Grasping at straw?

This is some of Rich who dropped round Monday night with shaun for a bit of SAGA action.

I've played a few times now but this was my first time out in 28mm Dark Age mode, you know as the game is designed and marketed, and we went for a simple "Kill the Warlord" scenario.

Given choice I took the Vikings and Rich had the Anglo-Saxons. Shaun had joined us and was quick to inform me that despite the pointy hat brigade being technical favourites they hadn't yet claimed a victory amongst a good number of games. Playing at 6 points I couldn't resist a unit of beserkers or "paper tigers" as Shaun called them.

Given the victory conditions we somehow conspired to deploy our respective Warlords as far away as possible from each other. As such they generally ignored each other for a bit and urged their respective forces into a bit of general carnage.

As an experiment Rich had combined three units of Hearthgaurd types into one uber-unit which he rolled towards me with all haste. I shot him up a bit and then he made that first charge of the game into my eight Hirdmen. Running through the process, battle dice were expended and attack dice mounted up on both sides. Double-handed rolling was required and breath was held........

.....for one hit a piece! Neither of us saved so after an awful lot of gnashing and wailing it was one down on each side and as the attacker Rich bounced. Just another Friday night after the tavern then?
I flung in the paper tigers who instantly exploded on a 1 to 1 basis with their opponents. Not sure if they were armed with war axes or rigged up with C4 and a presing need to visit Valhalla. Point is they got there pretty quick each with a new mate.

Wiping themselves down Rich's boys then got another dose of Hirdmen who with numbers on their side claimed all but one of the yocals for a couple more new residents at Odin's feet. As such Brave Sir Robyn and his faithful retinue bravely ran away and hid in the nearest house, probably for a quick cup of tea and a nice hearth-cake!


I meanwhile concentrated on butchering the remaining Anglos which shouldn't have been too difficult with their elite dead and Warlord hiding, ........SHOULDN'T have been.

Multiple big bunches of 1s and 2s later this was the final stand-off (featuring every figure left on the table) as my dice did all in their power to snatch a defeat from the jaws of near certain victory. With the sun setting the Warlords clashed on the final turn of the game only to bounce off trading insults in language that neither understood.

My one extra mutilated unit claimed the Vikings a technical victory but with hardly even a Bondi remianing to haul a goat, let alone take over the place, I think that is the more honest result.........a winning-ish draw :)

OHHHH-DINNNN!!!