced back to his shieldwall.

Uninterested in honour duels, the strategos contemptuously orders his bowmen to shoot the Rus warchief down, filling his body with arrows

Before using Superior tactics to charge in and cut down the warriors, wresting the objective from them.  

Down to their last saga dice, the last scoring Rus unit desperately tries to bring down the roman commander. Spending a fatigue to bring his armour up to 6, their wave of axe and sword blows fail to strike home. With that the last hope of victory slips from the pagans hands. Byzantines win!