The game is move counter move with the Vikings moving first. The turn sequence is morale check; movement; missile fire; melee. Bowmen can fire and move half or move half and fire.
Movement Rates in inches
Lt. Inf: 10"
Medium Inf: 7"
Hvy Inf: 4"
Lt. Cav 18"
Hvy Cav 12"
Cart, wagon, pack animal 6"
Charge or rout x 1.5
Rough and obstacles x 0.5
Cavalry may not cross walls and like obstacles unless umpire agrees.
Morale Levels
Leaders and berserkers 2
Heavy cavalry, medium and heavy infantry 3
Light cavalry and light infantry 4
To pass morale you must equal or exceed the morale number on 1D6. Failing morale does not affect bowfire.
A figure must check morale immediately if:
Enemy cavalry are within charge range of you or you are attempting to charge.
Leaders and berserkers do not have to check morale to charge.
You are within 6 inches of a friendly figure that is routing.
Lose a round of melee.
Are next to a friendly figure hit by missile fire.
Are in line-of-sight of your leader or hero being slain.
Cumulative modifiers to morale roll
- Leader within 6 inches +2
Have one morale marker -1
Fleeing in terror (routing) -2
Leader slain in LOS -3
Heavy cavalry attempting to charge infantry +2
Out of sight of enemy +2 Infantry without spears, in the open attacked by heavy cavalry -2
Infantry without spears, in the open attacked by light cavalry -1
If you fail a morale roll, place a marker on the figure. Marked figures:
May not charge
Melee with -1 modifier
Rout if fails a second morale roll. The figure turns its back to the enemy and flees in terror moving away from enemies toward the closest board edge. It continues to rout until it passes morale or exits the board.
Melee
Melees are fought by opposing figures in base-to-base contact. Each player rolls a D6. High die wins, ties are locked in melee.
A heavy cavalry loser is killed on a natural 1.
A heavy infantry (armor + shield) or light cavalry loser is killed on a natural 1 or 2.
A medium infantry (armor or shield) loser is killed on a natural 1-3.
A light infantry (no armor or shield) loser is killed on a natural 1-4.
For any other result, the loser is pushed back 1 inch, and the figures remain
locked in combat.
Defenders may turn to face the attackers. Routers may not turn to face.
Any fleeing figure that is attacked from behind is killed.
Cumulative melee modifiers
Leader or berserker +2 first round then +1
Shield, armor or charging +1 each
Shorter weapon -1 first round only
Infantry vs light cavalry -1
Infantry vs heavy cavalry -3
Has a morale marker -1
Each additional figure defending against -1
Missile Fire
Indicate the target before rolling the die.
Hit number on D6.
| Weapon | Short Range (0-8") | Med. Range (8-16") | Long (16-26") |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | 1-5 | 1-3 | 1 |
| Javelin or sling | 1-4 | NA | NA |
If the target is mounted, modify the to hit number by -2. If a mounted figure is hit, roll a die; odd=horse hit, even=rider hit. Armored horses take 3 hits to kill, unarmored horses take 2 hits to kill. Targets with a shield or armor get a saving throw of 6 on a D6. If the figure has both shield and armor the saving throw is 5,6.
Some thoughts on the game:
1. I don't have any problem with missile fire from behind a shield wall. So, set archers fire two deep.
2. I do have a problem with missile fire at targets in cover or among a herd of cattle, for example. These targets can only be fired at from close range. If you are firing at a figure in melee, behind a cow, etc. and roll a miss, roll again. Odd number=hit closest figure to original target. Even number=complete miss. If there are multiple close figures, roll a die to select the one that is hit.
3. A figure fighting a melee cannot break off fighting to run over and fight someone else. A figure may only break off combat if it fails morale and runs away or kills its opponent.
4. In melee, when a loser is pushed back, the enemy figure(s) must follow and remain in base-to-base contact.
5. When two or more figures melee one enemy figure, all figures make their rolls before the results are applied. If the lone figure is killed by the first attacker, the other attackers continue their attack and may not change their melee target.
6. If a horse is killed by missile fire, the fallen rider gets a morale marker. Roll a die and if an odd number results, the rider is knocked out and can do nothing until an even number is rolled for that figure during the owning player's morale phase. If the roll at the time of the fall is even, the fallen rider is unhurt and may act as any other infantry.
7. Cattle must be in base contact with a figure to move in the direction the player wishes. Loose cattle move in a random direction (roll a die), and move at the beginning of each player's turn.
8. There is no road bonus in this game because during this period the roads sucked.
9. If you don't like a rule, change it for the next game.
Example game
Viking Bands
1. Six cattle, 4 foot, 1 bowman, 1 fanatic
2. Ship's guard: 4 foot
3. Warband: 5 foot, 1 bowman, 2 fanatics
4. Warband: leader, 7 foot, 3 bowmen, 2 fanatics
Saxon Bands
1. Three foot
2. Four foot
3. Three foot, 1 bowman
4. Three foot, 1 bowman
5. Four foot, 1 bowman
6. Leader, 9 foot, 3 bowman
The Viking group with the cattle is at one end of the table trying to get the cattle to the ship at the opposite end. Vikings and Saxons roll 1D6 to see what turn they enter the board. They roll to see where they come on, except for the ship's guard, which comes on at the edge of the board where the ship is located.
Victory Points
Victory points are awarded for enemy dead and any objectives achieved.
Infantry: light 1 pt., medium 2 pt., heavy 3 pt.
Cavalry: light 4 pt., heavy 5 pt.
Leader 15 pt.
Per head of cattle leaving the board alive 5 pt.
Killed cattle 1 pt. for Saxons
Additional Notes
After play testing we found that the game came down to about five figures left on a side slugging it out. So we felt there should be some sort of unit morale. If the Saxons loose 40% of their total force they will no longer charge unless they outnumber the enemy 2:1. If the Vikings loose 50% of their total force they will have the option of breaking off a melee and are not bound by the locked in combat rule. If breaking off from a melee they must make an attempt to reach their ship.
1. Missile armed troops may fire defensively if attacked by melee. They fire using the close range chart but melee at a minus 2 for the first .
2. Archers must fire on the closest figure. Too many archers who were about to be cleaved in two were taking shots trying to kill a leader halfway across the board.
3. Smaller units will not attack larger units unless you are a berserker or are attempting to follow a leader who has successfully charged.
4. Small Saxon groups will attempt to form large ones or rally to the leader if possible. The sight of 4 Saxons trying to block a Viking mob full of berserkers until the leader shows up is a little too heroic.
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© Copyright 2003 Hal Thinglum
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