"Alternatives to Saga" Topic

My wife has dark age stuff, which she's pretty keen on. It does nothing for me but I am happy to play the odd game however I really can't bear Saga..any suggestions for an alternative that does n't involve finnicky/gimmicky lawyer-type systems?

You could try Dux Bellorum from Osprey or if your miniatures go back to the 5th century you could play Dux Britanniarium from Too Fat Lardies. Both are good games although I prefer Dux Brit.

Lion Rampant if you are looking for something along the scale and scope of Saga. It is actually a Medieval game but should easily work for the Dark Ages. Knights are hearth troops, men at arms are warriors and peasants are well…um…peasants! Definitely a light rules set compared to Saga.

Dux Brit is a heavier system with a good deal of detail. It may or may not be what you are looking for. It does handle the Dark Ages just fine though.

I've enjoyed Dux Bellorum. Plays well. It is an element based game though. Multiple figures on a stand.

If you can find it, I'd also recommend Pig Wars. It has been used heavily at conventions for those free-for-all types of scenarios where everyone has their own agenda. Great fun.

I'll second Lion Rampant, and another free alternative is Medieval FUBAR here link

Free one is Swordplay. It is made for historical and fantasy gaming with shield and sword.

link

If that works for you then perhaps Captains and Kings for a bit larger fights.

link

SAGA is the least lawyery system I've ever played, bar SOBAH, which is nearly rules-free. Maybe you had a bad opponent or teacher?

A third vote for Lion Rampant.

If you want something at a lower level and distinctly Viking, try Battle-Troll. Very lighthearted, but thoroughly familiar with the era. Okay, I'm half the design team.

link

Song of Blades and heroes is an option, but I'd specifically recommend "Song of Arthur and Merlin" It interprets Arthur in 3 ways, one of which is as a historical Dark Ages figure so it has a bunch of dark age stats.

Battle Troll is fun (and I'm not part of the design team). Pig Wars is also good. The author sells electronic copies through the Pig Wars Yahoo Group. Swordplay can be fun, too, though I've only played it once.

Many folks like Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit wargames rules, though I haven't tried either.

Grelber

I like both Battle Troll and Dux Bellorum.

Battle Troll does a great job of depicting skirmish combat as described in the Icelandic sagas. It uses small warbands of individually-based figures. I'm not part of the design team, but I do have a PhD in Viking Studies, so my recommendation of these rules should be taken seriously! ;)

Dux Bellorum is great if you want a fun and quick game that is element-based. For my Vikings in DB I just use the Saxon and the Sea Raider army lists. The rules are really easy to read and understand, and there is a fair bit of period colour with room for adaptation if you want it.

A vote for Pig Wars. Simple, fast, fun.

Battle Troll is great.

Brink of Battle.

You might consider Peter Pig's "Longships". It can be played with 15mm or 25mm figures. In 15mm a typical unit is 8 bases of 4 figs each. In 25m the bases each are only 1 figure. A typical "army" would be 5 units= 120x15mm or 40 x25mm figs.

Goo luck

martin

Dux Britaniarum is fairly fixed in the 6-7 Centuries, though it's an easy port to the Vikings (you do lose some of the campaign elements, though). I really like it.
Dux Bellorum is more of a battle system, but can be managed with the same number of figures. Again, rather ewarlier than Saga but easy to use up to the end of the 11th C, and with rather more varied armies than Dux Brit.
Pig Wars might use a few more figures than eather of the above.

28mm, individually based. Last I looked she had about 70…that may well be outdated info by now.
Something that does not involve a deck of activity cards or a board for dice to confer special powers is definitely preferable.
I'm going to have to check out pig wars just because I love the name, Neil Thomas sounds very promising, as does Longships.

Saga is very much a personal taste game. The "battle board" concept is very board gaming and a bit mechanical (unless yo roll certain die results your men forget some of their capabilities).

I had fun playing it but my friend in the same game did not and my son was very indifferent. I thought both would be more impressed.

I think Marshal Mark gave a very informed review of Dux Britanirum (but it might have been Dux Bellorum). I'd check out that review before buying either game (its on the Minituare Page).

TomT