Lord of the Western Keep: SAGA AoM 5 January, 2020 Multi player game

Holiday Game

January 5th was the 12th day of Christmas so one last chance this season to use my Christmas themes figures. This was a multi player game with 4 players, the scenario was called "Brother's in Arms"- where two sides of two warbands face off against each other on a 4' x 6' playing area. Like the last game the objective is to get as many of your units on the other sides half of the board while taking as few loses as possible and inflicting as may loses as possible on the enemy. However this time I used an optional rule to give the game a little more "spice" by adding in 3 objective markers.

This was the main objective:

Santa's Sleigh on the hill

The other two objectives were Christmas drums about 10" away from the main objective on either side of it along the centre line. This time around I played Jack Frost Warband.

The Rosters

Forces of Order

Santa’s Warband 6 points (Oder) The Great Kingdom

1 Warlord Santa 0 points

1 Sorceress Santa’s Lovely Assistant 1 point

1 Paladin – Mary Claus - 2 hearthguard

1 Creature unit of 2 quadrupeds = 2 Reindeer 1 point

2 Hearthguard Units, (8-2 = 6 1 unit) Santa’s Elves (rifles are spears) 2 points

1 Monster Behemoth – Giant Santa 1 points

1 Levy = 12 Children with snowballs (count as bows) 1 point

Total 6 points

Assistant (Sorceress) Santa (War Lord),
and Mary Claus (Paladin)

Giant Santa and 2 Quadruped Creatures (Reindeer)

Santa's Elves - Hearthguard

Levy - Children with snow balls

Jack Frost’s Warband (order) Masters of the Underneath

1 Warlord Jack Frost 0 points

1 Sorceress Winter Witch in blue 1 point

1 Lieutenant – alchemist Evil Christmas tree -2 Hearthguard

1 Creatures unit 2 bipeds – Snow Beast & Wendigo 1 point

Add 2 biped creatures = + 2 OG Snowman to above unit - 8 warriors

2 Hearthguard Units, 8-2 = 6 1 unit Copplestone Evil Snowmen 2 points

2 Warrior unit 16-8= 8 WSD Snowmen with firearms 2 points

Total 6 points

Evil Christmas Tree, Jack Frost and Winter Witch

Warriors: Snowmen with rifles and SMG by WSD

Hearthguard: Evil Snowmen by Copplestone

Biped Creatures: 2 Old Glory Snowmen,

Snow Beast and Wendigo

Forces of Chaos

Ice Warriors warband 6 points (chaotic) Otherworld

1 Warlord = Ice Warrior Lord 0 points

1 Sorcerer = Garron 1 point

1 Creature units bipeds = 2 Yeti BTD 1 points

1 Creature unit bipeds = 2 Yeti BTD 1 point

3 Hearthguard units = Ice Warriors 4 x 3 = 12 (2 units of 6?) 3 points

Total 6 points

The Ice Warrior and Yeti Warband

Island of Morrow Legendary Monster Warband (chaotic) The Horde

1 Alpha Monster – Behemoth – 1 Giant Cyclops 1 point

4 Monsters – Behemoth - 3 Frost Giants , 1 Marauder Giant 4 points

1 Monster – Scourge - 1 Green dragon 1 point

Total 6 points

The Legendary Horde Warband: Island of Morrow

Warband: 5 giants 1 Green Dragon

The Set up

Each player placed two pieces of terrain. since the forces of chaos deployed last the forces of order will move first.

Overview: both sides deploy forces near the

central sleigh objective

Lesser drum objectives on the

right and left of the hill.

Face-off

Turn 1

The forces of order move first. Jack Frost's warband advances on the right flank to take the drum objective

Jack Frost's warband captures the right objective

and the Winter witch casts a spell to no avail


Santa's warband preparing for battle

Santa's Levies, Sorceress and
other units near the woods

Santa's Sorceress in in a
tough spot but she escapes

The Giant Santa is push back by the enemy

Jack Frost's snowmen secure their side of the sleigh

Santa's warband cautiously advances on the left flank

The Giants and Ice Warriors advance

Monsters Advance

Jack Frost's warband holds the right flank objective

A frost Giant caused six casualties to

Santas child Levy

First blood: Six Levy casualties

The Giants continue to cause havoc.

Frost Giant inflicts two fatigue hits on the Winter

Witch who retreats behind the snowmen warriors

On the left flank the Fire breathing dragon attack

Santa and the frost giant pounds the levy

The Giant kills many of the Levy
and the Reindeer is forced back

Santa and his sorceress

must contend with the giant

The Ice Warriors capture the

left flank drum objective

The Yeti appear to be advancing on the flank but...

The Ice Warriors use a Saga ability to teleport the Yetis behind enemy lines

The Levy have been pushed back and the Yeti's are

blocking the snowmen Hearthguards retreat

A frost Giant forces the Santa's elf Hearthguard

to retreat into the woods

Jack Frost's troops hold firm in the centre

Turn 2

Overview

Santa's warband tries to regroup and

cover the opening on their left flank

Jack Frost's snowmen attack the Ice Hearthguard

and hold the hill

On the other flank the last of Santa's

Elf Hearthguard are killed by the Ice Hearthguard

Jack Frost attempts to aid his snowmen in

the battle with the Ice Hearthguard

Jack and the Snowmen are thrown back

and taking 2 casualties

Sandwiched -tThe retreating Snowmen then get

attacked by the Yeti

Only Jack and one Snowman

Hearthgurad survive the attack

Turn 3

This turn is all about damage control for the forces of good.

Jack Frost take another hit and
he must withdraw from danger.

However Jack's Creatures still hold
the objective on the right

But on the Left flank the Ice Hearthguard have
the objective and the Giants are advancing

In the Centre the Snowmen warriors gun down
a Giant and hold on to the objective

Overview centre right

Overview Centre Left

The tide then seems to turn to favour the forces of chaos / evil.

The Ice Warrior Leader finishes off the
Exhausted Jack Frost

The Ice Hearthguard slay Jack's sorceress
the Winter Witch

But not so fast.

In an epic clash between a Giant and
Mary Claus (Paladin) both are killed.

The Reindeer and the Green Dragon do battle.

Scratch two Reindeer

Battle at its end: Carnage on both sides,
Santa's forces hold two objectives..

Santa's forces still hold the
central objective on the hill

This was the final turn as our time was up. By the looking at the casualties it appeared the forces of Chaos (Ice Warriors and Monsters) had won and the initial tally confirmed this, then I realized the loss of each giant was considered the loss of a Monster and a Legendary unit so rather than counting -5 against the Monster warband it counted -8. The loss of 3 giants on the final turn had turned the tide.

Conclusion

Victory points are tallied based on what your side eliminates, forces across centre and for objectives:

Forces of Order / Good:
+4 (4 enemy Hearthguard)
+6 (3 enemy creatures - Yeti)
+12 (3 enemy Monsters - Giants)
+ 12 (3 Legendary Units - Giants)
+1 (eliminating 1 creature unit -Yetis)
-15 Units behind the centre line
+ 12 for 2 objectives

Total 32

Forces of Chaos / Evil
+4 (enemy Warlord - Jack Frost)
+4 (enemy Sorceress - Winter Witch)
+4 (enemy Paladin -Mary Claus)
+5 (enemy Hearthguard - Snowmen)
+6 (enemy Hearthguard - Elves)
+4 (enemy Creatures - Reindeer)
+3 (enemy Levy - children 1/3 point each)
+4 (4 enemy units eliminated -Hearthguard, Reindeer, Wendigo, Snowmen)
+3 (3 enemy single figure units eliminated)
-12 Units behind the centre line
+6 for 1 objective

Total 31

It was a very narrow victory for the forces of Order, there will be a Christmas!

Had the game continued for another three turns the outcome might well have been different.

It was clear that the Monsters (Giants and Dragon) were very powerful and we were wondering how the rules would balance this out. Clearly the cost of loosing these "Legendary" units is the way this is done. The all Monster League is considered a "Legendary Warband" and each individual monsters is a unit. The Otherworld (Ice Warrior) to teleport proved to be very powerful also as demonstrated by the Yeti's appearance in the rear of the enemy lines.

Everyone enjoyed the game and we all hopefully gained a better grasp of the rules (two new players) so that we can get more than three turns in next round.

Thanks to two of my players who contributed some of the pictures.