Thinking about a Viking warband for SAGA, need some advice for models.

[Gracchus Armisurplus]

So I'm getting into SAGA (finally) and want to start a Viking warband.

I think I'll be using the Gripping Beast plastics since they're cheap, look great and easily available.

But how to model my warriors!

The Hirdmen are pretty easy. Mail, shields, and swords/axes. But the warriors are a bit of a problem. I'm thinking maybe use the Dark Ages Warriors bodies, with helmeted heads, and a mixture of weapons?

Or maybe the Viking Hirdmen bodies, with bare heads from the Dark Ages Warriors kit?

I'm not really sure.

To be honest, I kind of want all my warriors to have bare heads since it makes them stand out a bit and it's easier to see their hairy little faces.

[cram]

For the standard warriors (Bondi) use the Dark Age Warriors box, you can use a few heads with helmets from the Hirdmen box if you like for variety.For weapons arm them with mostly spears, give a few axes and swords.

[tyrionhalfman]

Most people model hearth guard as chai mail and helmets, Warriors as cloth and helmets and levy with no helmets, just to differentiate them easily on the tabletop. In that case use the dark age warrior bodies rather than hirdmen as warriors. If you'd have no other use for the excess bodies I'd recommend buying part boxes instead of whole boxes - Annie the dice bag lady does a bundle with half boxes which should fill your need, and includes bases.  http://thedicebaglady.net/6-point-plastic-warband/

[cram]

Just remembered that GB are just about to release a 'plastic' starters set for the Vikings: http://www.grippingbeast.co.uk/NEW_Plastic_Starters_for_SAGA--post--56.html and http://www.grippingbeast.co.uk/GBP07_Plastic_Viking_Starter_4_points--product--5273.html

Dice Bag Lady's deal looks great though, for another pound you're getting a six point warband instead of GB's four point!

[Argonor]

I have assembled - if not painted - much of a Viking army out of GB plastics.

As suggested, use mailed Vikings for Hearthguard - BUT with Warriors/Bondi you can mix mail and no mail (Dark Age Warriors), just make sure they (almost) all have helmets and shields.

You can make your Hearthguard stand out by having them sport identical (or near identical) shields, and, you can differentiate between Hearthguard and Warriors by having the household troops have mostly swords/axes, and the Warriors mostly spears.

As I intend to also use my Vikings as Blood Gorged proxies for God of Battles, I needed to have some 'levy' without shooting capability, and for this I use Dark Age Warriors with spears, without shields.

If you want archers instead of slingers for your levy, Conquest just released a set of 'Early Medieval Archers' - but read a bit about them before deciding on those.

[Gracchus Armisurplus]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I'm thinking, since the levies must have missile weapons, that I can simply use the armoured bodies and swords/axes for my hearthguard, and unarmoured bodies with spears for my warriors.

I'm still unsure about helmets. I know it's more realistic to have lots of helmets, but at the same time I love the character you can see in a models face when he is bare headed, and it would help to have my Vikings be easily differentiated from my Anglo Danes if all my Vikings are bare headed and my Anglo Danes all wore helmets...

What are people doing for Berserkers? There are a few options out there, are some people making them out of the plastic kits or do most people use metal sculpts?

Maybe I could give everyone a helmet except for the berserkers, to make them stand out?

[Argonor]

I'm still unsure about helmets. I know it's more realistic to have lots of helmets, but at the same time I love the character you can see in a models face when he is bare headed, and it would help to have my Vikings be easily differentiated from my Anglo Danes if all my Vikings are bare headed and my Anglo Danes all wore helmets...

From a historical view, Anglo-Danes and Vikings are really not two different factions (although the SAGA rulebook has them as such), so having a strict 'uniform' difference would not make much sense to me (and the way the rules work, your warriors are always facing the enemy, so no confusion should arise, even with two armies from the same list facing each other).

Helmets, armour, and good weapons were the first things to be looted from the bodies of fallen enemies, so the infamous 'Vikings' series is just wrong on so many levels (although I DO understand that no self-respecting Viking would be seen with the Saxons' renaissance helmets and/or the very strange shields of the Franks  )

What are people doing for Berserkers? There are a few options out there, are some people making them out of the plastic kits or do most people use metal sculpts?

Maybe I could give everyone a helmet except for the berserkers, to make them stand out?

I am definitely going to get some 'dedicated' minis for this, but as no-one is really certain about what 'berserk' (bar-særk (naked under-tunic), and bear-serk (bearskin tunic) just two of the meanings given) actually means, the subject is open to interpretation.

[Gracchus Armisurplus]

From a historical view, Anglo-Danes and Vikings are really not two different factions (although the SAGA rulebook has them as such), so having a strict 'uniform' difference would not make much sense to me (and the way the rules work, your warriors are always facing the enemy, so no confusion should arise, even with two armies from the same list facing each other).

Well, it's practically impossible to draw a picture of a warrior, claim it to be an anglo-dane, and to then claim that all anglo-danes must look like this. Just the same as it's impossible to claim what a viking warrior must have looked like, or a saxon or a norman. Were the vikings and the anglo-danes different factions? Well, of course. They had to be. After all, vikings and anglo-danes fought against each other many times. Anyone you're fighting against belongs, by definition, to a different faction to yourself.

Were the culturally and physically distinct from their danish and saxon forbears? Well, that's a whole other question.

But no matter the answer to that question, it doesn't solve my particular dilemma which is that in SAGA, anglo-danes and vikings are distinct factions. And when it comes to gaming on the table top, the rule of cool trumps the rule of historical accuracy. My anglo-danes must be visually distinct from my vikings so that any layman walking past the table can see two distinct factions fighting against one another, rather than just a single amorphous mass of warriors with pretty round shields.

I am definitely going to get some 'dedicated' minis for this, but as no-one is really certain about what 'berserk' (bar-særk (naked under-tunic), and bear-serk (bearskin tunic) just two of the meanings given) actually means, the subject is open to interpretation.

I think I'm leaning towards the semi-naked raiders from the gripping beast range.

[LeadAsbestos]

The ulfhednar from GB are nice, but I just couldn't bring myself.to paint them. If I were to do Vikings again (and I most certainly will!), I think I'll do straight Foundry. Not the most accurate, but just a cool line of minis.
So for you, Warriors have no armour, shields and spears, hearthguard get full equipment, Vikings get beards, anglos get moustaches, done... Berserkers from Foundry!

[tyrionhalfman]

I've seen some nice looking berserker conversions done using plastic bare chested celts or Germans with Viking heads and weapons.

[Atheling]

I think the best way to think of the 'helmet' issue is this; what is the first piece of your body you would choose to protect if going into battle if you could afford the correct armour?

Darrell.