Faction designed by: Vincent Auger with Alex Buchel.

written by: Vincent Auger, JohrtrFry ana libyne

Layout: Fred Machu. Photos: Wyn Rogers. Figures: Gripping Beast. o Studio Tomahawk

Fa.cion: Sceppes CniOes

lnnumerable different tribes occupied

the

steppes

stretching from Hungary to the north of Chino. Cumans,

Pechenegs, Tatars and Sabirs are examples of these tribes,
more well known groups which carved emprres include the
Avars, Khazors, Bulgars and Seljuks just to name some of
the western ones. Many launched raids or tried to subdue

their neighbours and can therefore provide historical

opponents for some of the existing or forthcoming Sogo
factions.
These tribes were led by leaders who often took titles like
Kagan or Khan. YourWarlord is such a high ranking leader.

The richest members of the tribe had access

equipment. They were

to better

the equivalent of nobles

in

western European society and they are the Hearthguards

of vour warband.
Next in social rank in the tribe were the free men. They
were mounted on horses and expert archers. They
are the Warriors of your warband.
The tribe also controlled many slaves, most often

lFA\rClf

ll

tON

lRllU lL lE:s

Some (often most or even alll) of your units are mounted

on a horse. They apply the following rules:

The Movement of mounted units is increased to lL

but reduced to :S when moving from, through, or into
uneven ground.
- Mounted units may never enter a building, but they
can engage in melee any unit occupying a building in
the normal manner.
- The Armour of mounted units is reduced by one when
they are the target of a Shooting attack.
-

Mounted units may never benefit from any kind of

cover, in melee or shooting.

Apart from the restrictions mentioned above,

mounted units behave like ordinary units. lf a
unit starts the game mounted, it must remain

captured in previous raids, some of whom

were forced to serve in battle as foot

mounted for the whole game and may never

dismount.

soldiers. They were sometimes helped by

the women and children of the tribe when
desperate measures were called for. They are
the Levy of your warband.

composite bows. They apply the following rules:

Some

of your units are equipped

with

Composite bows rvork like iavelins, with the addition

that shootinq can be performed before the unit

moves. ,: :^e s-ot is done before movement is
resolved :-.- :-e -^it may not engage in melee with
the mor e-e-:. \ 3:e that if your movement must end
in contac:
you cannc:

i i ' , ou start less than VsS away), then

s-:c:

Curing this movement.

Your Warlord r-s: 5e mounted on a horse and equipped

with a composrie DC,',.

Your HearthguarCs are mounted and equipped with

comDosite borrs. Their arrnour in melee is reduced bv one
due to their reluctance to engage in combat.
Your Warriors are mounted and equipped with composite
bows. Their arrnour in melee is reduced by one for the same
reason as outlined above.
Your Levies are equipped with bows (not composite bows).
Steppe Tribes may never include any Swords for Hire units in
their warband.

lHtlElRO OIF lflHtlE VltlK(ltNrG A\tGlE

DELyAN, the Revolted, Tsar

of the Bulgars

ln tot8, the Byzantines had crushed the Bulgar empire. In

rc4o, Delyan escoped from Constantinople and started to
organise o large scale Bulgarian revolt, negotiating with
other rebel leaders like Tihomir ond submitting to Alusian
who had better blood right thon him. Alusian proved to
be a poor wor leader, failing to copture Thessalonica. He
had Delyan blinded to secure his rights, but then betroyed
his troops and joined the Byzantines ot the start of the
Iast battle in the s)mmer of rc4t. Delyan took back
command but was defeated by the Varangian guard led by
Harold Hardrada.

Hero of the Viking Age: Delyan was a great

organiser and, if he is leading the warband, generates
three Saga dice at the start of each turn and not two as
other Warlords.

Blind: Delyan went in his last battle riding a warhorse and

wielding an enormous sword. Being blind, he generates
no Attack Dice in melee or shooting but always gets three
extra Defence dice when he fights or is shot at. lf he
uses the "Side by Side" rule, each model of the unit he is
fighting with generates an extra Attack dice during step
t of the melee. Delyan is not equipped with a composite
bow.

The Revolted; Delyan was a great inspirer for the poor

people. While he is alive and leading the warband, all
Levies of his band have their armour increased by one,
generate one Attack die per model in Melee, can be
activated with any Saga die and can be chosen to protect
Delyan when he uses the Resilience special rule.
Alusian the traitor: Delyan recognised the better blood
rights of Alusian. lf the player chooses, he may include
Alusian in his warband.
In that case Delyan and Alusian do not cost any points,
and can be taken for free, but as long as Alusian is alive,
Delyan will not benefit from any of his special rules

except "Blind", nor will he benefit from any

of

the

standard Warlord's special rules.

Alusian behaves as a normal Warlord, except that he

generates only one Saga Die at the start of each turn and
not two as other Warlords, and does not benefit from
the "Determination", and "We obey" special rules.

lf Alusian dies, Delyan automatically leads the warband

at the start of the next turn, generates Saga Dice

as

described above and regains the benefits of all his special

rules and the special rules of a standard Warlord.
Delyan is always worth 7 VPs when killed, while Alusian
worth only 3 VPS.

is

For scenarios requiring the elimination of the enemy

warlord, both Alusian and Delyan must be killed to
trigger the relevant effects.
DIESSICIRII

IPIIITON OlF SI\G'I\

AEILITIES

/'
tlr
re- -:k
,
\

|MPORTANT : The flrst three generic abilities of

leftmost column of the Battleboard are traditional andwe
fer the reader to the Saga rules for explanations.

lSome Saga abilities on the Battleboard are

marked with this symbol. These abilities can
only be used by or affect units armed with
composite bows and composed of six models
or less.
THE STEPPES Used in step o of any melee (if your unit
was engaged

in

melee)

The description of the Melee/Reaction abilities

in The Raven's

Shadow

This ability can have several dice placed

Orders phase. lt can only be used
FATIGUE and if your unit was

troops use the speed of their

appears

i
!-...
-"
' 1: 'o

.. -- 'l'o

-:.\

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th enemy. Not very glamorous some will say, but so

typical of your natural way of fighting. Note that since
you go straight to the disengagement step, the enemy
units engaged do not suffer FATIGUE from the melee.
You must comply with all disengagement requirements
(end more than VS from all enemy, end as far away as
possible from the enemy which engaged you...). tf you
cannot disengage, this ability is simply cancelled. Since the
table edges do not count as impassable obstacles for this
disengagement move, you are likely to end off table if you
started too near to it. lf a single model of the unit crosses
the table edge, the whole unit is considered to have run

away and is considered as having been eliminated in

Melee. Be careful before deciding to run away. Clever
Steppe Tribes players will use the Black Arrows ability iust

before they use this one, adding injury to insult.

EMPryINGTHE
Used in step 2 of dny shooting

Your unit delivers a truly devastating barrage of arrows,

emptying all their quivers. Being then weaponless, they
leave the field of battle and will return only in another
battle. That last shot will often prove deadly: You may

re roll all Attack dice that failed to hit. Your opponent

must re roll all Defence dice that managed to cancel a hit.
Remember that you may NEVER re-roll twice a given die.
Note that, for victory purpose in scenarios, all models of
your unit count as casualties and are removed in step 2
of the shooting (hence if you use it in a Clash of Warlords
scenario with your Warlord in an attempt to kill the enemy

Warlord, you have lust lost the game and will not be
allowed to throw your dice since step 3 will never occur)l
THE ARROW KNOWS THE WAY
Used in step z of any shooting
This ability is effective against units which are too tired
to protect themselves with their shields. Discard one
FATICUE from the target. All Defence dice rolled during
step 3 with a result of 4 are treated as failures. lf a Stag
was discarded then the target also get back the FATICUE
marker that you initially took from it.
RED SK'ES
Used in step z of ony shooting

This ability will need you to think a bit, but if you choose

your value carefully, your opponent will not gain much

while you will do.

W'LD CATS
Used in

BIACKARROWS
Used in step o of any melee (if your unit wos engaged
inmelee)
Like The Steppes, this ability can have several dice
placed on it during the Orders phase. However, it can
be used only once in a given melee and only if you are
the defender (i.e. your opponent initiated the contact).
While your enemies were rushing at you, your troops
discharged one last salvo of arrows, killing some before
they could even reach contact. Simple and effective and
very representative of the Steppe Tribes way of fighting.

Steppe Tribes often sent troops on wide enveloping

movements to take their opponent in the rear or flank.
This ability allows you to do just this. When using this
ability, designate one of your units that is within S of
the table edge but more the M[ from the enemy. You
can then redeploy your models on the table, within S
from any table edge and more than M from any enemy

DEADLY PTAINS
Used in your Order phase

You order your troops to concentrate on shooting and

forget their swords and lances. From now on and until
the start of your next turn, you will gain three Attack dice
in step z of each shooting. However, fighting in combat
with bows is not very effective and you generate only
half the number of Attack dice that you would normally
get in step t of each melee. You'd better make sure that

no enemy reaches you (the best way being

them dead before they arrive).

to shoot

f]..

nl

your Activation phase

.{i

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model. Note that if rou do not have enough space to

redeploy all rcu' r-loCels back on the table, you must
choose ano:-i' :,- ^: .-f re-entry. The efforts of such
manoeuVre -=:-: :-3: ', our unit will take one FATlcuE
after its rec: : . -=^:.

two models

of

of different units
can be seen through

Steppe so,c <': ='= ':'..crously independent and likely

to take rn3-.. 'la 's---: ^rtratives on the battlefield. The
Khrorn th;'. j -' : r:ti f i ose eye on his Nobles, for fear
that ther c.--: -- ..-:^'.r,,'. him. This ability represents
this behar .. -' :^,, : .r'.^, s vou to benefit from the
rrortive cniri-.-i
u >.

,..^

between

the same unit blocks line

of sight. Caps between
models

STEPPE PEOPLE
Used in your Orde' Phase

The Saga dice

Remember that your models

can be up to VsS from each
other and that the gap

5', lris ability do not have to be

used exclusir ei', in i3r..ur of \Varrior units. Sometimes

a warrior rvoulc forsel hierarchy, shout an order and

your other trcops rrill ober it iust because it sounded
sensible to do so.
KHAN
Used in your Activation Phose

though. Clever opponents

rvill form wide battle lines
to prevent you using this
deadly ability.

THE DARKEST HOUR

Used in your Activation Phase

Although it is very expensive, this

ability should allow you to deliver
a huge barrage of arrows. All your
units are activated to shoot, do not
get FATICUE and benefit from extra dice
to roll. Simple and deadlyl

a loud "SHOOT :". This-^

..-!:.,-r^N\,41
-ll .,^..'!"f;
him. 1-'r;ri?
of hi,n
your l^.,,,,,^;+-.^,;+!.;^
levy units lvithin ItVl
all
^f
activates
These activations can only be used to shoot
but, being very motivated by the nearness of
- their leader, your troops enthusiastically darken the
skies with arrows, allowing them to gain three extra
Attack dice in step 2 of each of these Shootings.
Your Warlord utters

DIE BY THE BOW

Ragnar speaks

Used in your opponent's activotion phose,

after they

have activated any unit

used carefully, this ability can save many of your

troops, preventing your opponent contacting them by
reducing the unit movement distance ()L becomes ltVl,

lf

IrV[ becomes 5S, bS becomes Vss). You cannot reduce a

movement to less than VsS.
Note that any bonus movement that your opponent
may have is not affected (e.g.a Norman unit with Callop
would be reduced from lL+:S to lMl+ss).

GALLOPING GHOSTS
lJsedinstep z of ony shooting

l\.

rf

Tj*1"'l',':',

be effective. In fact, you have to

completely surround the enemy

unit with your models. lf

you

manage this, you get so many

opportunities to shoot him in the
back that his armour is reduced
Dy
f

\r
ItFl
,..,.

rwo.

The Steppe Tribes ore much more

tricky to use than they appear at
first sight. Obviously, they rule the
steppes and are the best shooting
warband in \aga, but they are also

the most frogile. Almost all their

troops have their Armour reduced

in melee. They do not have any

Combat Pool to boost them in melee. Worst of all they
ore very vulnerable to shooting themselves. They will
need you to use their mobility to avoid being shot to
death or caught rn melee.
Most of their abilities need some anticipation. The
steppes ts great, but will only be fruitful if you con
deliver a lot of ranged attacks duringyour turn, and
ensure that the enemy won't catch your troops in his
turn. lJsually, rt is more profitable to weaken different
enemy units rather that just try to eliminate one after
another, as you don't wont a full strength unit to be
able to w r eak hav oc amongst y our precious horsemen.
Ruling the steppes is not a iobfor everyone...

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r ntttntrtr [rctrrtttt I rtttl 6.

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Iilhc tarqct unit

rlrrl

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