Victrix - Pillage, ransack the Middle Ages

[Marine0846]

Really like the look of the Scots and Picks.
Will be picking some up when they come out.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I find it so odd that Victrix, a company that sells figures by the gross, would publish a game that only needs a handful of miniatures.

It can function as a gateway - see also Mantic's King's of War: Champions (a rank and flank game with - for example four bases and 15 figures that uses the same basing as their large scale KOW).

It does sound interesting,  depends on the campaign system as much as the combat system.

[BeneathALeadMountain]

Well I’m tempted - and the last time I played this period was for Saga v1 until my opponent and I realised it was just the same game over and over and over (especially if there was a ford!)……. I loved my vikings but the game was just a little dull with repetition. Those Picts and Scots look great - looking forwards to seeing some AARs once people have it in their hands.

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

[Codsticker]

I wasn't really interested as between Lion Rampant and Midgard I feel my early medieval gaming was covered. However, we have a New Guy moving to the area shortly and ( for whatever reason) he is reallyinterested in Pillage. As I have minis for it, I will probably be giving it a shot.

[Mikai]

Hello Pillage community!
The book is getting closer by the day!
We've just received the print proofs from Victrix. This is the unbound version of the book, allowing us to check the print and paper quality.
What can I say except that the book is going to look absolutely stunning...
To help pass the time, here are a few photos of the printed pages we've received.
I can't wait for you all to discover Pillage!

Somewhere was also noted that the hardback books and new army sets will be going on pre-order next week, and should start shipping soon after. More showcases for the sets will come soon!

[Mikai]

Preorder is up now!

First images of the Carolingians:





Looks also like they repacked older sets in new handy bundles, something I would have loved to see already earlier:
Viking Warband: https://www.victrixlimited.com/collections/pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/products/viking-warband
Saxon Warband: https://www.victrixlimited.com/collections/pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/products/saxon-warband
Norman Warband: https://www.victrixlimited.com/collections/pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/products/norman-warband
Rus Warband: https://www.victrixlimited.com/collections/pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/products/rus-warband

[Mikai]

Some more very interesting stuff will be coming too, for me really unexpected but very welcome: Dark Age & Medieval Farm Animals as well as Dark Age & Medieval Accessories

https://www.victrixlimited.com/collections/pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/products/dark-age-medieval-farm-animals


https://www.victrixlimited.com/collections/pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/products/dark-age-medieval-accessories

[madaxeman]

Well I’m tempted - and the last time I played this period was for Saga v1 until my opponent and I realised it was just the same game over and over and over (especially if there was a ford!)……. I loved my vikings but the game was just a little dull with repetition. Those Picts and Scots look great - looking forwards to seeing some AARs once people have it in their hands.

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

I kinda agree about Saga, however it does have the corresponding upside* of not requiring elaborate terrain**, and the simplicity of only 6 units made up of 3-4 troop types, with every unit the same "points cost".  That makes it a very easy pickup game to arrange to play at a club or FLGS.

Looking at the tables someone kindly posted earlier, Pillage seems to require quite specific, elaborate terrain setups littered with extras (with Victrix even producing 2 sets of new models for the impedimentia on the battlefield).

It also seems to have a "gold" points cost for each individual figure, which suggests there is the option to equip everyone differently - which is perhaps drifting a little into RPG territory ?

All of that feels like it has the potential to end up as another one of those "We all bought it and were very excited to try it, but in the end we found that we didn't play that much as it all seemed to be a bit too much of a faff to get everything together and onto the table" sort of game maybe?

(* Whether this is actually an upside probably probably depends on if you game in a place you can get to on public transport!)
(** OK, barely any terrain, and even so quite often it appears to be an afterthought in some of the games you see taking place)

[Byrthnoth]

I haven’t played much Saga, but I was always very aware of the mechanics when playing it — scanning the battle board, looking for the optimal play and searching for combos. It’s fun, but it doesn’t put me in the headspace of a Viking warlord. Maybe if I played more often and was more familiar with the boards, the mechanics would recede into the background and I’d get into the early medieval spirit.
Pillage seems like it might hit the sweet spot for me. From skimming the French version, it looks very similar to Ravenfeast but with a bit more meat on its bones. Any game with a dedicated ‘light things on fire’ phase in the turn is worth a closer look.

[Mikai]

Looking at the tables someone kindly posted earlier, Pillage seems to require quite specific, elaborate terrain setups littered with extras (with Victrix even producing 2 sets of new models for the impedimentia on the battlefield).

It also seems to have a "gold" points cost for each individual figure, which suggests there is the option to equip everyone differently - which is perhaps drifting a little into RPG territory ?

It looks like that for sure. I won't mind new plastic sets for terrain though, as I dislike 3D printed ones and love to have more choices available 

The individual unit creation with point costs is something I am used to playing Ravenfeast. This gives more freedom at arranging your own personal Warband instead of having predefinied types of units. Byrthnoth also made a connection to the Ravenfeast rule set already. Perhaps it gives a similar good gameplay feeling.

And of course it could become a hyped up game dying quickly. Same story as for every other new rule set I guess.

There seem to be some files availablable already as free PDFs. Sadly not for a direct download, you need to put them into your cart...
https://www.victrixlimited.com/products/pillage-supplement-sheep-beehives
https://www.victrixlimited.com/products/pillage-faqs
https://www.victrixlimited.com/products/pillage-quick-reference-sheets
https://www.victrixlimited.com/products/pillage-supplement-the-east-rus-magyars-byzantine-factions

Goonhammer also wrote down a expansive review for the game in case someone is interested in reading it:
https://www.goonhammer.com/goonhammer-reviews-pillage-ransack-the-middle-ages/?fbclid=IwY2xjawK5OblleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFZd1dxaG1wck9QYzVuN0lCAR672nJ2HfhIWpFH9yDVHonjkd8W7Ii8vn8AzjKrFBx5oyhzaPQu4WFWOnpCPQ_aem_DCtXWCPQqKGQV90sQloQyw

[Pan Marek]

  The figures look great.   The summaries of the rules, however, make me wonder what they add to the already existing (and much cheaper!) Pig Wars and Ravenfeast.

[BeneathALeadMountain]

@Madaxeman - don’t get me wrong I did enjoy the many games of saga I played. It was mainly hampered by there only being two of us with one force each (we should have proxied it a bit to get variety) and (as Byrthnoth says about the style of play/battle boards) in v1 (haven’t played v2) they looked like you had lots of options but for the Vikings (my chaps) you would only use roughly three choices and one of those was very situational. I’d imagine v2 is much better as it seems to have a strong following and if I had a group of willing opponents I’d merrily resurrect my tiny raiding ancestors.

 I’m currently trying BattleLust in 28 and 15mm for dark ages style skirmishes and I’m enjoying the slight crunch - I will be watching Pillage with interest though, I especially like how victrix have packaged a few of their different sprues together to give you an instant warband rather than losing out to a sprue reseller.

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

[RedRowan]

7th Son has a nice overview of the rules on his YouTube channel that's worth a watch.



I pre-ordered the rules and hope to have them by the weekend with a bit of luck. Looking forward to reading through them and setting up a few figures to see how they play.

Very pleased to see Victrix supporting it too and the new kits they have been previewing look great. Have quite a few of their Vikings, Saxons and Normans and always hoped they would produce some kits for the Irish, Scots and Welsh. What I really want to see from them now is a decent set of suitable civilians which I believe they have said is on their to do list.

Steve

[frank xerox]

What Pan Marek said earlier; some kind of campaign/ progression system would reel me in. Im guessing you can use gold to upgrade your warbands equipment & hire specialists though?

[RedRowan]

I don't think there is a campaign mode in the book from what I have read over on the facebook group. I think the author does have some ideas though for a future supplement.

Steve