Review of Redoubt, Perry & Gripping Beast Models

by Mike Wood

I recently purchased some "non-military" models for Saga. Here's a look at what I got and the overall quality of the models. The aim is to use them to make baggage bases for the Saga mission "The Escort". That scenario requires three pieces of "baggage" to be moved across the board. I have already looked at Carts in two earlier posts, here and here.

The following manufacturer/suppliers were used....

Gripping Beast are here.

Perry Miniatures are here.

Redoubt Enterprises are here.

Focus On ... The Bretons ride out and Shoot!

Sometimes it's as though the supplements for the Saga wargame were released so quickly that it seems as if the player has jumped from those in the rulebook to those in "The Raven's Shadow" or "Varjazi & Basileus" very quickly. It's time to backtrack and take a look at the Bretons from the earlier release "Northern Fury".

Perry Unarmoured Spearmen Advancing / Attacking

The Bretons were descended from a group of peoples that fled England when the Angles and Jutes invaded. They fought hard for their land into the 10th Century. Along the way they faced Normans, Vikings, Franks, Carolingians and the Saxons. They used tactics inherited from their British ancestors.

Saga takes its inspiration for the Breton battleboard from the fact that the force represents one that uses hit and run tactics with lots of Javelins. Unlike the Welsh, who are primarily an infantry skirmish force, the Breton battleboard has been written very much with a strong accent on mounted troops with deadly missile delivery from those javelins. Melee is catered for by being avoidable to some extent.

The Breton Warlord and Hearthguard (Machtierns) are mounted with Javelins. The warriors (Soldiers) may be mounted and if so are armed with Javelins. The Levies (Skirmishers) also have Javelins. The mounted troops suffer an extra -1 to their armour in melee as they are primarily a skirmish force.

Swords for Hire - Angry Monks!

by Mike Wood

One of the more unusual options available to the Saga wargamer is a unit of Monks. Not your usual fare? We take a look at the 'Sword for Hire' unit of Monk Levies and their Rules in the Saga wargame....

They may not be the ultimate in combat units, but they do have a couple of side-effects that may be of use to some Saga players.

Gripping Beasts unit of Monks

 

Here is what Gripping Beast has to say about the role of Monks in the Saga Wargame....

Swords for Hire - Hereward the Wake

Usually it is the Heroes of the Viking Age who change the feel of each faction through their special abilities, here it is this unusual addition of a 'Sword for Hire' special Hero character that changes the composition of your Anglo-Dane force in the Saga wargame.

Hereward killing Normans

The Legend surrounding Hereward the Wake has grown up over the centuries such that it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. He was an exile, outlaw and resister against the Norman occupation. In ways that parallel the tale of Robin Hood, he was seen as a Hero in the struggle against an oppressive power.
The name "Wake" seems to have been attributed to Hereward hundreds of years later, possibly meaning "the Watchful". 

Byzantine Basileus Vs. Viking

by Eric Lauterbach

Joe Moore and I wanted try out his new Byzantine Basileus Saga army which is all Hearthguard!  We threw out some terrain and got the armies engaged in a hurry.

The Table

The Vikings 3 Warriors and 1 Hearthguard