Steve-O and I have jumped right in to SAGA over the last few months, and I have organized my thoughts and impressions so far. QUICK PLAY
I really like the fact that we can crank out a game in an hour or less. There are not a ton of complicated rules to bog you down in this game -- toss some SAGA dice and get on with it! I like the fact that the armies are pretty evenly matched, with mostly the Battle Board to give them flavor. The Missions are mostly straightforward and do not need a ton of strategy time.
THE MODELS
You guys know me! I love the painting! I have not painted any 28mm in a loooong time -- probably figures for D&D or Warhammer or Warhammer 40K. It is good to get back to painting some stuff of larger scale. I know that Steve-O gets burned out on green, dark green, khaki, brown, brown and brown in 15mm WWII -- so do I! I have really enjoyed the diversion from painting little men in uniforms to painting half-naked, totally UN-historical Viking Babes! The fact that the units are so generic and can be represented by just about anything is a nice break from the strict (well, fairly strict...) historical accuracy required for my main game. The fact that it is optional and one can go crazy or stitch-Nazi the models is very appealing to me. I like options!
FUN!
This is the #1 thing! SAGA has been very fun for us so far. I have not played a ton of games, but they have universally been fun. From the tiny little 3 point games Steven and I have had, to the 'UGE Mega-Battle at Game Vault, each game played has been full of laughs and a good amount of back-and-forth.
I am also finding the diversion from my regular game enjoyable. I like cruising other forums, researching my next models, seeing other people's strategies, etc. I have had a ton of fun on the meta-game!
TOP TIPS
1) Metal: For me, time is more important than cash, so I would recommend metal if your budget allows. I did buy the awesome, super-cheap Viking Box Sets (here, and here), but I found that the assembly time just wasn't for me.
2) Big Hearthguard: My man Scott Simoneaux pounded me with his Elite guys organized in groups of 6. I REALLY learned from this and will be doing this in the future. With 6 Hearthguard, you can get enough dice to decimate units in one turn. Get some, Steveaux!
3) Fatigue Away: I have been super-careful with Fatigue in the game. I have been pretty adverse to building up a ton of Fatigue and have not activated units to keep this down. Through play and observation of other games, I have learned that taking some Fatigue is ok if you are making a decisive action. Vikings are pretty good at managing Fatigue! Your opponent will likely use your fatigue anyway during a fight, so you will not usually end up with a ton of it on your units. If you have an advantage, press it and don't worry about the Fatigue -- especially if you can eliminate an opponents SAGA Dice!
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