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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Smokeyrone on April 30, 2019, 11:49:32 PM

Title: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Smokeyrone on April 30, 2019, 11:49:32 PM

picked up a couple hundred GB, Warlords and WF Vikings, Saxons, and various generic Dark Age figures at RECON.  Was inspired by the Cons excellent Pig Wars game.

What next?  How should I base them, and what rules?  I probably want a individually based skirmish game.

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Harry Faversham on May 01, 2019, 02:44:27 AM

Quote from: Smokeyrone on April 30, 2019, 11:49:32 PM

I probably want a individually based skirmish game.

 ;) So I bought two hundred figures, love it!!!  ;)

'Song of Blades and Heroes' is an excellent set of rules for having at it with Vikings. 'Lion Rampant' has a Saxon/Viking add on, I believe, that's give you a larger skirmish.

:)

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Codsticker on May 01, 2019, 04:54:59 AM

If you do have a couple hundred figures do both skirmish based and multi-based. :D

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Ethelred the Almost Ready on May 01, 2019, 06:13:16 AM

Quote from: Codsticker on May 01, 2019, 04:54:59 AM

If you do have a couple hundred figures do both skirmish based and multi-based. :D

Absolutely.  Allow yourself flexibility to skirmish and play big battles.
I have used mine for Dux Bellorum, Dux Britanniarum, Dragon Rampant, Comitatus, Shield Wall, Hail Caesar, Sellswords, Rangers of Shadow Deep, Song of Blades and Heroes, Sword Play................and the list goes on.  Great generic figures for history and fantasy.

Just to be a nuisance, if singly based will it be round or square bases :D

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: SteveBurt on May 01, 2019, 10:10:29 AM

You won't go far wrong with Saga - great set of rules.
Obviously you'll be needing some Normans and Welsh to go with the Saxons and Vikings.

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Smokeyrone on May 01, 2019, 06:43:06 PM

Quote from: Harry Faversham on May 01, 2019, 02:44:27 AM

;) So I bought two hundred figures, love it!!!  ;)

'Song of Blades and Heroes' is an excellent set of rules for having at it with Vikings. 'Lion Rampant' has a Saxon/Viking add on, I believe, that's give you a larger skirmish.

:)

well, it was brand new boxes of Gripping, Warlord and Wargames Factory Vikings and assorted Saxons for....5 bucks a box!  so Thus is why I ended up with 284 figures!  ( felt bad about wanting chabge for a 20, so I said " ill take more")

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Munindk on May 02, 2019, 07:48:56 AM

I'd go with individual bases and sabot bases for larger games.

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: TheDaR on May 02, 2019, 09:32:59 AM

I'd say a mixture of individual and multi-basing.  I spent a very long time before deciding to use a style similar to this article (https://dalauppror.blogspot.com/2015/11/123-basing.html) or this take on the same idea (http://ilivewithcats.blogspot.com/2017/01/3-2-1-in-1-2-3-basing-for-pikemans.html).

Random thoughts:

• By default I try to buy and build "units" in multiples of 12 figures.
• Most of my armies end up about half single figure bases and half double figure bases.  Conveniently 12 figures makes 4 singles and 4 doubles.
• Some armies I'll go heavier on single or double.  Heavy infantry shield walls like Vikings, Greek Phalanx, or Roman Legions I'll do more doubles.  Psiloi/Skirmisher heavy armies, I do more singles.
• I try to ensure I have at least 1 dozen individual based figures for small scale skirmish games or casualty removal, even if it's an all heavy infantry army.
• I usually do commanders for unit in pairs, one on a single, and one on a double with a banner or musician
• I only do 3 figure bases for infantry if the army has very large horde type units, or I have way too many figures of that type.  Never for cavalry.
• I chose base sizes that let me easily sabot for common unit sizes (15mm infantry figures go on 5/8th and 3/4th washers so I can fit 3-4 figures on a 40x20 base for DBA, for instance).
• I make my sabot trays out of plasticard sheet bottoms and strip for the edges, with a little 2-part epoxy putty to fill in around the mini bases.

I'm mostly happy with how this has worked out.  About the only place it doesn't work super well is if I need to do formed up cavalry units.   Round bases large enough for hoses don't tend to rank up very well.  Sadly, oval or pill-shaped washers are hard to come come by.

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Smokeyrone on May 03, 2019, 12:07:38 AM

 thanks guys.  Saga seems like the cyrrent trend around here.  I love sabot bases, so individual seems good.  Heck, will probably start small anyway, 60 figs per side

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: SteveBurt on May 03, 2019, 11:09:07 AM

60 figs a side is ample for Saga

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Smokeyrone on May 04, 2019, 03:11:36 PM

Quote from: SteveBurt on May 03, 2019, 11:09:07 AM

60 figs a side is ample for Saga

excellent!   Now, who wants to paint 60 vikings and sixty saxons, in exchange for money, figures, and World Class Dark Ages building scratchbuilds?

im not good enough to paint vikings  :(

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Smokeyrone on May 09, 2019, 05:36:57 PM

 OK, Jesus at Dogs O War gaming set me up with the Army Painter quickie system.  im crankin' 'em out fast, and no worse than my nornal painting style.

Only problem?  Gripping Beast and Warlord obviously didnt research.  all my Vikings and Saxons are male!   :o

Unless "Vikings", "Last Kingdom", etc are lying to me, almost all Vikings, Saxons, in fact all great warriors, are Female!

I got burned on these figures purchases!  :(  where are the REAL figures at?

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: frank xerox on May 09, 2019, 05:49:56 PM

 :D yup you're going to lose big time to anyone with a chick in their army. Get yourself over to Bad Squiddo or Stronghold miniatures (for a more cinematic look) and quickly

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: Sir_Theo on May 09, 2019, 05:56:16 PM

Bad Squiddo have got some great shield maidens. Gripping Beast also sell some, under the Age of Magic section...

Title: Re: Got Vikings and Saxons. What next?
Post by: SteveBurt on May 10, 2019, 10:54:51 AM

A typical Viking warband in Saga would be:
Warlord
4 x berserkers
8 x hearthguard (armoured warriors)
16 x bondi (unarmoured warriors)
12 x thralls (levies with bows)

That's 6 points, 41 figures.