Saga V2 Ordenstaat vs Baltic Pagan Peoples: Baggage Scenario

This was a solo game ofcourse. The Teutonic Knights lost pretty badly but I seriously messed up their battleboard strategies.

 PAGAN PEOPLE VICTORY ,

FIRST GAME OF OATHMARK

I've Had the Oathmark rules for a while now and have wanted to give them a go since they came out. Fortunately I left my apartment and now have a 6x4 gaming space. Unfortunately, I don't have any opponents. 

So I solo'd my first Oathmark game. The actual game play was about three months before this post so my memory is a little hazy of the details. But Oathmark's offer of rank and flank is the exact gaming itch that I wanted scratched. At this juncture I am not sure the itch was scratched with Oathmark but I think that may have been my unfamiliarity with the push back and moving through your own unit mechanics. I will have to play another game.

The setting here is Tolkien's Middle Earth early Third Age. The Kingdom of Rhovanion is still around and the Dwarves haven't colonized Erebor yet. 

An evil sorcerer was gaining power in the dark corners of the wilderness between Rhovanion and Thranduils realm. Even Orcs began to muster under his banner. The lands around the sorcerer became sick and even the Dwarves of the Iron hills took notice.

Rhovanion acted first in hunting the Sorcerer but he remained elusive. As more and more orcs entered the lands, Rhovanion sent messengers to the Iron Hills and Thranduil. An army was mustered to draw out the foul taint. 

Rhovanion Alliance:

20 Human Linbreakers

20 Human Spearmen

15 Human Soldiers

15 Human Archers

10 Human Cavalry

10 Elf Rangers

15 Dwarf Spear

Dwarf heavy Catapult

Sorcerer's Horde:

20 Skeleton Spear

20 Skeleton Soldiers

5 Human Heavy Cav (Easterlings)

10 Goblin Scout riders

3 trolls

20 Goblin Spear

20 Goblin Soliders

15 Orc Linebreakers 

I dont remember the characters, but the Evil Forces were lead by a Revenant and a Necromancer, and the Good forces were Led by a Prince and another Human character. 

In the End victory lay with the Rhovanion Alliance. Next time Ill go for scenario play and try for more interesting Battle line tactics with depth in mind

NEW HOUSE NEW WARGAME ROOM and First SAGA V2 game

Greetings fellow travelers! I have moved out of my apartment and I am in my new house. Of course the first thing I did was begin working on my crafting/wargame room. It is tighter quarters than my parents basement but it will do just nicely. 

I added Shelving intended for miniature display... but I quickly realized a more efficient use of space would put the miniatures away in boxes and the delicate terrain should occupy the shelves. 

Here we have half my gaming table 4 x 3. I was unsure if the 6 x 4 would be feasible, but lucky for me it fits, though definitely cramped. 

 Which brings us to the first wargame in my new house as well as the only game since I solo'd rangers of Shadow deep a year or two ago. 

My first game of SAGA V2 as well as Age of Magic. The matchup featured Great Kingdoms consisting of Elves and Men, against the foul undead. The scenario with three center objective markers was selected for play. Ultimately this game is imagined as a battle in Eregion between a Nazgul and undead against an Eregion force of Elves with Dunedain reinforcements.  

Great Kingdoms featured:

• Warlord on horse Elf
• Lieutenant Human
• Champion on Horse Elf
• Hearth Guard Mounted 6x elf
• Warriors 8x elf
• Warriors 10x Human
• Levy Bowmen 12x Elf
• Levy Bowmen 12x Human
• Sorcerer Human

(all characters should have been mounted if i were to build this list again)

Undead composition:

• Warlord
• Black Knight
• Titan
• Quadrepeds x3 (proxy 6 spiders on cav bases)
• Warriors x 10
• Warriors x10
• Mindless x 20
• Hearthguard with Heavy Weapons x4
• War Machine

(for the undead I think I would go for more skeletons, maybe instead of mindless, and if hearth guards are taken they are probably better served as mounted, same with the characters, I also don't think a warmachine was worth it here)

The battle started favorably for the Great kingdoms. The elven cavalry dispatched the spiders in a round or two of combat. Great Kingdoms also seized the initiative closing in all three objectives. 

However, the favor of battle shifted to the undead as the Elven hearth guard cavalry began to dwindle as the Undead Titan lumbered around the battlefield toward the Eastern Objective. The Elven Champion hastened his travel to meet the Titan head on. 

The Champion and Titan exchanged blows for several rounds, but after absorbing many blows the titan slew the Elven Champion. The Elven Prince then surged forward to seize the attach on a tired monster, the Elven hearth guard flanked their Prince to ensure his safety.  The elven bowmen double timed toward the center objective as time was becoming less in their favor as the lumbering zombies were drawing close.  

On The Western side of the field, the Nazgul and guard surged forward followed by their skeleton minions to close on the Eregion battle line and contest the Western objective. 

The human bowmen and human warriors prepared for battle and the human bowmen unleashed on the Nazgul's guard. The Nazgul and guard charged the human warriors doing damage but the warriors stood strong. 

 After the Titan and Hearth guard were killed it was abundantly clear that the Great Kingdoms had one the day. by turn 6 the VP/objective Points were 31 to 16. 

FROSTGRAVE: Dark Alechemy

I played Dark apothecary Scenario 1 yesterday because I haven't gamed in months. I was reluctant to solo wargame, and figured it would be quite boring. I was pleasantly surprised! the D20 in Frostgrave really makes for exciting rolling each roll. At any rate Here's the warband L to R: Osmund the Heavy Handed, One eyed Pete the Archer, Marduk Crooked Feather, and Ser Karl Heidegger Treasure Hunter. Marduk is a lvl 1 Soothsayer.

The party emerges from the underground through a crypt door. If Marduk's map was correct they should be in the ancient alchemical complex. The party heard rumblings and inhuman shrieking at a distance. A wave of discomfort permeated the men.

Marduk and Ser Karl quarreled over directions as they proceeded into an ornate room. Seconds later, a disgusting tentacled beast appeared in the distance. Everyone held their breath for it was unclear whether the beast had seen them.

The beast surged forward at full speed, One eyed Pete shot the opening Salvo at the monster and seems to have hurt it to some extent. Marduk began to buff the fighting spirit of Ser Karl for the coming fight.

The beast continued forward, Ser Karl and Osmund met the beast at the precipice of the room to protect the squishy wizard and archer. Melee ensued for quite some time, but it was clear that Ser Karl and Osmund were besting the beast at every turn of the melee.

With a final blow from Osmunds heavy axe, the beast was done. There was a treasure in this next room and the party, feeling proud, grabbed the Treasure. 

A wondering ice troll caught sent of man flesh, and continued to follow the scent. (Dark Apothecary does not have random encounters but I added them after I killed the alchemical monstrosity. I painted this Ice Troll last week, and I ACTUALLY ROLLED IT ON THE MONSTER TABLE. Remarkable coincidence, great to get to use a new painted mini).

The party continued through the alchemical complex with little resistance, but suddenly a rat emerged from a nearby hole. Ser Karl and Osmund were keen to do some stomping.

As Karl and Osmund felled rats, One eyed Pete made way into an ornate and magical room, seemingly dedicated to a dragon of some sort. Pete spotted the skull f a dragon like beast and figured it could sell for a nice price, or help the Wizard do whatever weird things wizards do. Pete also saw a door, but alas the door was barred shut.

After Pete and Osmund had killed a family of rats, an Ice Serpent emerged from a nearby sewer. Maybe it smelled the rat blood, or maybe it was curious about the commotion. (The snake uses the Ice Toad rules, I dont have a toad model)

Never ending rat hole, must be a hive.

As a lull in the rat extermination business occurred, the Ice Troll had come upon the party.

Trouble was looming as the snake closed in on Marduk. Pete took a shot at the snake and missed, some archer he is.

Marduk scarred and bumbling shot the Ice snake with a bone dart. He cant remember the last time he successfully cast a necromancy spell, but it was great moment to revive his necromantic skills.

The Ice troll and the Duo continued their brawl, with Osmund getting bashed once. 

But the Duo emerged alive and victorious

And the party made their way toward the final treasure and the exit of the complex

View of the outdoor areas

The exit. To be continued......

Co-op Frostgrave

My friend and I decided we wanted to put our quarrels aside and play a cooperative game of frostgrave.  The Rule Changes were: Army composition: 300 gc with a max of six soldiers, and no apprentices allowed. Two Monsters spawned every turn, and could show up in 10 locations (four of which were the board edges), and buildings had a 50% chance of containing a monster within, unless there was a treasure within, in which case a monster is generated.  

My Enchanter, Fimbar, a templar known as Karl von Bauer, a tracker named Bjorn, a mule named ploppy the younger, an archer, and 2 thugs Nim and Rod, and my free dog from the kennel upgrade, Lukas.  Mervin the slightly insane(necromancer), had a more eclectic crew.  Jim the one eyed archer, pete the three-fingered archer, ploppy the elder the mule, and 2 infantrymen named Doug and Bob, and a treasure hunter named Montana Johnson. As well as a summoned zombie named Bob Zombie.  

At the bottom of this photo there is a damsel and templar bodyguard. Our secondary objective was to keep them safe as we look for the loot amongst the ruins.   We played the Eclipse scenario from Thaw, and the special rules of the scenario had zero effect on our game.   

My thugs and archer pop into the first building to get some loot.

They find some rats.

Fimbar, Lukas, and Karl Von Bauer advance to the center of the ruins.

My other Nim, rushes into save the already engaged Rod.  

Successful butchery, these thugs earned a meal.

A wraith knight and a wolf confront Fimbar and company. Lucky for us I nerfed many creatures by ignoring the magical weapons requirement for this game.

Bob Zombie charges headfirst into the wraith knight. 

and is sent back into the dirt.  A zombie troll closes in on the wizards right flank.

Luckily the heroic and brash Duo of Bob and Doug are stupid enough to charge the troll quick work of the zombie troll, and Bob cleaves the trolls head off with a critical hit from his axe.  

but they make quick work of the zombie troll, and Bob cleaves the trolls head off with a critical hit from his axe.

the left flank begins its incessant combat with an ice snake (ice spider).

Ice snake destroyed through a group effort.

Karl and Lukas head over to help Bob and Doug, Karl gets wounded and Doug finishes off the Wraith Knight.

Montana Jonhson enters a buildingand finds a boar! He ominously says this place looks like a Vampire meeting hall....

2 rangifers spawn in the adventurers' deployment area, the archers begin to loose arrows

And a Vampire spawns in the building that was said to look like a vampire meeting hall. A bizarre coincidence with a ridiculously small probability.  

With only three of the six treasure collected and our warbands badly bruised, an archer was taken out by a rangifer, hoards of zombies, another wraith knight and ice snake, roaming the battlefields, my thug Nim incapacitated in combat with the zombie hoard, and Karl, Bob, and Montana wounded, we decided it was time to relinquish our greed and just leave the remaining three treasures alone.  

We enjoyed the Co-op and the game was suitably hard and easy at varying lvls throughout.